Ivf-weight

[Nicola198701]

Iv just been through fertility testing with my partner and have been told we will need ivf, just wondering how strict they are with weight, my fertility doctor says i need to lose a stone before i see her in 4 weeks..would they ask me to wait until i am the correct weight or still refer me for ivf?

[Blondyboo]

They were quite strict when I had my NHS go I was just under the BMI they wanted ( in the morning with no breakfast!)

[lottiebeth84]

They are quite strict. I think BMIs are ridiculous and not an accurate reflection of a healthy body. Having said that I’m sure they say 35 and below x

[GraceFace]

I’m not sure how strict they are, but my advice as an IVF veteran (if there is such a thing), is to throw everything you’ve got at it! You don’t want to look back later and wonder what would have made a difference x

[LCharlton]

The NHS are very strict in my experience, in my area you must have a BMI below 30. Calorie counting apps were the most helpful thing for me personally xx

[Positivepants]

Hi I had to lose three stone Under the NHS and they were so strict that I had to get my bmi under 30 I was given a time limit but that was purely because of my age So I literally had until the month before my 43 birthday as I had to be 42 when I started.

I would ask if you could have two months to do it as it’s safer and then use mfp but google search James Smith calorie calculator and it gives you your maintenance calories for your height and weight now and then how much to reduce by to lose a couple of lbs a week x be mindful that 1lb equals 3500 calorie deficit so I reduce mine for weeks at a time by 1000 calories a day ( my maintenance cals was 2400) so I had 1400 ish most days and I had periods of losing 2-3lb a week easily x

It was hard work but have never a huge motivation to do it x I also walked most days for xx around an hour to get more calOrie deficit in and that help it took me 5 months to lose the three stone x ( my ivf didn’t work twice but I’m still glad I lost the weight abd have really put it back on) x

[KayCan]

They are very strict, but this is only until you get going with the treatment, as its a bit counter intuitive when they promote eating full fat dairy etc....

I had to lose 2/12 stone, and this got me to a 30 BMI, only to be told that my clinic 'liked' their ladies to be at 29, so had to lose another few lbs. All worth it though and something definitely worth doing as once you are pregnant you understand the strain you put your body under. Good luck 👍

[LaceyS90]

In my experience, yes! My clinic wouldn't even refer me to IVF until I reached 29/30 BMI. This was not the specialists rule, it was the IVF clinic due to NHS funding. I think for funding you have to be 30 or less... could be wrong. My BMI was only 32, so bit picky! It all depends on your area. I'm still waiting for IVF due to hold up in tests/referrals but it gives me time to get back to eating healthy (blame lockdown!). I think if you show you are dedicated and willing and have lost some they are more likely to refer on the promise you will keep going if needed but again depends on area. Some clinics are more relaxed than others. My old GP wouldn't even send me for infertility tests years ago because my BMI was 31!

Good luck on your journey 😃

[6years_nobaby-lowres]

We found the NHS really strict and they wouldn't refer us until my weight was down. We therefore decided to skip the NHS route and go straight to private however appreciate with the costs involved this is a tough route to go down x

[Nicola198701]

Thank you's all so much for the advice!! Iv been on a diet and lost about 2 and a half stone but im sooo stuck on the last stone, i blame the pcos! Ha i thought 1 month to lose the last stone seemed a bit steep but i suppose she wants to make sure im at the correct bmi before refering me first. Im going to really give jt a massive push because i know the process is long to start off with without my weight putting me back aswell 😁 xx

[Blondyboo in reply to Nicola198701]

Do exante meal replacements a couple of weeks before you see them ! Shifts weight fast!

[Kurstx]

The nhs are very strict with your bmi they want it below 30 and not anything over it. Cutting your calorie in take and exercise definitely helps xx