Anyone else want to join me in getting ready for ivf in 2013? Good egg buddies wanted!!!

[Karbea]

Hello,

Dh and I have been trying for over 2 years and had one failed ivf (Icsi) attempt at the Argc last spring. We are going to go again in the new year.

I wondered if anyone else was planning to do the same? And whether anyone fancied joining me in 'princessing' (stolen from style & beauty :) ) for ivf?

I'm not sure what this means in terms of what I'll do, really hoping for some help in researching how to get the best eggs ever, and perhaps how to improve dh's little swimmers....

Anyone up for being a good egg buddy?

[Northey]

But I am somehow on my third pudding of the night. You're probably physically a fair more enticing specimen for a fertilised egg to roost in.

[Karbea]

Right girlies, we need to start creating a list of things we need to do to get the best eggs we can.

1. no alcohol
   
2. no caffeine
   
3. eggs for eggs - minimum 6 eggs a week unless doctor has said otherwise.
   
   Keep adding girls! :)

[Northey]

Bugger, I hate eggs.

4) Protein (seems to get mentioned a lot)
5) Immune-boosting stuff - blueberries etc (recommended by my GP, fresh back from a seminar on ivf and the need for a healthy immune system)
6) At least 3 litres of water a day (can't remember what that was for).

[lovesLemonDrizzleCake]

Morning, can I play too. I am in the 2WWs after my fifth IUI (second with SO). Had a MC after previous SO IUI. We are thinking of moving onto the hard stuff after the sixth IUI.

As to what to do for happy eggs, I have no idea (and I misbehave lots, in the WWs I happily drink, I only felt a little guilty when I got diffed). The only real difference for me is Folic Acid, and since I've been on that approaching 3 years, that feels normal too . I am trying to get my BMI back on 25 (it was just over 26 at my lap last summer). I might be there already but we don't have scales, but I started exercising properly after the lap and have dropped a dress size if nothing else.

Thanks to our IUIing on and off since March, we noticed that SB (my overly lightweight husband=skinny bint) produces about 3x as many useful swimmers if he's relaxed. The diffage on holiday hideous stories might have something to do with it. So he's on a fun and less stress at work diet.

Oh and we're completely unexplained, apparently I have extraordinary normal insides. And despite the fluctuations, SB's contribution falls within the normal range (although his lowest samples might have pointed at mild male factor, but I got diffed on his worst ever sample, about 4 million after washing and spinning).

[CupcakesAndMulledWine]

Resipsa I'm at St Mary's in manchester. I'm NHS, the pct haven't decided how many cycles I can have yet. If you go on fertility friends there are forums for St Mary's and Care, to be honest people seem to think Care is better from what I've read. A lot of people have switched from St Mary's to Care after a failed cycle. I think you should have a look and maybe post on there about it to get some better advice. Have you been on fertility friends before? I found it hard to access the right part of the forum from the main page. If you google fertility friends forum north west and borders it should take you to the right regional page.

[blondebaby111]

Hi northy, I'm fine thanx...just glad we now know for sure. We were in limbo really for weeks coz as the saying goes it ain't over til the witch shows up and she did that alright!! I feel fine tho, just looking forward to xmas now. How r u??

[CupcakesAndMulledWine]

Lemon so sorry to hear about your mc, do you mind me asking what SO means in relation to IUI?

We need to eat 6 eggs a week?
What other wonder foods should I be troffing?
I avoid caffeine and no longer drink enough to suffer from 2 day hangovers but apart from that my diet is as terrible as ever.

[Northey]

Fine thanks, bb. Having coffee and cake for breakfast. What are people doing about IVF healthy living over the Christmas period. I already seem to be descending into food-related insanity...

[Northey]

[ArielTheBahHumbugMermaid]

Cupcakes it's Sperm Optimization (how lovely)! I'm having it too. It means they pick out the best swimmers, the ones with just the one head which don't swim round and round in circles. It's good for mild male factor problems.

[ArielTheBahHumbugMermaid]

THree litres of water? I will be permanently weeing. Can I not substitute some of that with wine/beer/sloe gin? Or even apple juice?

[Northey]

I don't know! I just read it somewhere.

I do appreciate a permanently bursting bladder isn't ideal. Especially when it's so rainy.

[EuroShagmore]

Having tried all forms of miserable deprivation during ttcing (no alcohol, no coffee, etc) and it having made no difference at all, I am taking lemon's approach as we head for IVF. My diet is pretty healthy now and bar special occasions I never have more than about 4-5 glasses of wine a week these days, so I plan to just carry on as before.

I think SO is super ovulation - giving women who ovulate drugs with the aim of making them pop out 2 or 3 eggs to give the swimmers more targets. I had three cycles of SO (without IUI) earlier this year.

[ArielTheBahHumbugMermaid]

Er yes. That. Where the fuck did I get sperm optimization from? AND I am actually having it!

[lovesLemonDrizzleCake]

Euro is right wrt to SO part, but aries they do find the most normal looking sperm for any IUI (whether with bonus eggs or not) by washing and spinning.

Oh and I detest eggs unless combined with lots of sugar = meringues or sugar+butter+flour=cake

[JethroTull]

Eggs for eggs? Bloody hell. Oh hello, I'm Jethro. I'm currently down regging for our first cycle of IVF at Care Nottingham. I'm off the alcohol, caffeine & trying to actually eat some vegetables.

[resipsa]

Thanks cupcakes, will have a look..

[Northey]

Is there an optimum advance period in which to be super healthy? Or is it the same result if I start on the first day of the first injection? I am quite low caffeine and alcohol anyway, but am planning to reduce further. Just wondering whether to start NOW NOW NOW or relax till after Christmas.

[GinSoaked]

Hello. I thought I'd pop in. We're looking at doing a FET in the new year, after 2 failed rounds of fresh ivf, needed due to shite sperms male factor infertility.

My clinic were verrrry specific in what to eat/drink during the cycle, but let me do what I wanted in the preceding months

I think during the ivf 2 most important things are protein (doesn't nec have to be in egg form!) and lots of water. It helps eggs and womb lining grow, plus helps prevent the evil ohss. Being veggie, I began eying up muscle men powder, but ended up drinking milkshake and eating those disgusting protein bar things. I also peed a LOT!

As well as that, during the cycle the clinic said to eat/act as a pregnant lady. First cycle I was more strict with this, second not so I couldn't be arsed. Obviously neither worked, although we did manage to have a spare embryo to freeze from the 2nd cycle.

Good luck to you all and don't be too hard on yourselves over Xmas....

[Northey]

Hi gin. Hurrah for actual knowledgable knowledge from someone who has actually done a cycle, as opposed to my vague "ooh I think I read something about lots of water" contributions.

[BeadyEyes]

Can I join?

I have my first proper IVF appointment in 3 weeks where I'll learn about whatever protocol I'll be on and will then start after I get my next period.

I am 35, have endo and low AMH so am not sure what is going to happen. Managed to get upduffed 2 months ago but lost it at about six weeks. Nevertheless, the good doctor reckons that it was a fluke and we should press on with IVF.

In the meantime, I've been gobbling pills like a madwoman. My arsenal includes: Royal Jelly, CoQ10, L-Arginine, and DHEA. Just been taking the DHEA for the past week or so. It has given me the horn! [insert seedy laugh]. Am also cutting back on the grog which is depressing. And am about to try to eat 60 grams of protein a day - I read somewhere that that is good for the eggs.

[BeadyEyes]

Haha! Realised that everyone's already been talking about protein...whoops. I was thinking of doing those muscle-man powders as I am a vegetarian, but they look pretty vom-worthy!

[ArielTheBahHumbugMermaid]

Beans and pulses. They're protein. And Quorn if you have that sort of stuff.

[lovesLemonDrizzleCake]

Morning. Yay for not needing to do anything pre-IVF cycles. I shall ignore being in the WWs for my IUI. As it is too late for that already. Those on my regular freds already know I drank a fair bit this week, and I had loads of raw meat with my friend who lives with a lovely, but quite strict, veggie...

I reckon if you put some nuts in rocky road it can be part of the protein-thing :) and being happy has got to be good for something. I am not veggie but lived with one for a while, so I second the pulses and beans. As well as cheese(cake). And nuts.

But I was wondering do you need the extra protein especially if you're growing loads of eggs. As SO only aims for 2 or 3 eggs, which is not that much more than happens naturally. Apparently my lining normally is beautiful (I find the compliments one gets at the clinic sort of grimly entertaining), which means I think I shall stick to the do as you normally do approach. Although stimming (very mildly) gives me headaches, and that makes me drink loads as a direct result, cos I stupidly think it is dehydration. It makes me a pee a lot too.

[BeadyEyes]

So is anyone off the booze over Xmas?

I am keen to get rat-arsed, as usual, but will probably only have half a bottle of wine. I love healthy food and exercise, but alcohol is the hardest thing for me to give up! But when we started TTC we were drinking a bottle of wine plus a beer or two, every night - since then we have cut back a lot. Hope it's worth it...