To rest or not to rest

I've been thinking about the two week wait after IVF recently - not something I too often choose to remember, but I've been addressing the debate about bed rest after embryo transfer and whether it's a good thing in the new book I'm just completing.

Nowadays some holistic fertility centres recommend that you lie flat on your back for a few days after embryo transfer (once you've got home from the hospital, of course..), Back when I had treatment, I'd always been told that being fairly active was beneficial as it increased the oxygen levels in the blood. It seems that although doctors in the UK don't generally recommend bed rest, in other parts of the world they often do, which makes it all even more confusing for anyone having treatment.

I've been looking up the available research on the subject and it seems that most studies have found no increase in the pregnancy rate amongst women who have gone to bed for a few days after embryo transfer. In fact, one paper found that women who opted for bed rest had a LOWER pregnancy rate. However, many women do say that it helps them feel calmer and more relaxed. I think I've concluded that you just have to do what feels right for you, but whether that's lying on the sofa watching television for a few days or dashing about as normal, you should feel assured that whichever you choose is unlikely to have much influence on the outcome of your treatment.