Any tips on what to eat or drink during stims to ensure best results

[GlummyMummy]

On stims just now, hopefully egg collection next week. Been eating lots of protein and Brazil nuts and trying to drink plenty milk, water and Pom juice. Have heard rasp leaf tea good-any idea how much? And is it advisable to use hot water bottles at this stage? Have read conflicting ideas that it can help/hinder follicles before egg collection.

[blue2014]

I heard avocado helps? I genuinely don't know if there is anything in that

[drinkyourmilk]

Honestly- I just ate and drank what I wanted, including small amounts of alcohol.
That's what my consultant advised. He told me the most important thing was to be relaxed. I decided that trying to eat 'the best way' was going to stress me. So I continued to exercise and just did what I wanted. However my diet isn't bad anyhow.

[lotsoffreckles]

Ditto drink although no alcohol for me, just a personal choice, I'm an all or nothing girl

I had a relatively healthy diet anyway, cereal for breakfast, salad or sandwich for lunch and as both me and DH commute from Kent to London dinner is normally quick and easy, fish & veg, stirfry etc.

I never denied myself anything, just another thing to stress about, only thing I did do was cut down on caffeine.

Lots of early nights, plenty of water (3 litres a day) and look after you're self.

How's you're treatment going? xxx

[lotsoffreckles]

Oh and I carried on my exercise all through stims just eased it a little, instead of running I walked on the treadmill etc. I only stopped after egg collection as felt terrible and I was on tablets to stop over stimulation (last time I did) which made me incredibly sick. Plan to go back to my walking once I reach the 12 week mark

[GlummyMummy]

Thanks everyone! First IVF go I just ate as normal and we now have a two year old girl! Conceiving number two is proving harder...failed IVF attempt in March, this is third go. Feeling fine but been a bit stressful! I have low amh and lining was a bit thin last time so trying to do everything I can to increase egg quality and thicken lining. Not keen on avocados but will force them back!

[drinkyourmilk]

I read something about pineapples too. Might be worth looking up

[NotSpartacus]

I think ARGC recommend you drink a pint of milk a day.
All my clinic said was to drink plenty of water.
I've read that high protein / low carb (so not much bread etc but not excluding veg) can be helpful.

[blue2014]

Yeah I don't like them either but I also ate them (avocados before egg collection., pineapples after)

My IVF round did work but honestly i don't think avacados has anything to do with it

[GlummyMummy]

Any idea why it's pineapples after egg collection and not before?

Had day 8 scan today so egg collection booked for Monday. Lining a bit disappointing at 6.4mm so going to try and thicken that for Monday! any ideas?

[bananafish81]

Pineapple is supposedly, according to Internet lore, to do with bromelain, which is supposedly good for implantation

[GlummyMummy]

Thanks Bananafish - how are you? Hard to find things that will help with thickening lining BEFORE egg collection as opposed to after EC and before ET. Any idea if rasp leaf tea is okay before egg collection?

[bananafish81]

Supposedly Pomegranate juice, red meat, spinach & other iron rich foods, as well as Brazil nuts for selenium

I'm dubious as to how much difference any foods can make, but they presumably can't do any harm

Have you had your uterine blood flow checked?

My uterine blood flow is great, so no amount of food or acupuncture made any difference to my lining (mine is an oestrogen issue)

I'm about to have a FET cancelled due to non responsive lining, unless I've had a miracle by my scan on Sunday

Hope your lining does better than mine!

[mowglik]

I had quarter of an avocado a day, half a glass of Pom (pomegranate) juice a day, pumpkin seeds and Brazil nuts (upped from 2 to 4 a day after transfer), one egg everyday, 1 cup of raspberry leaf tea a day. This is just what I did and tbh the foods I enjoyed eating anyway I wouldn't force myself to eat something I didn't like. Avocado is probably the only one which has some tentative research backing it as a potentially productive food to eat during ivf.

My first round has seemed to have worked although I won't believe it til the viability scan next month!

After transfer I had hot chicken soup for the first three days which made me feel nice and warm and just kept my feet warm. The cycle may have worked anyway despite all these things but it's just one of those things, we'll never really know!

[mowglik]

Re thickening the lining I drank Pom juice, did acupuncture, and kept my abdomen warm. Good luck with it!

[GlummyMummy]

bananafish - clinic never offered to check blood levels, at what stage of the cycle could that be done? Wishing you luck for scan tomorrow!

mowglik - hate avocado but have been forcing it back! Probably should have started taking it earlier. That's great you've had a successful cycle! What stage are you at?

Incidentally, does anyone know if it's safe to keep on taking supplements through treatment? been taking CoQ10, Vit E and Alpha Lipoic Acid, along with pregnancy vitamin

[bananafish81]

Blood flow was just something my Dr checked when doing my scans - didn't do it every time, but most times he just flipped the ultrasound doodah into colour Doppler mode (to visualise the uterine blood flow)

Supps wise I stopped everything but the prenatal, fish oil and selenium at EC. I didn't take the egg quality supplements once the eggs were out of me!

[mowglik]

glummymummy try avocado with other things like in a chicken mayo sandwich, or with an omelette? I carried on taking coQ10 and the prenatal and fish oils after EC.

I am currently 5w3days only so still very much in uncertain territory - scan is in 2 weeks, am feeling quite anxious about it already!

[GlummyMummy]

mowglik - congratulations! that's great news! How are you keeping?

Think I'll keep on with everything just now, if this go doesn't work and I want another shot, it would make sense to continue all the supplements I suppose