TTC 35+ Thread 7

I agree that low fat dairy is better for sperm, but it's good to have 1-2 servings of high fat dairy a day (and avoid low fat) for the female

@KG1145 in your list the thing about not having full fat milk was in the list for improving sperm, so if @marvellouslymadmum is right and the lower fat dairy is better for male hormones then it makes sense that they advise men to have low fat dairy? And by contrast women should have high fat dairy?

Well I've had a teeny amount of spotting today, so I'm not sure if AF is coming or not.

My cheeks are still very flushed, which I read is a symptom, but don't know if that is true. Little bit of boob pain, little coldy still. Feel a little not necessarily crampy, but something in my pelvic region - don't know if it's PMT or not still!!

Still up til 4 days to wait, doh

On the dairy front I just haven’t bothered changing anything. I use a mix of nut milks and semi skimmed milk so just continued doing that.

I also have a 3000 vit d spray I use (and a lower dose one).

@sickofthisyear no I take 2 x daily for 2 weeks and then it goes down to 2 x weekly.

@KG1145 interesting list, a few contradictions to what I've read though - always the way, I've been told to drink full fat milk instead of semi skimmed due to male hormones in it, and the vitamin d calculation seems different to what I found in the internet 🤔 as it's 1000ui = 25ug lots of good info though I appear to be doing quite a bit which I'm pleased with!

@thislittlebird that made me lol about the egg and sperm having a conscious uncoupling 😂 and my temps don't make any sense whatsoever they're going up one day and down the next and back up etc 🤪

@M4v3r1ck no my bbt is still up and down so one day it'll be around 36.7 then the next 36.3 then back up again

Happy Friday ladies! 😃 Confirming that I'm in the cougar camp here! DH is 2 years younger than me! 😈

Sorry for the wee wobble yest! I was clearly hormonal, and guess what, AF arrived yesterday, plus my BBT had dropped! It's a proper AF this time, so I'm hoping that's me ready to go again! 😃

@KG1145 wow that list and info was so helpful! Thanks for sharing! Off to Amazon I go again for more supplements! 🤪🤣

@Kitekat81 thank you! 😘 You're absolutely right! How are you feeling, lovely, after your latest results? And how soon can you start the private IVF etc?

@TTCat39 @Misty84 looks like we're cycle buddies! Make sure you give yourselves extra TLC for this AF!! 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻 we get our BFPs soon - hopefully this cycle!

@Geriatric1234 thank you! 😘 Every month I wonder why I have crazy mental days and somehow forget to link them to AF! 🤪🤦🏻‍♀️🤣 How are you getting on with the CB? I'm hoping this cycle will make more sense for me!

@Marvellouslymadmum your body is giving you a time of it too! 🤦🏻‍♀️ Has your BBT calmed down at all?!

@Sparrowfeeder welcome to this lovely group! You're in great company here! 😍😍😍

OMG @Noodella18 you're brave! 🙈 I can't even imagine doing that! I've always had to go to the sexual health clinic to sort mine as I always Hoover up the threads and they need to go rummaging for them! 🤣🤣🤣🙈🙈🙈

@thislittlebird @sickofthisyear keeping 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻 for you this cycle! Symptom spotting is the worst! Why are they all the same! 🤦🏻‍♀️ Who else is in the TWW now?

@climbershell great news about your results! That's reassuring and hopefully you'll get a BFP before any new appointments! 🤞🏻

@selina37 @Loladoodle and others - good luck this weekend! 😈 I'm hoping this will be a lucky thread!

Think that's me caught up now! 🤪 Sorry if I missed any important updates!

@sickofthisyear I currently take 2 x 20,000 if of vitamin D3 daily, but this is prescribed by my GP as I'm deficient. Sounds a lot but I can guarantee I'll still be deficient next time I'm tested, my body just doesn't seem to hold on to it.

@sickofthisyear I take 3000iu vit D... is that bad do you think? I read that you'd have to be taking more than 10,000iu to be getting into the realms of taking too much, but most people are deficient so good to be taking a decent amount? I think it says that in it starts with the egg.

@KG1145 that's a great list, good to see that I'm doing a lot of that already. @Misty84 I also switched to full fat milk about 6 months ago, as that's what I've seen advised in lots of other places! Not sure what to do about that one as I've kind of got used to it now...

Pleased to see I’m doing most of what the acupuncturist said @KG1145.

We eat a lot of veg anyway but with my ongoing skin issues I am planning to make some more changes. Been reading a good book on the gut and its impact on so many conditions, fascinating stuff.

If it’s quite painful maybe it is something else then, yeah definitely make sure you go back to them if it’s worse.

Sorry the formatting on my other message about the vitamins isn't great. I can resend if it helps

@thislittlebird it ranges from an ache to a stabbing pain. Sharp pain when I cross my left leg over my right or when I breathe in

I havent taken anything for it but then I don't like as if the pain gets worse i want to know about it so I can go back to the Dr

@Misty84 my OH is 31 so not too far behind you in the cougar stakes! 🐆

@selina37 yep it’s that time again for us.... busy weekend ahead 🐇🤣

@Kitekat81 Totally empathise with feeling powerless, think we all do on here. Prob one of the reasons we try so many things, to feel like we have a bit of control over what’s happening!!

@KG1145 Thanks for the list. I do some of that. Although I’m a bit worried by the advice to decrease full fat dairy as I’ve read the opposite and have switched to whole milk and full fat cheese and yoghurt!!😱

[quote Kitekat81]@thislittlebird I'm in a similar place in my cycle to you, 10dpo today. I've reached that point in the cycle where all the hope that this might be the one starts to slip away. Temp is still elevated but will expect a slight drop tomorrow on 11dpo, then a bigger drop 12dpo ready for AF the next day. After 12ish cycles of nothing happening I have no idea if sperm isn't meeting egg, sperm doesn't like egg, or if sperm likes egg but nothing is sticking. So frustrating to feel so powerless![/quote]
Very relatable, I’m starting to think the sperm and egg have had a conscious uncoupling . Sometimes I wonder if they meet and fail or if they just aren’t even in the same zone .

I just don’t expect it at this stage tbh. I’m hopeful but right now my main aim is just to have a normally functioning body I guess, which it feels like has been an uphill struggle the last couple of months. The highlight of my month might be a more “normal” period for me.

I have enjoyed not temping this month. I obsessed over where it was going last month and it’s not like I can properly control my progesterone levels anyway so I think setting the thermometer aside for now is probably good for me.

@KG1145 I’ve heard of this fluid thing before. How much pain are you in? I get o pain before during and after sometimes but it’s not severe usually. Although pelvic aches and pains did give me hell in December towards the end of my period and had me worried.

By the way. My acupuncturist have me this information about diet and supplements. She said its usually what she'll give to IVF patients but I thought it might be of interest. Hope it's OK to share!

She's affiliated with Zita West so that why there are those links. I'm going to have a proper look over the weekend. I need to order some more folic acid too.

--

"Vitamin schedule

Enhancing Women's Fertility.

Good quality preconception multi vitamin.

Vitafem by Zita West contains methyl folate, an absorbable form of folate.

JD 1115 gets 20% off. www.zitawest.com

Vit D 3000iu (25ug)
If this amount is not included in your multi vitamin, then buy additional.

300mg Ubiquinol CoEnzyme Q10.

I keep a stock of Pureclinica Co10 at the practice at a reduced rate. Take 2 tablets in the presence of some fat (in order to absorb it).

Omega 3 fatty acids
2/3 capsules of Nature’s Best Pure Fish Oil 1100mg, DHA/EPA.

NAC (N-Acetyl Cysteine) 600mg
A powerful antioxidant and anti inflammatory. Take 3 tablets daily.

PCOS
Flax seed powder 15-30g per day
Inositol-can be bought from Zita West

Enhancing Men's Fertility

100mg CoEnzyme Q10 Ubiquinol (not Ubiquinone).

2000iu of vitamin D, if not in multi vitamin.

2 capsules of Nature’s Best Pure Fish Oil 1100mg, DHA/EPA.

Multi vitamin - Proxseed or Zita West Vitamen

Eat lots of nuts and seeds, including 3 Brazil nuts a day

Make and consume daily homemade smoothies. A way to get lots of antioxidants.

Drink at least a litre of fluid per day.

No smoking or vaping

Decrease intake of full fat dairy.

Eat more lean protein and less carbohydrates. Eat lots of colourful vegetables.

Avoid tobacco, chocolate, coffee and alcohol. These have all be shown to decrease sperm production.

Avoid heartburn medications.

If working with toxic chemicals wear a mask and gloves. Avoid hot baths, cycling and anything that raises testicular temperature. Do not sit with a laptop on your knee. Keep them cool.

Diet for Both
In order increase egg and sperm quality, you should aim to follow a high protein, lower carbohydrate, diet with lots and lots of colourful fruits, salads and vegetables. The emphasis should be on more vegetables and salads rather than fruit. If possible aim for at least 7 per day. This is essentially the Mediterranean style of eating. Try to include beans, pulses, nuts and seeds, eggs, fish and lean meats. Avoid consuming any beige food.

Cooked tomatoes contain lycopene, which has been shown to improve egg and sperm quality. Tomato purée is a very good source, as is sun dried tomatoes. They have anti inflammatory properties and been found to reduce scarring and adhesions in women with endometriosis.

To increase blood flow to the reproductive organs try to drink 50-75 mls of pomegranate juice and beetroot juice a day, the latter is more palatable when mixed with little apple juice.
Nettle tea and raspberry leaf tea can be good for developing the uterine lining.

If you are going through IVF then it can be useful to use whey protein. Ideally you need a grass fed hormone free product. If you have low egg count then start this the month or so before. Servings of 15-20g in porridge, yoghurt, milk, smoothies, whatever you fancy."

On the plus side I mentioned ttc to her and she's given me a form to book some blood tests and told my partner to make an appointment for SA. I thought I'd have to answer a lot of questions about it but she seemed quite happy to do it.

Has anyone had abdominal/pelvic pain after ovulation.

I've got right pelvic pain. Had it for a couple of days, I saw a Dr yesterday who examine me and said it could be appendicitis or it might not be and I just have to wait and see if it gets worse.

I otherwise feel well, no fever or anything. When I told her when I'd ovulated she explained that after ovulation your body can release fluid and that can sit in the pelvis and cause pain. I've never heard of this before. Have any of you experienced anything similar?

@thislittlebird I'm in a similar place in my cycle to you, 10dpo today. I've reached that point in the cycle where all the hope that this might be the one starts to slip away. Temp is still elevated but will expect a slight drop tomorrow on 11dpo, then a bigger drop 12dpo ready for AF the next day. After 12ish cycles of nothing happening I have no idea if sperm isn't meeting egg, sperm doesn't like egg, or if sperm likes egg but nothing is sticking. So frustrating to feel so powerless!

Oh that’s good that she told you what she could see then @Misty84