People ask this all the time and unfortunately, you’ll hear varying (conflicting) opinions from different people in and outside of our field. At Spring, we recommend a healthy, balanced diet with proper hydration. Avoiding highly processed foods and anything that doesn’t have nutritional value is always smart. Beyond that, be good to you!
Alcohol is fine in moderation (1-2 drinks per day) until 2-3 days before your egg retrieval. Abstinence is fine too. Many people find this a good time to pursue their healthiest habits.
Research suggests mild to moderate caffeine intake is not associated with any adverse outcomes. Up to 2 cups of coffee per day are not associated with any worse outcomes.
In addition to numerous other health risks, cigarette smoking is a reproductive toxin. It accelerates the loss of eggs and can advance menopause. Less is known about marijuana.
Yes, but we recommend using a condom as your follicles grow. You may have many eggs developing and toward the end be at a high risk of pregnancy if any ovulate before retrieval. We recommend abstinence the week before and after your retrieval, as the ovaries may be enlarged and sensitive.
Yes. Moderate exercise is fine until around day 5 of stimulation, then we recommend low impact activities like hiking, yoga, or walking. After your retrieval, we recommend taking it easy from strenuous activities for about a week.
Hot tubs are fine if you are egg freezing. They should be avoided after an embryo transfer.
Egg freezing doesn’t require isolation! For your convenience and peace of mind, you may want to be local for stimulation through retrieval. However, travel is fine, as long as you can make it to your monitoring appointments. If you need to be out of town for a few days, you can if necessary find a fertility center there to do a monitoring appointment or two. When traveling long distances, you can keep refrigerated meds in a cooler pack and the TSA should let you through airport security just fine (though if you’d like a doctor’s note, we are happy to oblige).
Every relationship is unique. We believe that egg freezing is a positive, practical choice, and that families and partners should be supportive. Many patients tell us that going through the experience with their boyfriend or partner actually made them closer, and that sharing with their family members gave them comfort too.
You know your workplace dynamics best. We’ve noticed that as egg freezing becomes more common (and even covered by some employers), more and more patients feel comfortable sharing their experiences at work which we think is great. Most report being pleasantly surprised at how supportive their colleagues are of this choice, and by how many coworkers have done this themselves. Practically speaking, many people like inform their work in case of scheduling commitments or the need to stay local around the time of the actual egg retrieval.
Come visit us at Spring Fertility for a consult. Just contact us to book and we’ll send you a questionnaire, so we can review your file in advance of our first meeting. Not ready for a consult? Come for a free info session. You can meet our team, tour our lab, and get more information about egg freezing. We’re here for any and all your questions!