BMI and IVF

[Mlove12]

Hi ladies,

Quick question for those of you who have been through IVF process via NHS funding. When you were referred by the hospital to a clinic for IVF NHS funded, did the clinic then weigh you again even after being told your BMI in the referral paperwork?

Reason im asking is because my BMI is 30, and i was around BMI of 28/29 when this whole process started! Just wondering if it will be an issue. I have a phone apt with our nee clinic in March and wasnt sure if they’d do the weighing etc again

Thanks x

[Foxboro]

Hello, my NHS clinic weighs me (and takes blood pressure) pretty much every time I have an appointment.

[RedFox23]

Yes we were weighed again. Our clinic went through everything from the hospital in our initial consultation.My husband had gained weight and was over the BMI cut off so it was a tense discussion!!! 😬

This was only my experience though so might not be true of all clinics!

And after a tense chat they decided to put down my husbands previous weight rather than his new one so we still were given funding! Xxx

[Boo718]

Hiya, yeh unfortunately. I was told my bmi had to be below 30 for my height and that they wouldn’t take me if I was above when I came back 🤦‍♀️ Xxx

[Mlove12]

Oh gosh that is stressful! How long did you have to get a lower BMI between appointments? And were they just willing to wait for you to get a lower BMI and start process a bit later? Im now in a bit of a panic lol! May i ask your height? Im 5ft3 so relatively short. I better get in a calorie defecit or something! 😩X

[Cotswoldmum]

This annoys me because although I understand that the healthier you are, the more likely ivf is to work (even though you see grossly obese people have kids all the time!) sudden weight loss can hinder fertility so it’s a stupid system. Especially when it’s so marginal like yours!

[Riri88]

Do you know which clinic you will be referred to? I am NHS funded yet having IVF at a private clinic. As my IVF journey started during lockdown my first consultation with the doctor and nurse for the IVF was over the phone and I only went in for the scans and blood tests. As the funding was in place, no one ever weighed me again? But then I don’t have a higher BMI so perhaps not obvious to re test. I do agree with Cotswoldsmum that sudden weight loss isn’t good for trying to produce eggs etc so it is a stupid system. Maybe you can go on a high protein diet so you focus on getting enough calories, but lean protein and nuts and eggs and drink lots of water. To prevent a crash diet yet trying to shift a little bit of weight?

Good luck! I hope you can start your IVF soon.

[Mlove12 in reply to Riri88]

Hi RiRi,

Yes its a bourne hall clinic, private but NHS funded treatment. Although our first apt is over the phone then im assuming they will do a scan or bloods of some sort?

Thank you for replying, hope your IVF journey goes well! X

[Riri88 in reply to Mlove12]

I assume you had all the pre scans done etc to get the funding so you will likely need to be getting bloods done to see your AMH levels and go through the plan for stimulation and which protocol they will put you on etc over the phone. Hopefully that might give you some time to loose a little bit of weight? So when you go in and they do weigh you you are on or just under bmi 30? It is so hard as every clinic is different and where some are really strict others are not so can’t know what your clinic will do.

Hopefully they can tell you soon and it will give you some answers!

[Pupster83]

Yeh, i was weighed at the start of each cycle. I had to lose a couple of stone to get under the 30 in the first place after referral but then due to covid we have had a year between each round of treatment and I have found it hard work to continually keep the weight off. Therefore in the month or so before I knew I’d be starting another cycle I would have to make sure I lost a few lbs again and was under the 30 as we were told we could be out back on the waiting list if over. Most cycles I never got weighed again after the first appointment. I’m confident no health care professional would say dieting pre treatment is good for you but the reality is for many that’s what you have to do to be within the requirements. I pretty much just cut out all but a few wholemeal carbs and lost it that way each time. Sucky but has to be done. It was very annoying when you see people who clearly have a BMI of nearer 40 get pregnant no bother.

Good luck! Xx