Fertility-Friendly Eating: What to Eat and What to Skip During IVF

A woman can benefit from making some changes in her diet during IVF. The diet mentioned here will not only increase the chances of IVF being successful, but you will also be better prepared for pregnancy. Under this diet, you have to include some nutrients in your diet, such as zinc. Let's know everything about this diet.

Before the IVF procedure, the quality and quantity of the male's sperm should be excellent so that the IVF procedure can be successful. For this, about 6 months before this procedure, take some things in your regular diet like garlic, walnuts, bananas, tomatoes, fatty fish, cod liver oil etc. Along with this, immediately ban smoking and alcohol consumption because it has a negative effect on your sperm.

 (Read more - Pregnancy Nutrition: What to Eat) 

If you want to make your IVF successful, then along with diet, there are some things you should not do or eat at all during IVF:

• During this time, you should avoid consuming things containing too much caffeine such as tea, coffee, dark colored cold drinks, energy drinks etc.
• Avoid seafood as well. Mercury present in them is dangerous for the development of the fetus.
• Artificial sweeteners reduce the success rate of IVF significantly, and it also causes miscarriage in some women, so do not use it at all. 
• Raw eggs and half-cooked eggs or raw meat increase the chances of many types of infections, which reduces the chances of IVF being successful. Therefore, consume them only after cooking them properly.
• Junk food and food with preservatives increase the risk of hormonal imbalance and miscarriage, so avoid them.
• There is a risk of miscarriage during IVF and intoxicants increase this risk further, so avoid using intoxicants like alcohol etc. during this time.
• Women who smoke have trouble conceiving. This becomes important for women involved in the IVF system as well. Do not smoke at all during this time.
• Do not consume contraceptive medicines as it can cause problems in conceiving. 
• Do not indulge in any kind of sexual activities during the IVF process as doing so can have side effects on the woman's ovaries.
• You can take the help of other people to avoid lifting any heavy object during this period.
• You can exercise to improve IVF quickly, but you should avoid doing heavy exercises.

(Read more -Is it safe to eat fish during pregnancy?)

Here's a diet plan that you can follow keeping in mind all the dietary advice given above. All the components of this diet plan for a lady going through IVF have been chosen with Indian food habits and availability in mind. So, you should find it very easy to source them, and follow this diet plan! 

• Early morning: warm water + soaked almonds (6) + walnuts (2) + raisins (6-8)
• Breakfast: paneer sandwich (2) + strawberry smoothie (1 glass)
• Mid meal: mixed fruit salad with roasted nuts and seeds (1 big bowl)
• Lunch: vegetable pulao (1 bowl) + rajma (1 bowl) + spong gourd curry (1 bowl) + salad (1 small plate)
• Evening tea: non-caffeine green tea (1 cup) + roasted makhana (1 bowl)
• Dinner: vegetable soup (1 bowl) + palak chapati (2) + paneer curry (1 bowl) 
• Bedtime: kesar milk (1 glass)

It is very important to have a proper diet during IVF (in vitro fertilization) treatment as it can affect both the success of the treatment and health. At this time, one should take a balanced and nutritious diet that includes fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and protein. Processed foods, excessive sugar, and caffeine should be avoided. Increasing the intake of nutrients such as folic acid, vitamin D, and omega-3 fatty acids can be beneficial. Drinking plenty of water is also very important. Also, alcohol and smoking should be avoided.