Fit-for-Fertility Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial

The Fit-for-Fertility Program aims at implementing progressive and sustainable lifestyle changes. Participants will attend individual sessions with a dietitian and a kinesiologist every 6 weeks for the first 6 months, then every 8 weeks for the 6 following months, and then every 12 weeks until end of the study. Follow-up by telephone/e-mail will be offered between in-person meetings. These professionals will be trained in motivational counselling skills. Participants will also benefit from weekly group sessions divided into 2 parts: 1) Workshops covering 8 different topics (45 minutes) addressing healthy lifestyle and 2) Supervised classes of physical activity where one of 8 different types of exercise (45 minutes) will be practiced. Women will be required to attend all 8 different sessions within the first 6 months. Pregnant women will be met to set new lifestyle objectives specific to pregnancy, including optimal gestational weight gain based on the Institute of Medicine guidelines.

The control intervention will consist of immediate initiation of usual fertility care, as recommended by each fertility specialist, for a maximum of 24 months. The experimental intervention will be the Fit-for-Fertility Program alone for the first 6 months, then in combination with usual fertility care for an additional 12 months and thereafter, usual fertility care can continue to be provided alone for a maximum follow-up of 24 months. The lifestyle program is provided for a maximum of 18 months if there is no pregnancy, or otherwise, up to the end of pregnancy or to a total study follow-up of 24 months (whichever comes first).