A couple of cigarettes a day on holiday

[muz2017]

Is this the worst thing you can do a few months before undertaking IVF?

On holiday and have been having a couple of drinks and a couple of cigarettes a day.

I don't smoke, but I had a few vodkas here and there in the months leading up to and during the first lot of injections I had a few social drinks, nice release and a break from everything going on I

I'd say the drinks are ok but cut out the cigarettes - they're much worse for your fertility health and for egg quality etc than alcohol.

There's a reason NICE guidelines are stop smoking (and you can't have ivf if your smoking) but guidelines say you can have a couple of drinks.

Good luck

It's never just 'a couple' though, is it?

Are you having nhs funded ivf? If so, they check your (co2?)levels beforehand and are quite clear that if your levels are too high they will not let you go further. A word of warning

I had NHS IVF and they didn’t check my CO2 levels beforehand. Me personally had a few cigarettes a couple of months before.l my second IVF round. Then I beat myself up about it and made myself miserable. I have a DD now from that round.

It’s not ideal and probably best not to do it but don’t give yourself a hard time about it as in the long run it’s not the end of the world. That guilt stress is probably just as bad for you! Been there...

They checked mine and my husband’s at our planning meeting

We had issues conceiving and I'd stopped smoking regularly but did have a couple on special occasions - less than once a year. We conceived eventually so I don't think it was that big of a deal.

I think the reason smoking has a more detrimental effect is because of the way people tend to use nicotine, it tends to be all or nothing. I know I'm lucky in being able to take or leave it from that perspective, I know I won't slip back into smoking just because I've had a few of an evening at a party/on holiday. If you're not sure or have a suspicion it might start you off again then I'd steer clear. But I really don't think you'll have ruined your chances.

Do men get tested as well? I don't smoke at all but DH has the occasional one secretly ( as I get really cross if I find out he's had one!) but would hate for that to jeopardise our opportunity to have IVF. I have told he can't have any at all but if I can tell him he'll get tested that's extra incentive.

They checked both of us

DH smokes in the way that Bertie does, sometimes has a few on a night out if we're with smokers, never smokes randomly in the day etc.

We were both tested for our NHS IVF. He hadn't smoked for 3 or 4 months at that point.

If you've already been smoking on holiday try to knock it on the head when you get back, although others have conceived after smoking, it's up to you really and how you feel, and if you would have regrets if it didn't work.
I've had 2 unsuccessful rounds this year with taking all the supplements and being healthy so there are no guarantees in any case. But good luck!

Thanks for your replies.

I knocked them on the head yesterday.

I think IVF is such a massive thing to go through that you really want to be assured that you've given it your absolute best shot, so no regrets if it didn't work out - you don't need that additional torture.

Best of luck.