10 Diet Chart Tips After an Embryo Transfer
“You are what you eat” takes on a whole new meaning when you’re eating for two. While you’re growing a little one inside, it’s more important than ever to prioritize healthy habits to nourish your body after the embryo transfer.
Nutrition can influence your chances of implantation success, but taking care of yourself and your future baby doesn’t have to be a reason for added stress. Rather than analyzing every dietary decision, you can stick to a few healthy and helpful post-transfer eating habits.
Whether you’re vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, or have other dietary requirements, there are still many ways to use nutrition to support implantation and early embryo development.
Why Diet Matters After An Embryo Transfer
A healthy diet sustains your energy levels and nutrient absorption, which positively influences your chances of implementation success post-embryo transfer and supports the development and thickening of your uterine lining.
Many nutritionists recommend a Mediterranean-style diet, which includes whole grains, healthy fats, nuts, fruits, and vegetables. The foods and preferences of a Mediterranean diet are linked to heart health, lower cholesterol, and stronger immunity, therefore supporting your overall health and the chances of implementation success. As we explore these ten diet chart tips, you’ll notice they’re all part of the Mediterranean plate.
10 Diet Chart Tips After An Embryo Transfer
1. Include Leafy Greens For Folate
Leafy greens are an excellent source of folate, a B vitamin that helps with cell growth and development (super important during the fresh or frozen embryo transfer process and early embryo development).
Folate supports early embryo development in multiple ways, promoting cell growth, division, and DNA synthesis. Leafy greens are also rich in fiber, iron, and antioxidants. Next time you’re in the supermarket, pick up:
- Spinach
- Kale
- Collard greens
- Romaine lettuce
- Swiss chard
Sure, leafy greens may not be exactly what you crave on a Friday night (or any time of the week, for that matter). If you’re feeling like something sweeter, try blending them in smoothies or juices with some fruits, yogurt, and milk to make all these greens more palatable.
2. Add Healthy Fats
Avocados, nuts, seeds, fatty fish (like mackerel and salmon), and olive oil are all go-to sources of healthy fats, which nutritionists recommend you eat in moderation. Healthy fats support hormone production and cell development, which can positively affect the health of your endometrium.
Another tip is to make sure you choose healthy fats over saturated/trans fats—it can be difficult to tell the difference in food labeling. You will find saturated and trans fats in processed and fried foods, some meats (like pork), full-fat dairy (like butter), and some oils (like palm oil). In contrast to healthy fats, these saturated fats are associated with cardiovascular risks and high cholesterol.
3. Include Probiotic-rich Foods
Probiotics are live microorganisms that support your gut health; you can find them in foods like kefir, yogurt, and kimchi. It might sound surprising, but your gut plays a big part in your reproductive health. A balanced gut microbiome regulates your hormones and can reduce inflammation, a massive tick for developing your endometrium.
4. Eat 2-3 Servings Of Fish Per Week
Fish is rich in omega-3 (anti-inflammatory and positive for hormone regulation) and protein, making it great for cell development. Plus, it contains DHA, a type of omega-3 crucial for the early development of your baby’s brain and nervous system.
While a “serving” might differ for each person, it’s generally considered four ounces cooked. Of course, “fish” is a very general term, and it doesn’t mean you can chow down on anything that lives under the sea. In higher doses, mercury can be harmful to the nervous system, so nutritionists recommend limiting high-mercury fish, including:
- Shark
- Swordfish
- King mackerel
- Tilefish (golden bass or golden snapper)
- Marlin
- Tune (bigeye, ahi)
- Orange roughy
Don’t eat fish? Check in with your doctor to see which prenatal vitamins you can take instead.
5. Eat Antioxidant-rich Fruits And Vegetables
Getting your five-a-day is essential daily, especially after embryo transfer. Fruits and veggies contain:
- Fiber to support your digestive health and prevent spikes in your blood sugar;
- Antioxidants for cell health and reducing inflammation;
- Vitamins and minerals for overall health and to support embryo development.
The great thing about fruits and vegetables is that there are so many of them, so it’s easy to find ones you enjoy and include a variety in your diet.
6. Stay Hydrated
No matter how you consume it—bottled, filtered, or straight from the tap—water is essential for keeping your hydration levels high post-embryo transfer. Water ensures nutrients reach your uterus to help support the thickening of your uterine lining. The general advice is to drink 8-10 glasses per day. If you’re struggling to keep tabs on your water intake, try a water bottle with stickers on the side to track your intake.
Keep your eye out for diuretic drinks like caffeine; diuretics cause you to urinate more, meaning you may feel dehydrated more often. Not drinking enough water can lead to headaches and fatigue, which are also a few negative signs after embryo transfer.
7. Limit Processed Foods, Additives, And Artificial Sweeteners
Sure, packaged and ready-to-go foods are convenient for our busy lives. However, these items often contain high preservatives, added sugars, unhealthy fats, and sodium. While they’re tasty, these foods don’t provide much, if any, nutritional value to your body.
Some studies have linked sugary drinks to ovulatory infertility. Plus, processed foods can contribute to inflammation and poor gut health, which can negatively impact embryo implantation. While enjoying these treats is totally okay in moderation, focusing on whole, unprocessed foods is the best bet for your fertility journey.
8. Opt For Whole Grains For Fiber
Whole foods, called “complex carbohydrates,” are essential to your post-embryo transfer diet. Nutritionists advise swapping “simple carbohydrates” like pasta and white bread (with a high sugar content) for whole grain options like quinoa, barley, oats, and whole wheat bread.
Constipation is a common issue during pregnancy, so you can get into healthy eating habits early by ensuring you eat plenty of fiber to support digestive health. If you need help determining which carbohydrate options to choose, look at the food’s glycemic index (GI). The GI ranks foods on a scale of 1-100 depending on how much they raise your blood sugar levels:
- Low GI (55 or less): Foods with a low GI cause a gradual and sustained rise in your blood sugar, which is a good thing!
- Medium GI (56-69): Medium GI foods cause a moderate spike in your blood sugar levels.
- High GI (70 or above): High GI foods cause rapid spikes in your blood sugar, meaning you’ll feel hungry again quickly and possibly feel an energy crash.
9. Avoid Alcohol And Excessive Caffeine
Drinks are as important as food when it comes to your post-transfer diet. Alcohol has been linked to reduced fertility, so widespread advice is to avoid drinking during your IVF journey, particularly during embryo grading, transfer, and pregnancy phases.
Good news for those who love a cup of Joe in the morning—you don’t need to give up the good stuff entirely. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends keeping your caffeine intake at less than 200 milligrams daily.
10. Choose High-quality Protein
Protein is one of the fundamental building blocks of a healthy diet. Whether you are a meat lover, vegan, pescatarian, vegetarian, or have another preference, you can find plenty of excellent protein sources.
Protein supports the growth of your uterine lining and overall health in many ways. It provides the amino acids your body needs for embryo development, helps you feel fuller for longer, and supports weight management.
Nutritionists recommend around 1-2 grams of protein per kilogram of your body weight. Some good options include:
- Meat like chicken and turkey.
- Fish and seafood, such as salmon, cod, and prawns.
- Dairy products like eggs and cottage cheese.
- Lentils, tofu, beans, seeds, and nuts.
Other Healthy Habits To Adopt Post-transfer
Sticking to a healthy diet is much easier if you have a partner to go along with you. Cooking with a friend, partner, roommate, or family member is a great way to maintain new eating habits and avoid temptation.
Other tips include pairing your eating choices with moderate and low-impact exercise, such as yoga or walking, for weight management. Moving your body is also an awesome stress-buster, essential during your IVF journey.
Aside from the nutrients you gain from healthy diet choices, you can also consider prenatal vitamins. Speak to your fertility doctor about which supplements will be best for you.
AIVF: Innovating Embryo Grading To Support Your Post-transfer Success Efforts
Embracing new eating habits can be daunting, especially if you’re taking steps outside your standard diet. Getting into good habits early into your IVF journey means giving your body the nutrients and goodness it needs to support embryo development.
Nutrition is one of many ways to maximize your chances of success after the embryo transfer. Embryo grading is another strategy to support the likelihood of positive post-transfer outcomes.
AIVF’s AI-powered solutions provide more visibility than ever into the embryo grading process, improving clinic efficiency and patient outcomes. For example, our AIVF Genetics is an innovative and non-invasive screening method that leverages AI and computer vision to assess the quality and integrity of your embryos. This analysis eliminates subjectivity and human error throughout the embryo grading process, meaning you’ll have greater visibility over the most viable embryos for transfer.
Our solutions make compassionate care the heart of your IVF journey. Find an IVF clinic near you to improve your IVF journey with AI precision and dedicated support.