That being said, I need some advice from the IF ladies...specifically those of you that have gone through IVF. I am getting worried about starting my stimulation medications and what I can/cannot do.
According to my doctor, ovaries are not well-supported organs in the pelvis and are only attached with a few blood vessels and loose tissue. Once I start stimulation meds, the doctor wants to restrict my physical activity. According to my doctor I can walk, swim or bike ride. I have to avoid lifting over 25 lbs, and no bouncing- such as jogging, aerobics, tennis, horseback riding, bungee jumping, sky diving, or kick boxing. (By the way, women have asked to do all of these things so that's why they have had to include them. BUNGEE JUMPING? Seriously?!? I can't believe someone even asked.) The doctor is worried about ovarian torsion (twisting of the ovaries on the blood vessels) because it can be a life-threatening condition.
But as soon as I started to talk to the nurses, they suggested that I not walk the dogs because they might tug on me with their 80 pound bodies, causing the torsion. I also have to be careful with Buster jumping on me and trying to give me a hug. (It's adorable, but won't be for these 9-12 days.)
So what did you do while you were on the stimulation meds? Did you even try to work out? Were you able to do household cleaning and regular tasks? Bouncing may not happen while vacuuming, but sometimes there are some jerking movements- is that something to worry about? Or am I just freaking out unnecessarily again?
Any help/suggestions/advice would be fantastic. Thanks in advance!!
15 comments:
I wish REs gave us better guidelines during IVF. We have enough stress already, you know? With my first stim/IUI cycle I hyper stimulated really badly (Ovaries the size of grapefruits) and I was terrified of torsion. I had to bench my yoga practice for several months until they went down and give up running/weight training. I still walked to work though (the walking really helped with the bloating) and maintained my regular housework, etc. I think that walking your dogs should be just fine and hugs from them should be ok, too (although potentially not comfy for your bloated self!). I would simply listen to your body and try to avoid excessive bouncing. Your ovs will calm back down much more quickly then my OHSS ovaries did, too, and you can return to normal activities. Hang in there and enjoy a few weeks of having a great excuse to pass all house tasks to your husband if you want :)
I did two rounds of IVF and I never changed my activity level...went about my day as usual. At the end I was a bit uncomfortable so because of that I took it easy in the days leading to retrieval. You'll do great!
Torsion does present with pretty clear symptoms, the pain is intense and unrelenting and you already know your diagnosis.
Hahaha, as if someone asked to go skydiving while stimming! Oh yeah, I totally want kids, but first I'm gonna just jump out of this plane...
As to your concerns -- my RE never said any of this stuff, and never mentioned torsion, and I honestly wouldn't worry about it. Definitely don't do any extreme sports, but walking your dogs is FINE. I personally think that you should be less concerned about the time leading up to retrieval than the days AFTER retrieval, because that's when the OHSS can kick in -- and this doesn't have anything to do with big ovaries, it has to do with all of the punctured follicles that continue to leak fluid into your abdomen, and that's what causes the bloating. I had 28 eggs growing in me and my stomach was flat as a board right up until retrieval; then, it was crazy bloated for a week or so.
So yeah -- seriously don't worry about this time frame... concern yourself more with post-retrieval and implantation and all that...
I stopped any sort of intense exercise during stimming but continued to walk the dog and do housework and everything else at my normal level. My RE told me yoga was ok when I asked (just not bikram because you aren't supposed to get overheated) but my acupuncturist said no yoga because the twisting could cause torsion. So I don't know. I decided to be safe and avoid it. Since the transfer I have lightened up my activity level a little more. I still walk the dog (and she still jumps on me) but my husband does more of the heavy lifting around the house.
Obviously I'm no help on the advice side of things, but I just wanted to say that your posts are very informative (even when you're asking questions to the community). The things I never knew I'd learn by reading blogs... =)
Obviously I don't have any hands on experience but I'm interested to see what other ladies have to say.
When I asked the nurse during our injection teaching class she said I can continue with my regular exercise about 5 days into stimming and then I should be careful, even with Yoga.
The only thing I'll probably be doing is walking to work which is about 20min each way.
I was told very similar to you, but nothing about not walking the dog. They actually encouraged me to keep walking! I was also told no yoga/pilates because the inversion exercises and twisting can flip them. I erred on the side of caution...because the last thing I need is to be one (or two) ovaries down!
I had similar advice, but noted that the doctors were less conservative than the nurses, whoe seemed to be more "by the book".
I was limited from "vigorous exercise" after 5 nights of stimming and the advice was biking, but no mtn biking, swimming, but no flip turns, and walking, but not running. In lieu of my daily runs, I took my dog out for hour plus walks every day (he's a puller too). It was okay. I think you just need to be careful that the huge and heavy ovaries don't bounce too much and twist on themselves.
And for me, after 5 days of stimming, as someone who hates to not be running around, running wasn't the most comfortable thing and I was okay to cut back to walking for the next 2 1/2 weeks. Of course when my period showed up 12 days after retrieval, you can bet I laced up those running shoes!
I did not work out at all. I took it real easy. Maybe clean your house before you start stims. It's rare for an ovary to twist, but better safe than sorry. :)
Enjoy your excuse to not work out or clean. Eat well, make yummy food, rent funny movies, and get lots of rest! :)
Good luck!
Wow, I think that sounds a little over the top! I kept exercising at my normal (very vigorous level) until the day before the trigger! My Dr knew what I was doing (crossfit) and didn't put any restrictions on it - it included handstands, very heavy lifting, jumping, running, skipping, rope climbing etc ect... But I have to say I didn't feel any symptoms during stimming and if I had felt swollen I might have toned it down, but it really helped me stay sane. I got 16 eggs so not like my ovaries were small!
Right now, 3 days post retrieval, I do feel swollen (prob mild OHSS) so not doing anything vigorous but still walking the dogs and housework.. trying to make time pass until day 5 transfer. And obviously staying away from the gym in the 2WW - even though it would have been the perfect thing to make it more bearable it just feels too risky!
I think assessing the risk-benefit of being physically active and doing what makes you feel good at each stage of the process is the better way to go.
i wouldnt start anything new, but i think you are fine to walk your dogs and to keep doing whatever you normally do. (your dogs are fucking gorgeous by the way. why didnt i find your blog earlier? food, gardening, big dogs!!) i've walked a berner before (and used to walk our swissie before he passed away) and they are big, but they are not crazy. and through my 3 ivf cycles in the past year, i walked our nearly 100 lb mock-malinois (he's a rescue so we dont know for sure what he is, but looks exactly like a large version of a mal) who is absolutely crazy and pulls like an ox and also jumps up on me when i let him give me a hug. i also jogged, but not too intensely, only like 2-4 miles at a time. i did drop back on pilates though, because my doc specifically told me too avoid twisting (?). i dont think it would have mattered though.
the most important thing is that your doc monitor you closely and not push things too hard with the stims. you dont want to hyperstimulate. close monitoring (like daily as it gets closer to ER time) is key for both avoiding hyperstim and for getting enough stim. hopefully this is part of the way your clinic works. its a pain in the butt (and the arm and the vag), but better in the end.
good luck!!! and dont be disappointed if it works and your future baby is not immediately as gorgeous as your dogs.
I'll preface this by saying that with diminished ovarian reserve my chances of overstimulating were small, so I probably had a much lower chance of ovarian torsion. I never got any advice on what to do or not to do, so I kept up with my daily workouts (a 40 kickboxing aerobic class, nothing crazy but working up a good solid sweat) up until the day before trigger. I was back at it day after retrieval. I found it was the only thing that really helped manage my stress. There seems to be so much conflicting info out there!
That's supposed to be "40 minute" kickboxing class. Grr. Sorry.
I was never told to have any activity restrictions until AFTER the retrieval. I was coaching softball at the time, so was pitching batting practice, running, etc. To be fair, I never got that many eggs so maybe I'm not the best example.
However, when my sister went through the same stimming for egg donation to me, she was never given those restrictions either. She has 3 YOUNG kids at home and never had to worry about lifting them or having them jump on her, etc.
I'm sure that torsion does happen to some people, but my clinic never mentioned it. I'm sure that you are fine doing at least your normal housework and walking your dogs.
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