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Lt_Devil_Melon t1_iww7x26 wrote

Thank you for doing this Dr!

Are there any significant lifestyle changes that either significantly increase or decrease chances of success via IVF?

(Couple, M39 and F31, UK)

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DrJosephDavisDO OP t1_iww96ur wrote

You are very welcome u/Lt_Devil_Melon!

Lifestyle choices when you are trying to get pregnant is very important. High on the list of things to avoid are smoking and alcohol for both men and women. Being an optimum weight is also important as both underweight and overweight have been linked to poorer IVF outcomes. Also, if you have any medication conditions (such as diabetes or high blood pressure) you want to make sure your condition is under control prior to starting the process.

Regarding supplements, some studies have found a benefit for women taking Co-enzyme Q10 and DHEA supplements. For men, zinc and antioxidants have also been found to be important for sperm production.

Stress reduction is also important but hard to study scientifically.

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Lt_Devil_Melon t1_iww9ukg wrote

Stress is the difficult one... I'm in the Armed Forces and my wife is an ITU Nurse! Ha ha...

But we really appreciate the advice. And thank you for helping so many people!

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doingallthething t1_iwx3w2t wrote

I really like this article (and heck-the whole site because it's medically reviewed, not just someone's biased opinion, and the articles tend to be easier to read than ASRM or other medical articles) and thought you might find it helpful. Even though it's meant for getting pregnant via sex, it's got some good points about "how to optimize fertility" that you might find helpful! https://www.fertilitywise.com/research/getting-pregnant-via-sex

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