What Vitamins to take during IVF treatment

[MarieK85]

I am just about to go through my first round of IVF 😬 and other than folic acid our doctor hasn’t said we should be taking anything else. My husband is on a multi vitamin and I take omega 3 and Vitamin B complex but I’m unsure if I should be taking more or if it’s pointless at this stage.

I've swapped on to Proceive Max for women over 35 and 200mg coq10. But I started them months ago
Also drinking lots more full fat milk and high protein diet x

Just folic acid and vit D for me. Ditto the full fat milk and more protein

I took everything in 'it starts with the egg'. Probably massive overkill, but it worked. And I had almost daily acupuncture... it was our nhs cycle so I figured it was my (financial) contribution.

I also took the ubiquinol Q10 as suggested in it starts with the egg, as well as cutting out as much plastic & processed food/beauty products as well. I did this before our 4th IVF and I’ve just put my 5 month old twin girls in bed 💗💗

I’m convinced the vitamins made a massive difference, all previous rounds we never had any embryos to freeze, we’ve now got our girls and 5 frozen blasts

Good luck with your treatment xxx

15 years ago I was also told to avoid nuts until after implantation (I think), and to avoid pineapple the whole way through. I had to drink a litre of full fat milk a day. Don't know what helped, but it worked

I’ve been recommended L-arginine and Vit E, along with Folic acid (high dose as have crohns) and Vit D by my consultant. L-arginine and Vit E may help endometrial thickness

CoQ10

I took pregnacare max, royal jelly and bee propolis and dxha to improve egg quality. Stopped the royal jelly and bee propolis after transfer. I ate pinapple big slice with core for 5 days after transfer, Brazil nuts and pomegranate juice and full fat milk. I've had two successful transfers doing all this. First round we lost our son at 22 weeks due to incompetent cervix and I'm now pregnant with twins after day 3 transfer. I'm 37 and only ever collected few eggs each cycle and none to freeze but by taking the supplements def improved egg quality for few we got xxx

Ditto for CoQ10, and a water and fat-soluble form for better absorption.

I took supplements from It Starts with the Egg too:

1. Prenatal with 800mcg methylfolate
2. R alpha lipoic acid 200-300 mg 30 mins before food
3. Vitamin E 200 IU
4. Vitamin C 500mg
5. N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine 600mg
6. Ubiquinol CoQ10 400mg daily- split between brek and lunch
7. Vitamin D 1000IU daily (although higher levels recommended in the book).

I took advice from ‘it starts with the egg’ great book!

Hello everyone!

New to this thread

Have any of you lovelies tried any additional supplements for your Husbands/ partners to get sperm count up?

We had some shocking ( albeit good news) the other day at the fertility clinic, in which my DH Sperm analysis came back with few but some live sperm! He was told years ago he was infertile & had azoospermia. We were hoping to go into IVF with donor sperm.

If anyone has any vitamin/ herbal supplements that worked please let me know. Seen a few online, like fertalaid & wellman etc but want to know what’s best.

Thanks
Liz :)

@Lizzybee80 my husband took wellman conception coq10 200mg and 1000umg vit C for over 6 months. Alongside healthy diet good exercise no smoker low drink and loose fitting boxers. We saw an improvement in that time. Still had ICSI but we got 4 excellent qualities blastocyst and I’m currently pregnant from our first fet. Good luck

I’m taking the Zita West IVF vitamins, plus vitamin D spray, 200 of Ubiquinol and a vitamin C dissolvable drink thing.

My DH is taking proceive max plus 200 of ubiquinol and omega 3/fish oil vitamins.

We’ve made changes to our diet too. Some good dinners we have are

Buddha Bowl: sweet potato, chicken, avocado, hummus and mixed leaves - so nothing processed or sauces, protein in the chicken and hummus, avocado meant to be good for fertility. We have this x2 a week

Salmon with small bit of mashed potato and lots of broccoli - again x2 a week in line with recommendations from its starts with the egg.

Then one easy meal - M&S balanced for you ready meal high protein balanced carbs.

No processed meats such as ham chorizo and red meat only once a week on the weekend.

I’ve found this Glenisk protein pots which I’m having for breakfast - 20g of protein in them - it’s yoghurt and granola and some fruit in it makes it taste a bit nicer!

No caffeine or alcohol also and only dark chocolate >70% or those Naked bars for treats.

Going into our second cycle soon and hoping it’ll make a difference.

@pocchari are all these supplements relevant for FET too ? I have frosties and looking to soon start FET. Hoping to find then in any drug store ?

@yuglittle those supplements from It Starts With the Egg were for improving egg quality. So I would imagine they wouldn't apply as much to FET as you already have your eggs.
I did find this link though, which is probably useful:
itstartswiththeegg.com/faq/preparing-for-embryo-transfer/

@pocchari thankyou for sharing the link.. will go through it. I have only been taking Pregnacare pre conception one which has all vitamins. Wonder if additional vitamins are required ?

Thanks for asking @yuglittle and answering @pocchari I've been wondering this as its 3 months til my FET and ubiquinol is pricy! Was hoping I could stop and just take my prenatal and vit D and anything else good for transfer.
My lining was very good during stims so not too worried about that.

@Parkandride which brand of prenatal and vit D you have been taking ?

Hi all, is 200mg ubiquinol enough? That's what I have been taking for the last 2 months (plus DHEA as advised by my consultant and pregnacare max) but thinking of upping it ahead of my next cycle (likely Nov/Dec)

@wesstywoo I read up to 300 of ubiquinol can be taken. I take 200 but there is 50 in my multi vitamins so 250 overall.

@Steenac7 thank you - the internet seems to suggest the same, looks like there is none in the pregnacare so I think I will up it to 300mg and see how I go. I have low AMH to I want to feel like I'm doing all I can for the few eggs I'm likely to get!

Just folic acid & vit d.. it’s all in the same tablet from boots home brand.. fertility guy said that was the best to have.. I never changed my diet either.. I’m a rubbish eater too... and I’ve just had my baby girl 10 week ago.. good luck

@yuglittle prenatal: just asdas own! Compared them to the brands and couldn't see much difference.
Vit d I've always taken vitabiotics 1000iu, even before ivf as I'm a sun avoider. My consultant complimented my levels last time I saw them so it works!

@Anaesthetist83 pls share which brand and dose of vit E, vit D, L-arginine your consultant suggested ? Also i userstand this is for FET prep ? I have FET planned soon..