IVF and Weight Gain- Does IVF Cause Weight Gain?

In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a popular and effective infertility treatment. Many IVF patients, however, are concerned about potential weight gain.

Does IVF result in weight gain? This is a common question among women, and the answer is not straightforward. In this post, we’ll look at the connection between IVF and weight increase and offer some tips for maintaining a healthy weight throughout and after IVF therapy.

IVF involves stimulating the ovaries to produce multiple eggs, which are subsequently retrieved and fertilized in a laboratory using sperm outside the body. In order to have a successful pregnancy, the fertilized eggs are then put back into the woman’s uterus. IVF may be a stressful and emotional event, and it is not uncommon for women to lose weight throughout the procedure.

Weight Gain During Fertility Treatment

Weight gain during fertility treatment, specifically during the superovulation phase of IVF, can be attributed to fluid retention caused by high estrogen levels. However, this bloating is typically short-lived and subsides once the first phase of the IVF cycle is completed. As a result, most women return to their pre-treatment weight.

While weight gain is a common concern among women undergoing fertility treatment, there are steps that can be taken to manage weight and reduce the risk of gaining excess weight. Engaging in regular physical activity, eating a balanced and healthy diet, managing stress, and seeking support from loved ones or a support group can all be beneficial in promoting overall health and wellbeing during this challenging time.

It’s important for women undergoing fertility treatment to remember that their journey is unique and that there may be ups and downs along the way. By focusing on self-care and prioritizing their physical and emotional health, women can increase their chances of success and achieve their dream of starting a family.

How Much Weight Gain During IVF Cycles?

Weight gain during an IVF cycle can vary from person to person and may be influenced by several factors such as age, body mass index (BMI), number of eggs retrieved, and hormonal changes due to fertility medications. On average, women who undergo IVF may gain 2-5 pounds during the stimulation phase of the cycle. However, some women may gain more or less weight.

Here is an example table of weight gain during an IVF cycle:

Factors Affecting Weight Gain	Amount of Weight Gain
Age	0-3 pounds
BMI	0-5 pounds
Number of Eggs Retrieved	1-5 pounds
Hormonal Changes	1-10 pounds

Causes of IVF and Weight Gain

The relationship between IVF and weight gain is complex and can be influenced by several factors:-

Hormonal Changes During IVF

During IVF treatment, women undergo a series of hormonal treatments to stimulate ovulation and increase the chances of pregnancy. These hormonal changes can affect metabolism and lead to weight gain in some women. However, the extent of weight gain may vary from person to person, and some women may not experience any weight gain at all.

Fluid Retention During IVF

Another factor that can contribute to weight gain during IVF treatment is fluid retention. Fertility drugs used during IVF can cause fluid retention, which can lead to bloating and weight gain. However, like hormonal changes, fluid retention can be temporary and typically subsides after treatment is completed.

Emotional Stress and Weight Gain

The emotional stress of IVF treatment can also contribute to weight gain. Women undergoing IVF may experience anxiety, depression, or stress, which can lead to emotional eating and weight gain. Additionally, the pressure to conceive can lead to feelings of failure or disappointment, which can also trigger emotional eating and weight gain.

Progesterone

Some women may experience weight gain due to the progesterone shots. It does have side effects and it vary from woman to woman. However, some women may experience cramping, facial hair, weight gain, hunger, etc., due to the side effects of the progesterone shots. Some women may lose weight despite the weight gain, as it impacts everyone differently.

Fertility Stimulating Hormone (FSH)

FSA may cause weight gain and bloat in some women. It boosts estrogen levels, resulting in physical changes and mood swings, making your abdominal area heavier and bulky, etc. It’s not the medications that cause weight gain, but they result from their side effects.

Tips for Managing Weight During IVF

While weight gain during IVF treatment is common, there are steps that women can take to manage their weight and minimize their risk of gaining excess weight. Here are some tips for managing weight during IVF:

Engage in Regular Physical Activity: Regular exercise can help manage weight and reduce stress. Women undergoing IVF treatment should aim to engage in moderate exercise, such as walking, yoga, or swimming, for at least 30 minutes a day.
Eat a Balanced and Healthy Diet: Eating a healthy diet can also help manage weight during IVF treatment. Women should aim to eat a balanced diet that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein. Additionally, women should avoid processed foods, sugary drinks, and foods high in saturated and trans fats.
Manage Stress: Managing stress is an important part of managing weight during IVF treatment. Women can try stress-reducing activities such as meditation, deep breathing, or yoga. Additionally, talking to a counselor or therapist can also help manage stress and anxiety.
Seek Support: Finally, women undergoing IVF treatment should seek support from family, friends, or a support group. Having a strong support system can help manage stress and emotions, which can reduce the risk of emotional eating and weight gain.

Whether Fertility Medications Cause Weight Gain?

While weight gain is a known side effect of some fertility medications, it is important to note that not all fertility medications cause weight gain. The medications that are most commonly associated with weight gain are the gonadotropins, which are used to stimulate the ovaries to produce multiple eggs. These medications can cause fluid retention and hormonal changes that can lead to weight gain.

However, it’s important to note that not all women who take gonadotropins will experience weight gain, and the amount of weight gain can vary from person to person. Additionally, the weight gain that does occur is typically temporary and resolves once the medication is discontinued.

Most women may have bloated stomach or heavy feelings because of these medications. These medicines are taken together with injections. Different medications are prescribed to different patients, and the doses are also different. So, it’s very hard to predict how much weight one will gain. It can range from three poundsto more than 15 pound.

Medications that Cause Weight Gain During IVF

Some common oral medicines that are taken with injections are as follows: –

Clomid: Weight gain is the common side effect of clomid or any Clomiphene Citrate. This is because, to trick your body, it blocks the estrogen receptors, leading to a rise in estrogen levels. This results in bloating that links to weight gain because of the significant water retention.
Femara: Femara is another oral tablet that causes temporary weight gain. Its main function is to stimulate FSH and LH to produce more fertile eggs. Women having this medicine may feel swelling in their body and thus, leading to weight gain because of possible hunger cravings.
Progesterone: Progesterone is a hormone that is essential for preparing the uterus for implantation of an embryo. Progesterone supplementation is often used during IVF treatment to support the early stages of pregnancy. Progesterone can cause bloating and water retention, which can contribute to weight gain.
Gonadotropins: These medications are used to stimulate the ovaries to produce multiple eggs for fertilization. Gonadotropins can cause fluid retention, which can lead to weight gain.
Corticosteroids: Corticosteroids are anti-inflammatory medications that are sometimes used during IVF to suppress the immune system and improve embryo implantation rates. Corticosteroids can cause fluid retention, increased appetite, and weight gain.
Estradiol: Women who take estradiol during an IVF cycle may experience some weight gain due to the medication’s potential to cause fluid retention. However, the amount of weight gain can vary from person to person, and may not be solely attributed to estradiol.
Estrace:-Estrace is a brand name for estradiol, which is a type of estrogen hormone that is often used in IVF cycles to help stimulate the growth and development of follicles in the ovaries

Weight Gain after the Egg Retrieval

It is common to gain weight after the egg retrieval procedure. Women can gain weight at any stage of the IVF process. IVF is a handful of processes and can impact different bodies differently. There are mainly the four stages of the IVF process where women can gain weight depending on the medications they may be taking:-

Stage 1: GnRH is given to stimulate the ovaries with gonadotropins. At this stage, the chances of weight gain are very minimal.
Stage 2: Women are given more medications to help their follicles grow and mature in more than one egg. Clomid or Letrozole is often given. These lead to water retention and weight gain as the week progresses.
Stage 3: The next stage of the IVF process includes medications that stimulate the release of luteinizing hormones and encourage ovulation. Women may feel bloated during this stage.
Stage 4: It is time for egg retrieval. Women will be given progesterone to make their uterus lining ready for implantation. This also causes weight gain, bloating, etc.

Causes of Weight Gain After Egg Retrieval

There are several reasons why women may experience weight gain after egg retrieval:

Fluid Retention: During the egg retrieval procedure, a needle is inserted through the vaginal wall to aspirate the follicles. This can cause temporary swelling and fluid retention in the abdomen, which can lead to weight gain.
Hormonal Changes: IVF medications used to stimulate egg production can cause hormonal changes that can affect metabolism and lead to weight gain.
Emotional Stress: The emotional stress of the IVF process can also contribute to weight gain. Women may experience anxiety, depression, or stress, which can lead to emotional eating and weight gain.

Manage Weight After Egg Retrieval

While weight gain after egg retrieval is common, there are steps that women can take to manage their weight and minimize their risk of gaining excess weight. Here are some tips for managing weight after egg retrieval:

Stay Hydrated: Drinking plenty of water can help flush excess fluid from the body and reduce bloating.
Eat Healthy Diet: Eating a balanced diet that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein can help manage weight and reduce the risk of weight gain.
Avoid Salty Foods: Salty foods can contribute to fluid retention and bloating. Women should avoid processed foods, fast food, and restaurant meals that are often high in sodium.
Engage in Exercise: Gentle exercise, such as walking or gentle yoga, can help reduce stress, manage weight, and reduce bloating.
Manage Stress: Managing stress is an important part of managing weight after egg retrieval. Women can try stress-reducing activities such as meditation, deep breathing, or yoga.

Emotional Weight Gain During IVF

The emotional stress of fertility treatment can take a toll on one’s mental and physical health, including weight gain. Let’s explore the relationship between IVF and emotional weight gain, and provide some tips on how to manage weight during this emotionally challenging time. IVF does not only affect your body but also impacts your emotions. The IVF process, in two ways, can contribute to Emotional weight gain:-

Stress

The IVF process can be stressful and draining. So, if you are a stress eater, then you will gain weight. During stress, we generally crave sugar, salt, and other things that are not so good for our health and thus lead to weight gain. So, women should stock their kitchens with healthy snacks during this time and focus on balanced meals.

Mood Swings

During pregnancy, the increase and decrease in the hormones like estrogen and progesterone cause mood swings. It happens in pregnancy naturally, but women who consume more medications to encourage higher levels may feel heavier side effects. This results in emotional drainage and a change in appetite. Some women may not be interested in eating, and some may feel hungry because of tiredness and seeking energy.

Link Between IVF and Emotional Weight Gain

Fertility treatment can be an emotional roller coaster for couples, and the stress and anxiety of the process can trigger emotional eating and weight gain. The pressure to conceive can lead to feelings of disappointment or failure, which can exacerbate emotional eating and lead to overeating or consuming comfort foods.

In addition to the emotional stress, the hormonal changes caused by fertility drugs used in IVF can also impact weight. These drugs can cause bloating and fluid retention, which can lead to temporary weight gain.

Managing Emotional Weight Gain During IVF

While emotional weight gain during IVF can be a challenging issue to tackle, there are steps that women can take to manage their weight and minimize their risk of gaining weight. Here are some tips for managing emotional weight gain during IVF:

Seek Support: It’s essential to surround yourself with supportive friends and family or join a support group. Talking about your feelings and concerns can help you cope with the emotional stress of fertility treatment and prevent emotional eating.
Practice Stress-reducing activities: Finding ways to manage stress, such as meditation, yoga, or deep breathing, can help you cope with the emotional ups and downs of fertility treatment and prevent emotional eating.
Stay Active: Regular exercise can help manage weight and reduce stress. Aim to engage in moderate exercise, such as walking, yoga, or swimming, for at least 30 minutes a day.
Eat Healthy Diet: Eating a balanced diet that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein can help manage weight and reduce the risk of emotional eating. Additionally, avoiding processed foods, sugary drinks, and foods high in saturated and trans fats can also help.

Conclusion

This is not right to embark on intensive weight loss to drop a few kilograms if you experienced weight gain from the IVF treatment. You should eat well during this time because of your good health and nutritional requirements.

You need to follow a steady weight loss and if you are less active, then increase your physical activity. And if stress is causing you to overeat, then control this with things other than food, such as yoga and exercise. Make healthy food selections like fruits, vegetables, etc. And in case hormone treatment are the cause of your weight gain, you can expect to lose it once the treatment stops.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Once you are confirmed that you are pregnant, you should not try to lose weight.

You should try to maintain a healthy weight. It would help if you discussed good weight gain with your doctor, which depends on your weight before conceiving. Thus, it varies from person to person.

Follow a healthy diet full of vegetables, fruits, proteins, etc. Avoid processed and packaged food as it contains high amounts of sugar and salt. Following this will help you maintain your weight without doing anything else.

Every individual is different, so every woman experiences different weight gain with IVF. Some gain and lose weight quickly, while some lose weight slowly.

Women generally report three pounds to 15 pounds gain before embryo transfer. Don’t be confused with bloating and weight gain. They are two different things. One is temporary, and the other can be permanent or stay longer.

No, not every woman needs to experience weight gain with IVF. Some may experience bloating or some weight gain. It’s not possible to tell whether women will gain weight or not. It all depends on the women medical history, lifestyle, and general health. It’s normal to gain some weight and not at all.

It would help if you also kept in mind that IVF is stressful. Some people are natural overeaters when stressed, and others eat less. Thus, this can lead to weight gain.

Egg freezing itself is not likely to cause weight gain. However, the process of preparing for egg freezing may involve taking fertility medications such as gonadotropins to stimulate the ovaries to produce multiple eggs, and these medications may cause fluid retention and bloating, which can lead to temporary weight gain during the treatment cycle.

Additionally, some women may experience stress or anxiety during the egg freezing process, which can lead to overeating or changes in eating habits that can result in weight gain.

It’s important to maintain a healthy diet and exercise routine throughout the egg freezing process to help manage any potential weight gain and support overall physical and emotional health. If you have concerns about weight gain or other potential side effects related to egg freezing, it’s important to speak with your doctor to address your concerns and discuss potential options for managing any side effects.

Yes, some of the hormones used in IVF treatment can cause weight gain. Hormonal changes during an IVF cycle can cause water retention and bloating, leading to temporary weight gain. Additionally, fertility medications used during an IVF cycle, such as gonadotropins, can cause the ovaries to produce multiple eggs, which can also result in fluid retention and temporary weight gain.

Furthermore, hormonal changes can also affect metabolism and appetite, which can lead to overeating and weight gain. This is especially true for medications like progesterone, which is often used during the luteal phase of the IVF cycle to support implantation and early pregnancy. Progesterone can cause fatigue and increase appetite, which can lead to weight gain if not managed properly.

The injections used in IVF treatment can cause weight gain, although the amount and likelihood of weight gain can vary from person to person. Fertility medications used during an IVF cycle, such as gonadotropins, can cause the ovaries to produce multiple eggs, which can lead to fluid retention and bloating, resulting in temporary weight gain.

Water retention is a common side effect of IVF treatment. Fertility medications used during an IVF cycle, such as gonadotropins, can cause the ovaries to produce multiple eggs, which can lead to fluid retention and bloating. Additionally, other medications used during the IVF cycle, such as progesterone, can cause water retention and bloating as well.

Water retention during IVF treatment is usually temporary and should resolve on its own after the IVF cycle is completed. However, it’s important to stay hydrated and maintain a healthy diet during the IVF cycle to help manage any water retention and minimize discomfort.

IVF and Weight Gain- Does IVF Cause Weight Gain?

Table of Contents

Weight Gain During Fertility Treatment

How Much Weight Gain During IVF Cycles?