Failed Embryo Transfer: How Nutrition Can Help
A failed embryo transfer can be devastating and emotionally challenging for many couples who are going through the IVF journey. Still, it’s important to remember that it doesn’t define your journey towards parenthood. While it may feel overwhelming, understanding the factors contributing to successful implantation is crucial.
Talking to your fertility specialist about what might have gone wrong can provide insights and help you prepare better for the next IVF treatment attempt, making you feel more informed and in control.
Factors such as diet, lifestyle, stress levels, and exposure to environmental chemical toxins can impact your chances of successful embryo implantation. The good news is that these are elements within your control. By making proactive changes to your lifestyle, you can create a more supportive environment for implantation.
In this blog, we will explore three essential nutrition steps to help you increase your chances of success in future attempts.
3 Key Nutrients to Improve Embryo Implantation Success
1. Optimise Your Gut and Vaginal Microbiome
Optimising your gut and vaginal microbiome is a great way to start. Recent studies show that the gut and vaginal microbiota significantly influence embryo implantation success. Women with recurrent failed embryo transfer or unexplained infertility have distinct gut and vaginal microbiota profiles compared to fertile women. For instance, the presence of Lactobacillus is linked to a higher implantation rate.
To foster a healthy microbiome, you can start by introducing more gut-friendly probiotic foods like yoghurt, kefir, and sauerkraut and prebiotic foods such as asparagus, chicory root, and artichoke.
Discuss with your fertility dietitian if any specific probiotic supplement will be helpful in preparing for the following embryo implantation.
2. Ensure Your Zinc Levels Are Adequate
Zinc is an essential mineral vital to reproductive health. It is crucial in protein synthesis and DNA formation during early pregnancy. Lower zinc levels have been linked to an increased risk of failed embryo transfer in women undergoing IVF. Zinc also affects hormone metabolism and regulation, including estrogen and progesterone.
Zinc is particularly rich in meat, fish, seafood, pumpkin seeds, chickpeas, and lentils.
Always check with your fertility dietitian before starting any zinc supplements to ensure they’re right for you. High-dose zinc supplementation can also impact health in the long term.
3. Introduce More WholeGrains into Your Diet
Studies have shown that women who consume higher amounts of wholegrains before undergoing IVF treatment have a better chance of implantation and live birth. Those with the highest wholegrain intake, with at least two servings daily, had a live birth rate of 53% compared to 35% with the lowest intake. This is mainly due to enhanced endometrial thickness and increased embryo receptivity.
To support your fertility, include more whole grains, such as rolled oats, wholegrain bread, brown rice, quinoa, and buckwheat. To learn more about the five top fertility-boosting foods, dive in more in previous blog posts here.
Bottom Line
- Consider making dietary changes in consultation with your fertility dietitian after a failed embryo transfer.
- Optimise your gut and vaginal microbiome with probiotics and prebiotics.
- Boost your zinc intake through diet and supplementation.
- Incorporate more whole grains into your diet.
