Make every step you take toward parenthood matter
Here's exactly what participation in the Fit for Fertility study involves…
This isn't what you've already tried
The Fit for Fertility study is a randomized controlled trial running at fertility clinics across Canada. Led by Dr. Jean-Patrice Baillargeon and a specialized team from the Université de Sherbrooke, the research aims to show that nutrition and movement can actively prepare your body for pregnancy, improve fertility outcomes, and reduce pregnancy complications.
If you're eligible, you'll complete a baseline visit and then be randomly assigned to either the lifestyle program group or the standard care group. This is purely decided by chance. You can't choose your group, and neither can the research team. Both groups receive support, and both contribute equally to research that could reshape fertility care for women across Canada.
Participation lasts up to 18 months, and if you become pregnant, the study adapts around you, with visits timed to your pregnancy.
What everyone in the study receives
No matter which group you're assigned to, you can expect:
Research visits at the start of the study, then at 6, 12, and 18 months. Once a pregnancy is confirmed, a research visit is scheduled, with a second pregnancy visit between 24 and 28 weeks. On average, women complete a total of four visits during the study.
Each visit takes about one hour on site and includes bloodwork, a few physical measurements, and a 6-minute walk test. Because bloodwork requires fasting, a snack is provided afterward. All questionnaires can be completed online from home.
A Fitbit to wear for seven days to track physical activity and sleep data.
Regular health monitoring throughout, with access to a team that will refer you to healthcare resources and professionals as needed.
A $20 compensation at every research visit.
If you're assigned to the Lifestyle Program Group…
You'll receive personalized support from a dedicated care team for up to 18 months or until delivery, alongside your research visits. For the first six months, the program is your focus. After that, it continues together with any fertility care you and your fertility specialist choose. You'll get:
One-on-one support. These are regular appointments with a dietitian and a kinesiologist (30 minutes with each). You'll have roughly 10 sessions with each specialist, scheduled more frequently during the first 6 months and then at increasing intervals. There will also be email communication between these meetings. Every session ends with a realistic goal you set together, built around your reality.
Weekly group sessions. This is a two-hour session each week with a small group of women navigating the same fertility experience, combining an interactive workshop on nutritional aspects and relevant healthy lifestyle habits (alcohol, tobacco and motivational issues) and a physical activity class. These sessions were what women in the pilot study looked forward to most.
One-on-one support from
a kinesiologist
One-on-one support
from a dietitian
Group workshops on nutrition
and physical activity
If you're assigned to the Standard Care Group…
Being assigned to the standard care group means you'll follow the standard treatment plan that your fertility clinic recommends. By participating in the study, you gain access to regular health monitoring and check-ins that many women outside the study wouldn't receive.
You're welcome to continue working with your own healthcare providers and pursuing your own health goals in any way that feels right to you. The only ask is that you don't enroll in another structured lifestyle program similar to the one being studied.
By attending the same research visits as everyone else, you're contributing to something that could reshape how fertility care works for women across Canada.
Regular fertility and
physician-recommended follow-ups
Research visits every 6 months
What the timeline looks like
If you become pregnant during participation…
Still have questions?
Before taking any next steps, it's worth checking our FAQ. We've tried to answer the questions that come up most often, including some that aren't covered on this page.
You've already done so much to get here Ready to take the next step?
If this study feels like the right next step, we'd love to hear from you. There's a team ready to walk alongside you, whatever the next 18 months look like.