Comparative study of daily activities of pregnant and non-pregnant women after in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer.
OBJECTIVE
The purposes of this study were to explore daily activity following embryo transfer (ET) in women who had undergone in vitro fertilization (IVF), and to compare the differences between pregnant and non-pregnant cycles.


METHODS
This prospective survey was conducted in a medical center in northern Taiwan. Subjects were women who had completed one IVF cycle. Using a structured questionnaire, the subjects were asked whether they had changed their normal daily activities during the 2-week waiting period following ET. Data were collected on the day of ET and on the day of pregnancy testing before the outcome of the treatment was known. After the results of the pregnancy test were known, subjects were divided into pregnant and non-pregnant groups, with 30 subjects in each group.


RESULTS
Of the 60 participants, 56 reported that they had tried to rest in bed for more than 2 hours following ET, and 54 reported that they limited their self-care activity on the day of ET. During the 2-week waiting period following ET, 55 walked at a slow pace, 51 limited their social activity, 47 avoided the use of stairs, 45 limited their self-care activity, and 40 adjusted their work load. However, a comparison of daily activity variables between the two groups yielded no significant differences.


CONCLUSIONS
Most subjects reported that they restricted their daily activities following IVF/ET, even though their doctors suggested that they return to their normal routines. Bed rest was not correlated with successful IVF.
Su
T J
TJ
School of Nursing, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
Chen
Y C
YC
Hung
Y T
YT
Yang
Y S
YS
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D004624:Embryo Transfer; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome