As already proven IVF (In-vitro fertilization) is a very advanced procedure and technique to help couples successfully give birth to newborns. But one of the questions that may arise, what if there are some issues like obesity? Is there a risk factor for early pregnancy loss?
In this blog post we’re going to discuss obesity and how IVF helps in overcoming.
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Why does IVF fail?
The sole aim of IVF procedure is to conceive, get pregnant and have a baby. But if the IVF procedure fails, it is not considered to be effective. There are certainly some factors like obesity and infertility that lead to the ineffectiveness of IVF.
Having obesity causes many other health conditions and it may also lead to birth defects and premature delivery. Obesity is also responsible for hormonal changes and there is a probability for low amounts of estrogen and progestin hormones that play a major role in pregnancy. Further, it is also important to check BMI to get the IVF treatment.
IVF specialists confirm that with healthy weight, it is much easier to produce more healthy eggs as compared to those who are facing the issue of obesity. This is due to the fact that IVF treatment works with eggs and after collecting the eggs, IVF specialists combine them with the sperm in the lab. If healthy eggs are not produced, it will not result in healthy embryos. Without healthy embryos, successful pregnancy cannot be achieved.
Ensure healthy weight
As obesity and pregnancy are intertwined in IVF treatment, working on healthy weight is much encouraged. Take up some of the best activities like joining a gym, choose a healthy and balanced diet and take at least eight hours sleep. Physical activities are often considered to be ideal for IVF to be successful as it helps women to maintain healthy weight and maximize the chance of conception. Walking for 30 minutes or choosing jogging is much recommended for best results.
The Procedure of IVF
Having a better understanding of everything that works in the IVF cycle, effective measures of healthcare, diet, exercise can be taken under the care of IVF specialists.
When hormone injections are administered, one egg is released from an ovary each month. IVF requires more eggs to be retrieved from the body which is why follicle-stimulating hormones are injected, to enable the release of multiple eggs that can be released at once and then retrieved.
Eggs are retrieved through a minor surgical procedure with the help of ultrasound and guidance of a hollow needle. There’s also medication to prevent any discomfort to the patient.
The next step is combining the eggs with male sperm followed by the process of insemination where the sperm and eggs are mixed together and stored in a laboratory for fertilization.
In some cases, the probability is low for fertilization and at that Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is used. With this procedure, a single sperm is injected directly into the egg in order to achieve fertilization.
With the process of monitoring fertilization and cell division is achieved and once this occurs, fertilized eggs are called embryos. Further, embryos are transferred into the woman’s uterus within three to five days following egg retrieval and fertilization.
WHO defines obesity
How to understand obesity? WHO defines obesity as excessive or abnormal fat that directly poses a risk to health. Having BMI (Body Mass Index) of 30 or more is generally considered as obese while a person with a BMI equal to or more than 25 is considered as overweight. Obesity is currently prevailing in low and middle income countries. Obesity can cause infertility with the imbalance of hormones and may also result in causing ovulation. It raises the chances of risks such obesity and infertility, and there are some risk factors for early pregnancy loss. Therefore it is important to understand more about obesity and pregnancy.
Conclusion
Obesity and pregnancy are two of the most difficult stages in a woman’s life. But they can be handled with care. Especially with IVF procedure, it is important to go through the successful process and get pregnant. As obesity could be a major hindrance for IVF, maintaining a healthy weight and taking effective measures to achieve accurate BMI is definitely important.