If I waited until I was at a “healthy weight,” I might miss my chance completely. Our current fertility doctor told us, “We can do IVF at any weight. Weight does not affect the actual process.
Yes. If you are obese or morbidly obese, this can have a negative impact on your fertility due to changes in hormone levels. This can affect the health and viability of the eggs and can also lead to issues with the health of the uterine lining.
You need to have a certain amount of fat in your body if you are willing to conceive. The normal body fat percentage required for conception is about 22-25%.
According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), a higher body-fat percentage can also affect the success of fertility treatments, such as IVF. On the flip side, when you have a low BMI, or a low body-fat percentage, your body doesn't have enough energy to run properly.
Having a BMI of 30 or higher during pregnancy can increase the risk of complications for you and your baby. Working with your health care provider can help you manage your risks and promote a healthy pregnancy.
Excess weight affects female fertility
This can disrupt the hormone balance and lead to reduced fertility. The quantity and distribution of body fat affect the menstrual cycle through a range of hormonal mechanisms. The more excess weight and the more abdominal fat, the greater the risk of fertility difficulties.
If you're overweight, it can be more difficult for the person doing the ultrasound scan (sonographer) to get a clear picture of your baby. This is because of the way ultrasound scans work. A scan sends high-frequency soundwaves through your womb (uterus).
National guidelines on obesity and infertility are very clear; your weight can affect your fertility. Guidelines indicate that your chances of getting pregnant with IVF are better if your BMI is between 19 and 30. A BMI over 30 has a significant negative effect on IVF pregnancy success rates.
What Research Says. Recent studies have discovered that weight does not significantly affect the success of IVF treatment. According to the research, there is no adequate evidence to prescribe preconception weight loss to obese women with unexplained infertility.
Fluctuating body weight during your treatment cycle may also occur due to irregular exercise patterns and food cravings. Some patients experience IVF weight loss, especially once they stop medications or start experiencing post-cycle depression.
The deleterious impact of obesity on reproduction has increasingly been recognized. According to a recent meta-analysis, the live birth rate in obese women undergoing IVF is statistically significantly decreased (RR = 0.85) compared to normal-weight women [6].
Weight gain, in contrast, lasts longer and might be harder to undo. You can reduce these effects by exercising, eating healthy, and drinking lots of water throughout your IVF cycle.
However, most clinics and agencies will require that donors have a BMI within a certain range in order to be eligible to participate in the egg donation process. At most fertility clinics and agencies, this range typically falls between 18 and 30.
You should also avoid any highly processed food – fresh is best when it comes to IVF. It's also highly recommended to stop drinking and smoking during your IVF cycles. You should cut out alcohol three months before you attempt to get pregnant, giving your body time to get any toxins out of your system.
An anti-inflammatory diet is instrumental in IVF success. To that end, minimize the intake of processed foods, fast foods, and sugar. Healthy fats, whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and clean proteins such as fish, legumes, and low-fat poultry are all part of an anti-inflammatory diet.
Treating overweight patients is a challenge for IVF clinics. General anaesthesia is a risk: IVF patients with a BMI of 35 or more are routinely refused treatment.
If your BMI is less than 19, it can be harder for you to get pregnant. If you have a BMI of 30 or more (classified as obese), it can take longer to get pregnant and there is also a higher risk of pregnancy complications in both mum and baby.
Being underweight (BMI under 18.5) can reduce a woman's fertility by causing hormone imbalances that affect ovulation and the chance of getting pregnant. Compared to women in the healthy weight range, women who are underweight are more likely to take more than a year to get pregnant.
Ultrasound is not very reliable for estimating fetal weight near term. For a 9-pound baby, an ultrasound's predictive accuracy is typically 15 to 20 percent off. Which means we may over- or underestimate by more than a pound.
Having too much body fat can make it difficult to see your baby by ultrasound. Checking your baby's heart rate during labor may also be more difficult if you're obese.
Ultrasound Imaging
There are no strict weight or size limitations for ultrasound, as patients are imaged in a hospital gurney/bed. However patient size can have important effects on image quality.
Your recommended weight gain range for pregnancy will depend on what your body mass index (BMI) was before you became pregnant. The Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend that women who are: at a healthy weight (BMI 18.5-24.9) gain 11.5-16 kg. overweight (BMI 25-29.9) gain 7-11.5 kg.
IVF increases the likelihood of twins, triplets or high-order multiples, with accompanying risk for premature birth, high blood pressure, placenta abnormalities and other challenges. Advanced maternal age (often the reason for IVF) increases risk for miscarriage and birth defects.
Evidence is presented that the high percentage of body fat (26-28%) in mature women is necessary for regular ovulatory cycles.