There is a strange space in IVF that doesn’t get talked about very much. You have made the decision to begin. Perhaps your dates are confirmed. Perhaps you are waiting for your period, your medication to arrive, or your clinic to tell you when to start.
But the stimulation hasn’t started yet.
Nothing much appears to be happening.
And yet, inside you, everything is happening.
This is the space between.
It can be tempting to treat these days as a countdown to the “real” part of IVF. To start searching for supplements, changing your diet, exercising more, exercising less, reading every forum and trying to find the one thing that might make a difference.
I understand that feeling. After many years working with women going through fertility treatment, I’ve learned that preparation is not about finding the perfect routine.
It is about creating a little more space.
Space to breathe. Space to sleep. Space to eat well. Space to feel what you are feeling without constantly trying to fix it.
So, Let your doctors care for your embryos. Let us care for you.
What is the pre-cycle window?
Your IVF clinic may use different terminology depending on your treatment protocol.
The pre-cycle window is essentially the time before ovarian stimulation begins. Your clinic may have appointments, blood tests, scans or medication to complete during this stage. And do remember, your clinic’s instructions always come first. But there is another kind of preparation happening alongside your medical one.You are preparing yourself for a time that can bring a lot of uncertainty, appointments, medication, waiting and some wonderful emotions.
And this preparation matters equally if not more. The IVF Preparation is about protocol. The other preparation is about you. And without you there is not IVF.
Try not to turn this preparation into another job
One of the things I see most often is women turning IVF preparation into a project. Suddenly there are lists. Foods to eat. Supplements to take. Things to stop doing. Things to start doing. And then another list appears on Instagram. And another one on Google. Before long, preparing for IVF has become a full-time job.
If that sounds familiar, take a breath.
You don’t need to become a different person before your IVF cycle begins, you don’t need to eat perfectly. You don’t need to eliminate every stressful thought.And you certainly don’t need to blame yourself if you have a difficult day. Your body does not need perfection.
It needs a little TLC..
From an Acupuncture & Mindfulness perspective
Well we have a very different way of looking at preparation.
Rather than asking only, “What can I do to improve this outcome?” The Health & Wellbeing traditionally looks at the person as a whole.
How are you sleeping? How are you eating? Are you exhausted? Are you constantly worrying? Are you carrying tension in your body?
Do you have enough time to rest? Are you rushing from one thing to another?
Our aim is to support balance and the smooth flow of life, support your body’s vital energy, rather than trying to force the body into doing something. In essence its like charging your mobile phone, we just need you to plug in for a while and get some energy back into your body
The pre ivf cycle window can be an opportunity to introduce something new with less forcing the body to do more, with more supporting your body & mind for whats to come, like preparing for a Marathon, we dont want to have you exhausted at the start line. Which unfortunately I see way to much of every day.
That doesn’t replace your medical treatment. It sits alongside it.
Start with the basics
If you are about to begin or are in an IVF cycle, I would keep your preparation surprisingly simple.
1. Protect your sleep
Sleep is one of the easiest things to overlook when your mind is busy thinking about IVF.Try to make the hour before bed quieter. Put the phone down.
Dim the lights. Take a warm shower or bath. You don’t need to create the perfect sleep routine. Just give your nervous system a little signal that the day is ending.
One or two poor night’s sleep does not ruin your IVF cycle.
2. Eat regularly
This is not the time for an extreme diet. Aim for regular, nourishing meals that you enjoy and that fit your normal life.
Think about adding rather than constantly taking away.
Warm, cooked meals can also feel particularly comforting during a stressful period, and from an acupuncture perspective, supporting digestion is an important part of maintaining overall balance.
But food should not become another source of anxiety. There is no single “IVF diet” that guarantees success no matter what you read on tiktok or instagram.
3. Move your body
Movement can be a wonderful way of getting out of your head. A walk. Gentle yoga. Whatever you normally enjoy. You don’t need to punish yourself with exercise.
And once stimulation begins, follow your fertility clinic’s guidance about what forms of exercise are appropriate for you. For now, think less about burning calories and more about moving, breathing and reconnecting with your body. The last part sounds woo woo, i get it, however ask yourself the question, does any of this stuff make your IVF cycle worse?
4. Create a little breathing space
This may be the most important one. When we are anxious, our attention tends to move forward.
What if the scan isn’t good? What if there aren’t enough follicles? What if the transfer doesn’t work?
Your mind can travel weeks into the future in seconds. Just bring it back one breath at a time.
Today, you are preparing for your IVF, 1% each and every day. We’re not looking for massive changes. . That’s all you need to solve today.
What about acupuncture?
Acupuncture has been used alongside fertility treatment by many women as a way of supporting their wellbeing during the IVF process. I have been doing this for over 20 years, working exclusively with fertility IVF and pregnancy. I’m not here to convince you on how amazing it is, its a hard thing to grasp for most people, some random dude sticking needles into your arms and legs. For me, acupuncture is an amazing gift, the problem with acupuncture isn’t the acupuncture, it’s typically the acupuncturist. Its so important they know what they are doing and also that they are not adding stress to your life, go with your gut on this one if it doesn’t feel right dont do it, if you feel better see the changes discussed to enhance your fertility. For along time I wanted to convince the world of how acupuncture worked, now Im just privileged to help those that want to be helped.
From a health & wellbeing perspective, treatment is individual rather than one-size-fits-all. Your practitioner may consider things such as your sleep, digestion, stress levels, menstrual cycle and overall constitution when deciding how to approach treatment. If you’re considering acupuncture around IVF, it’s important to tell your acupuncturist exactly where you are in your treatment cycle and what medication you are taking. BTW we do not have any any authority to advise on medication, I have very strong opinions on staying in our lane, let the doctors take care of your embryos, let us take care of you. Your fertility clinic remains the primary source of advice about your medical treatment.
The purpose of supportive care isn’t to replace that. It’s to give you somewhere to land while the medical process is happening.
Your IVF cycle doesn’t need you to be perfectly calm
This is something I really want you to hear. You are going to have anxious days. You may cry. You may become obsessed with Google for an afternoon.
You may feel hopeful one minute and terrified the next. That doesn’t mean you’re doing IVF badly. You don’t have to “stay positive”.
Stress is not a personal failure. Your emotions are not going to decide the outcome of your IVF cycle. Your not that powerful and neither are your emotions, stress will not effect your IVF, its just not helping you. So instead of trying to eliminate anxiety, try giving yourself somewhere safe to experience it.
A journal. A few minutes of breathing. A meditation before bed.
Sometimes it means doing less.
Create your Space Between
Before stimulation begins, you have a small window in which to establish a few habits that can carry you through the cycle.
Not a complicated programme.
Just anchors. Perhaps your morning begins with five quiet minutes before reaching for your phone.
Perhaps you listen to a short meditation before sleep.
Perhaps you decide that Google is closed after 8pm.
These things won’t guarantee an outcome. That’s not their purpose. Their purpose is to remind you that you are more than your IVF cycle.
You are still you. With a life.
A mind and body that deserves kindness.
The days before IVF are still part of the journey
It is easy to think of IVF as beginning when the injections begin. But emotionally, the journey often starts much earlier.
It starts when you decide to try. It starts when you make the appointment.
So don’t rush through it. You don’t need to optimise every minute.
You don’t need to find the perfect supplement, the perfect meal or the perfect meditation.
Instead, ask yourself a simpler question:
“What would help me feel a little more supported today?”
Then start there.
Let your fertility team take care of the medical side.
Let your body do what it can.
And give yourself permission to occupy the space between.
Let doctors care for your embryos.
Let us care for you.
This post is written from my clinical experience as a fertility acupuncturist and is intended as general information and emotional support alongside never instead of the medical guidance from your own fertility clinic. Protocols, medication names, and timings vary between clinics and countries; always follow your own clinic’s specific instructions.