Tell me about your IVF diet

[beebeautiful]

I'm about to start my 4th round if IVF on immune drugs and I'd like to hear about others diets on the run up to IVF please.. just to see if I can tweak mine at all..

[bananafish81]

High protein

Although my diet in the run up to my third round was about as shit as it could get (I miscarried 6 weeks prior to starting stims, didn't know we could cycle again so quickly for a freeze all, had eaten absolute shite and lived off chocolate digestives for those 6 weeks, got shitfaced on what turned out to be 5 days before starting stims)

I asked my Dr if we should delay the cycle as my lifestyle hadn't exactly been, er, optimal

He said it wouldn't make any difference as egg quality was determined by two things

1. age (can't change that)
   
2. the ovarian environment created by the stimulation (science!)
   
   I ate perfectly in the run up to my first two cycles and got shit embryos. I ate shit before my third cycle and got brilliant embryos (6 PGS normals out of 9 tested. 1 normal out of my first two cycles put together). Correlation does not equal causation. Healthy eating is good - but basically don't beat yourself up about diet. It's science and luck, ultimately. Good luck! X

[bananafish81]

PS for immunes high dose omega 3 is good for high TNF alpha x

[beebeautiful]

Thanks banana it's typical isn't is that that happened.
I think us women beat ourselves up analyzing every thing we eat & do but I suppose deep down that 'what will be will be'
Just wish I could stop stressing and relax!!

[broodypsycho]

I wouldn't take the diet thing too seriously either OP. My consultant says I'm only allowed 3 glasses of wine a week. Sorry but when people out there are getting pregnant out of their heads on alcohol and drugs I'm not gonna live like a nun. We can't let the fertility process affect every part of our lives. Enjoy food Enjoy life

Good luck

[beebeautiful]

I like your philosophy bloody, I know you are probably right - after all people get pregnant on a diet of fast food so it can't make that much of a difference!

[leanandgreen]

This is interesting, I was going to start the exact same thread.

Those who have been through IVF or icsi and it's failed, is there
Anything you would do differently next time? And has anyone tried acupuncture along side it?

[bananafish81]

lean I did acupuncture and all the other associated fertility woo, it did absolutely naff all for me and was a massive waste of time and money, I didn’t get anything out of it other than the feeling that I was doing something proactive and self emotional blackmail about not wanting to look back and think ‘if only’ / ‘I could have tried harder’.

I did all that jazz during my 2nd IVF cycle and got pregnant (but miscarried at 10w - testing showed the embryo was chromosomally normal ) so then when it came to my 4th cycle (2nd transfer) I felt like I had to do it all again, because the cycle had worked the last time. This time was a v early mc @ 5w (i.e. a chemical pregnancy) and so I felt released that I had done ALL the fertility woo and it hadn’t made any difference, and thus if I ever cycle again I don’t feel like I have to force myself to do acupuncture

If you find it relaxing - great! If I ever get to cycle again, if we can fix my broken uterus, I would spend my money on something I actually enjoyed like a facial or massage. Each to their own - but as I said before, it’s ultimately down to science and luck xx

[beebeautiful]

Lean I didn't do Accu on my first 2 IVFs so tried it on the third and saw no difference. I didn't like it either, bloody needles hurt as they went in!
I won't be doing it again but I will keep up the healthy eating which includes loads of green vegetables but then I do that anyway.

I'll up my protein again and I'm taking 4mg of inositol alongside my pregnacare max.

Good luck! X

[leanandgreen]

Banana I totally understand what your saying. I wouldn't be doing it if I didnt know that if it fails, I just know I'd regret not trying the acupuncture, the yoga etc. Etc. It's a control thing isn't it?! Sorry to hear your journey, you must be a very strong lady!

Bee - I know what you mean. A friend of mine has it and told me how relaxingthe treatment is etc. I don't find it relaxing to be honest. I always feel a little awkward and wonder if my Accupuncturist actually know what she is doing!
What is 'inositol?' I'm totally with you on the green vegetables etc. I just worry about my stress levels. I'm such a type A. I struggle to relax.
Sorry to hear your struggles too and sending you loads of luck too. X

[beebeautiful]

Inositol is good for egg quality, Zita west highly recommends it and she's like the queen of IVF know how!

I'm a stresser too so know exactly how you feel. It's such a tough journey, even the build up to another cycle is stressful! X

[EarlGreyT]

leanandgreen I also did 3 or maybe it was only 2 cycles with acupuncture and it also made naff all difference for me.

[bananafish81]

I'm so glad it's not just me who doesn't find acupuncture relaxing. I would just lie there feeling fidgety!!

Inositol is beneficial for egg quality if you're PCOS, less so if you're not - the book 'It starts with the egg' summarises all the various studies for which supplements can help egg quality, there's a whole chapter on inositol in fact. I followed the book to the letter re supplements - I don't think they made any difference whatsoever but it made me feel as though I was doing something proactive. I took CoQ10 as ubiquinol, melatonin, resveratrol, high dose vitamin E, D and C and inositol for egg quality (I have PCOS - swap the inositol for DHEA if you have diminished ovarian reserve) plus the usual fish oil, folic acid, prenatal etc 

For my FET cycles I swapped my supplements to support lining rather than egg quality - so at the moment I'm on very high dose vitamin E and l-arginine for my lining, as well as the usual basics (the vitamin E specifically is part of a protocol developed by a French immunes Dr to treat thin endometrium) 

I can recommend adult colouring books (esp sweary ones!) and IVF guided relaxation mp3s (I hated the Zita West one but liked some Aussie and American ones, nice to fall asleep to) to help with stress when cycling 

[Blondeshavemorefun]

cycles 123 i did high protein, mainly eggs and chicken, brazil nuts, healthy eating, no booze, same with 4 which was a fet, then in 2ww all the above plus fresh pineapple and keeping feet warm etc

all failed

did bugger all on 5 and worked and 22w preg

i truley beleive it makes no diff what you do, apart from obv major drinking and smoking, what will be will be (sorry)

[beebeautiful]

Banana I did take dhea prior to my first cycle but consultant told me to stop as in some cases it harm affect IVF in a negative way so that scared me off it.. rightly or wrongly

[beebeautiful]

Blonde I agree it probably makes no difference all this faffing around we do, I'm def going to try and calm down the analyzing every last thing... famous last words

[Tootsiepops]

High protein, low carb and in the gym with personal trainer 3 x per week for four months on run up to IVF.

Then I existed on sugar during IVF and during the resulting pregnancy and pretty much the first entire year of my baby's life

[bananafish81]

Yup as I said before all the diet made no difference to my eggs - it just helped me feel proactive

That was valuable to me as it meant when I didn't look back and think 'what if'

My chocolate biscuits and jagerbomb diet before my third cycle got brilliant embryos. After two cycles of crap embryos on green juice

Science and luck, my friends. Science and luck!

[Blondeshavemorefun]

I never did accupuncture while tcc or during ivf attempts tho maybe I should have .....

But did have it once peed on a stick and had maybe 4/5 sessions till I was over 13w - needles in points to help prevent mc

Also took dhea as old in 1&2 but didn't in 3 and that was the cycle that had more success and managed to freeze think 5/6 and 2nd fet from that bunch is now bubs 22w

[beebeautiful]

I would love a chocolate biscuit and jaegerbomb diet! Would definitely relax me a lot more!!

[MMXV]

Veteran of 6 IVFs here. Tried all kinds of everything including Indian and Chinese medicine.

In the final successful round, aged 40 (delivered aged 41) I had a much higher protein diet (advised 1g of protein for each kg of weight; actually very difficult to eat 54g of protein a day but I did it).

3x200mg tabs of CoEnzyme Q10.

3 sachets of Spatone daily to improve my haemoglobin and ferritin levels. You need a good lining for implantation but you can't make that if your iron levels are low.

A course of very high Vitamin D tablets (20,000 daily) and a very sunshiney holiday immediately before the treatment cycle which meant I probably had very high levels of Vitamin D.

As I was on holiday, much more booze and caffeine than usual was taken but I think I was so depressed and hopeless by then I didn't much care.

I did produce the poorest crop of eggs in any cycle (just 2 mature) and had a day 2 transfer with a 4 cell.

But she's a year old now .

Good luck!

[beebeautiful]

Mmxv love your happy ending! Praying I get that ending on this cycle too!

[MMXV]

Hope you get it too, Bee, infertility is a shitfest of epic proportions.

Have you had an endometrial scratch in the previous cycle? I'd had them before but this was the first one that really f*cking hurt (new doctor).

I've since been told about recent research which shows it needs to be an actual injury to the uterine wall in order to improve the chances of implantation; the previous ones I had were basically comparable to smear tests in terms of pain.

Finally, have you had your partner's sperm tested for DNA fragmentation? It is a common reason for repeated IVF failure but if his topline results look good a lot of doctors won't bother running the tests.

[beebeautiful]

Yes I had the ending scratch in the last 2 cycles and they bloody hurt. Not sure I'll go for it again to be honest.
This is my first immune cycle as I have high NK cells and sticky blood and antibody issues(?).
Plus in a poor responder to stimms and have only 1 ovary. I really am not blessed with anything good here apart from willpower to keep going!

How did you increase your protein? Did you have protein bars & shakes? I struggle to eat a lot of meat..

[bananafish81]

I aimed for 60-100g of protein and tracked with MyFitnessPal so I could work out what I needed to eat to get enough protein. I found Purition wholefood protein powders with Greek yogurt a really good way to get extra protein. That plus eggs for breakfast, or as a snack or dessert, for an extra protein boost. It's no nasties and very tasty - unlike most protein powder which tastes of cardboard

Immunes wise as well as high dose omega 3, resveratrol is also good for high nk cells

If you're on pred and clexane then def worth making sure you're getting enough calcium too

[beebeautiful]

Well this has thrown a spanner in the works, I've just had a letter from my consultant telling me not to eat protein in moderation!! WTF?!
Now I'm confused!

Low sugar & carbs I get but moderate protein? That goes against everything I've read