Swimming and Spa day during stimulation

[Systema23]

Hi Everyone

Just wondering if it is safe to have a spa day during stims? I started mine on Monday and got a free pass for a local hotel to use their steam room; sauna and pool. Just wondering if it is safe to do so during stimulation?

[OurMiracleBabies]

Hi ya, during stimulating it's OK.. However, after transfer its not recommended.

[Systema23 in reply to OurMiracleBabies]

Thank you, I remembered after transfer but my mind just went blank about during stims x

[StarsAllAround]

My clinic advised avoiding heat like saunas, steam rooms and very hot baths or showers during a cycle as extreme heat can affect fertility, and when pregnant can cause miscarriage.

[Systema23 in reply to StarsAllAround]

Thanks StarsAllAround, something told me it might be a no go

[StarsAllAround in reply to Systema23]

Massages are safe though, you can get fertility ones that supposedly help increase your chances. I doubt that they actually do anything more than relax you, which I suppose is a good thing when going through IVF 😌. If you need something to take your mind off IVF I would recommend trying a new hobby anything that takes focus concentration. I took up jewellery making while under going IVF it was so fiddly while doing it I couldn't think of anything else it really calmed me. Good luck with your treatment x

[Systema23 in reply to StarsAllAround]

Thank you x

[Football61]

I’m definitely no expert on this, but I would maybe err on the side of caution. I started my stims yesterday and am also trying to think of some nice things to do - but a sauna and steam room make me feel a tad nervous 😬

[Systema23 in reply to Football61]

Thanks Football61

Seems like all the nice things I normally enjoy are off limits at the moment.

How are you feeling with your stims?

[Football61]

So-so. Some of the needles are quite painful when I’m injecting myself - which I don’t really remember from the first cycle. I probably need to just get settled, and it will be fine in a day or two. I’m also sitting down for hours at a time working - which led to really bad leg cramps during my first cycle - so I’ve not learnt my lesson! But otherwise fine so far 🤞. How are you getting on?

[Systema23 in reply to Football61]

OK. So they changed my protocol this time. Only on one injection at the minute, which has been alright so far, just a few headaches.

Head back to the clinic tomorrow and will get the second and third injections. On the plus side, my partner is still terrified of me from the last cycle, so he is being super helpful round the house, so I have told him I am going to ask for a lifetimes supply, lol

[Football61]

🤣🤣🤣. Too right!

I had a nosey at one of your old posts, and saw that you were contemplating PGT-A. Do you mind me asking what you decided in the end? I’m 44, so I think I’m almost certainly going to use it if I’m lucky enough to get more than one embryo…

[Systema23 in reply to Football61]

So we did go for PGT-A testing. There are pros and cons with it.

I am 40 so seemed like a no brainer for me. But it is more expensive; your cycle is tailored to when the biopsy clinic can do the biopsy; and if you get a really good grade embryo but comes back as chromosomally abnormal, my clinic won't implant it (obviously it will be different depending on clinic) so it is a risk in that sense, and obviously there are no guarantees.

The pro is that you know that any implanted are chromosomally normal, and according to what I have read, it does increase chances of a live birth in my age range, but still no guarantees.

But this delayed things for us. So my clinic advised me to take some supplements for 3 months. When we booked in for ICSI and paid I advised that we wanted to do PGT-A testing, thinking there would just be added costs.

My cycle was meant to begin in March but due to adding PGT-A at such a late stage, it was delayed until now. And, if there is anything to implant, it will be November/December before it will be done at the earliest. So there is a time delay to consider as well.

This, also added a lot of additional costs for us. Between extra bloods and supplements, it mounts up. I simply went with the view that if we can only afford to do this once, best to through everything we have at it.

In the meantime, I have overhauled my diet and exercise regime, lost 35lbs so far, got my BMI down to 27.5 and I only have another 15lbs to lose to get it below 25 by November, which seems doable. Hoping this will make a difference to my egg quality and quantity.

If you have any questions about it, feel free to message me x

[Football61]

Thanks so much. Sorry - I should have said that I used PGT-A in my first cycle in May. My clinic charges an absolute bomb for it. £950 for a ‘PGT-A Biopsy Fee’ (I have no idea what that is - probably just a way to make more cash); £800 to freeze the embryos and store them; and then £450 to test each embryo. Unfortunately, both the embryos I sent for testing came back abnormal. I was keen to use PGT-A because at 44, I don’t have time to waste implanting abnormal embryos. But I think this will probably be my last cycle using my own eggs - so if I only get one embryo, I will just implant - and what will be will be.

Just to note that PGT-A didn’t add any delays to my treatment. They let me decide after egg collection whether I wanted to go ahead with it if I had any blasts on Day 5. The embryologists did the biopsies on Day 5 and 6 - and I think I got the results about 2 weeks later. But appreciate that you would then need to wait for the FET, etc.

Wow - that’s incredible that you’ve lost 35lb. That is proper dedication to the baby cause! Well done x

[Systema23 in reply to Football61]

Thank you. Yeah I am a woman that loves her flavour and am eating beige. Taking a break from the healthy eating for a few weeks following ER, and I am counting the days until I can put something in my mouth without checking my micronutrients first, lol.

Sorry to hear that both your embryo's came back abnormal. Its the chance we take with PGT-A, but like you I think its the best route for me.

x

[Eloquentia]

Hi! I'd talk to your clinic to be on the safe side.