Pre-conception self care: after embryo transfer
The wait between Embryo transfer and your blood test can be a difficult time. It is really helpful to look after yourself in a way that maximises the chance of conception. The way that I think about the body is in terms of resources management - we want to signal that it is safe to fall pregnant, and that we have the resources available for the pregnancy:
Eat well. Eat lots of different coloured vegetables, including leafy greens. Include good fats such as fats, nuts and seeds. Include protein and plenty of fibre at each meal. Avoid sugar, alcohol, and processed packaged snacks. Try to limit yourself to 1 coffee or caffeine containing drinks per day. Chinese Medicine prefers cooked foods, eaten warm to maximise digestibility, especially in the cooler months.
Keep hydrated - lots of water and soups.
Keep your mind occupied, especially if you are prone to worry or over-thinking. Have a good fiction book, some craft, light gardening, puzzles, games, cooking, feel good TV series, catch up with friends etc - any thing that keeps the mind busy and keeps the stress-thinking to a minimum. It is also a good time to step away from the online fertility support pages.
Meditation and breathing exercises (and Acupuncture) are calming to your nervous system. The Sympathetic and Parasympathetic nervous systems work together to help our bodies respond to the world around us. Getting us out of danger when we need to (the Sympathetic Nervous System), and returning the system to the calm state (the Parasympathetic nervous system). In Chinese Medicine speak, they are Yin (rest, parasympathetic) and Yang (action, Sympathetic).
When trying to fall pregnant, it can be really useful to access that Yin space within us, the Parasympathetic dominant, rest/digest/fertile mode. The Adrenal hormones of the Sympathetic nervous system (the fight/flight/freeze response) will channel resources away from maintaining Progesterone levels, into the hormones of the stress response. Guided meditations like this Spotify Artist are fantastic, or try a Progressive Muscle Relaxation meditation. My recommendation is to get into the habit of doing a guided meditation when you jump into bed at night, and again whenever you are feeling stressed or overwhelmed throughout the day.
Avoid heavy lifting and strenuous activity. Opt for gentle exercise such as walking, stretching and yoga. Pause high intensity exercise for the time being as this fires up the Sympathetic nervous system.
I offer an optional Acupuncture treatment 5-7 days after embryo transfer. At this stage of the cycle, the main treatment aim is relaxation.
Ceda
**Shout out to Anthony Tran and Unsplash for the image.