Healthy lifestyle for IVF/infertility thread?

[FabricPigeon]

Would anyone be interested in a general "healthy living" thread for IVF/infertility?

I've just had my second BFN in a row after an FET (also had an unsuccessful transfer in January), but I have a DD from a previous FET from the same egg collection so I know IVF can work for me.

We'll be looking to start another fresh cycle as soon as possible but I want to try and get me and DH eating better (we tend towards too much red meat and terrible comfort eating...) and I want to start doing some exercise, not least to manage my stress and anxiety levels. We could both do with losing some weight but right now the main focus is going to be on improving nutrition and activity levels. Having a bit of control over something will help me stay calm whilst I wait and hopefully help support the next cycle.

I also have terrible thrush from the Cyclogest which I need to get under control.

Anyone else looking to make any lifestyle adjustments to help support IVF/TTC?

Hello 👋

Sorry to hear about your BFN. Be kind to yourself esp at this really odd time you need to do what your mind and body needs. Lots of duvet days and Disney are perfect!

I’ve had two unsuccessful FET’s and trying to be as healthy possible however I also have treats and a glass of wine if I fancy it too!

Hi @FabricPigeon I’m so sorry to hear your recent FET’s didn’t work out.

I agree with @IloveHaroldBishop make sure you do give yourself the time to relax and have a treat.

I’m just waiting on my first round of IVF/ICSI and have just filled in online consents but not sure when it’s going to actually happen. As it seems like it might be getting close though I’ve been thinking more about lifestyle and making sure we’re in optimum shape for when it does happen. So would be very pleased to have a bit of help along the way!

I’ve bought the Zita West IVF diet book and have found it interesting but the recipes are very complex and expensive with lots of very speciality ingredients. I did try a while back following the diet plan but I found it was more stressful thinking so much about everything we were eating and having to think about ordering ingredients online and all that! This time I’ve reread it and I think I’m just going to aim to stick more to the Mediterranean diet with 5 veg a day, 2 lots of fruit, lots of fish and trying to avoid anything too processed. I think having just a few things to consider is much easier rather than trying to tick off every nutrient we may possibly need which just drives you up the wall!

As there is nothing else to do in lockdown as well, we’ve been walking a lot and yesterday gave some couples yoga a go from YouTube. If someone had said a year ago that my other half would do couples yoga I would have laughed but he is actually quite up for it! I don’t know how much exercise it was, but it was very relaxing and calming which is what I need as I’m stressing a lot at the moment!

My clinic recommended to eat a ‘rainbow’ over the day which I thought was good advice but I just don’t think about it too much as I was super dooper healthy for about 2 years and it didn’t make any difference at all!!!

Yoga by Adrienne is fab. I often fall asleep afterwards as it’s gentle and like you say @ICSI important to feel calm at the mo.

Thanks, both - I think you're absolutely right that treats and being gentle with yourself is super-important. I feel so exhausted and emotionally drained after the two BFNs on the trot (I had stupidly convinced myself after having DD that it would work again as that had obviously been a "good" batch of eggs...) that I definitely need to think about being nice to myself.

@ICSI, I've looked at some Zita West stuff before and had exactly the same thought, that it looks nice but complicated! We're also going to be trying to eat a more Mediterranean diet - and that includes wine, right?!

@IloveHaroldBishop I think that "eat a rainbow" advice is really good and much more sensible that trying to be super-prescriptive about it. I've tried yoga with Adrienne before and didn't really take to it but it was a few years ago so I might try again.

We've also had a batch of super-duper probiotic drinks delivered today (to help with the wretched thrush, but also to hopefully build up my energy levels) and I'm thinking about signing up to Davina McCall's online fitness programme.

Greek yoghurt with Weetabix for breakfast today, then soup/crudites/hummus for lunch (plus a chocolate mousse!) and low-fat bolognese for dinner, so hopefully doing ok on the food front!

@FabricPigeon

This all sounds great! Sometimes it’s the little things you do that help. Maybe focus on drinks for a week. I drink water or decaf tea only. When I was having the meds during last transfer I made a ‘water chart’ and used to make myself drink so many glasses a day as I was terrible at forgetting.

How many embryos do you have left? We are having our final attempt in a few months. 5 eggs collected. Used 3 now so got two left.

@IloveHaroldBishop no more frosties left now for us We got 4 blastocysts from our first fresh cycle and MC the first, then DD was the second, then the two BFNs this year. I always had a funny feeling that we would need 5 blasts though when we first started IVF (no idea why!) so I'm praying that gut feeling is right and we'll strike it lucky next time round.

Funnily enough, I have just given up caffeine! I did it last time for our fresh cycle so I'm going to try and stick to it again for this one. I'm having decaf Punjana tea (which is the closest to my normal builder's tea I've found) but I'm bad at drinking water for some reason. Do you tend to have herbal tea or stick to "normal" decaf?

Ahhh I see. Bless you. Let’s hope you get a few good blastocysts this time again and as you say it’s worked one for you so I’ll keep everything crossed.

Just normal decaf. The Yorkshire decaf tastes just like normal tea to me but I know some people hate decaf.
We might have a double transfer for our last attempt xx

I’ve just had a BFN after a FET. Similar to you in that I have a previous child from the same “batch” so I had naively thought it would be no bother getting pregnant again! It is gutting. I’m sorry for you. I have quite a few frozen left (though not all of good grade) so planning on doing another in a couple of months or so. Maybe one more after that if another Bfn but emotionally I think then i’ll be done.

I know my body reacts best to low carb eating (I have PCOS) so am trying hard to stick to that from now on, though it is so hard in winter I find! I don’t want to eat salad with my chicken - I want warm mash and gravy!!! Am trying to limit my portions of carbs at the very least and no sugary junk. Am glad for the lighter evenings now so finding it easier to fit walks in around work etc. I gave up coffee for last FET - am having a week or so back on it to cheer myself up after the BFN but then will just go back to weak tea / mint tea.

Sorry to hear about your BFN, @Snowpaw - it's just so disappointing and draining after all the build-up and the emotion you go through. That's great that you've got more in the freezer but I know what you mean that you just don't necessarily want to try endlessly. I'm desperate for another baby, but equally, I don't want to try and try and try and miss out on my daughter's life because I'm thinking about bloody IVF constantly... Also it costs a fortune and we could do lots of other things with that money!

I also understand what you mean re eating - I try to plan healthy meals but then after the end of a long (boring) day WFH, I don't necessarily feel like eating stirfry/salad/something virtuous when I want a treat to pick me up!

@IloveHaroldBishop, what has your clinic said about a double transfer? I asked about doing one before I had the transfer that resulted in my DD and my clinic said categorically not at that stage, but I'd only had one transfer before then which had resulted in pregnancy, albeit I miscarried. Now I'm wondering if it's something to think about for the future, albeit I don't know how we'd cope with twins on top of DD...

@IloveHaroldBishop I like the idea of a water chart and might give it a go! I’m on some tablets at the minute that say I have to drink lots of water with them and I keep forgetting!

I’ll have to look up the yoga for Adrienne. I’ve not heard of it before. I’ve subscribed to a channel called Live Fertile and she posts some really good IVF specific yoga work outs and diet advice for PCOS.

@Snowpaw so sorry to hear about your BFN. I also have PCOS and have tried the no carb thing but like you, find it very hard! I’m aiming for lots of vegetables to fill me up so hopefully it’ll make me want to eat less carbs but I’m not cutting it out all together.

My plan was to give up alcohol and caffeine starting Monday. I think I’ll be okay with decaf coffee but will really miss wine!

@ICSI, oooh good, someone else joining me in the no caffeine club! I actually genuinely don't mind decaf coffee at all but for some reason I feel like there's something missing from tea when it's decaf. I was only having one cup of "proper" tea a day anyway though so I'm hoping for no headaches, unlike when I gave it up last time!

I have to confess I'm not planning to give up wine immediately though... I will when we start our fresh cycle, but I'm going to let myself have a week or so when I eat/drink whatever I like, and then we'll try to stick to just a bit on a Friday/Saturday night. I love wine too and giving it up when you're going through something stressful feels so cruel so I'm kicking the can down the road!

I’m hoping I don’t get any side effects from lack of caffeine! Especially at work I seem to drink so much more, it’s like my little pick me up to give me energy when I’m knackered!

I’ve done something very similar but this week is my last I’ll eat and drink what I want week then I’m going to go to either no alcohol or maybe one or two at the weekend. To be honest though I always feel cheated when I just have one drink so might be better to just have none at all. I’ll have to see how my willpower holds out! This time next week I might be saying the exact opposite!

@ICSI

I’m hoping I don’t get any side effects from lack of caffeine! Especially at work I seem to drink so much more, it’s like my little pick me up to give me energy when I’m knackered!

I’ve done something very similar but this week is my last I’ll eat and drink what I want week then I’m going to go to either no alcohol or maybe one or two at the weekend. To be honest though I always feel cheated when I just have one drink so might be better to just have none at all. I’ll have to see how my willpower holds out! This time next week I might be saying the exact opposite!

There's an American writer I really like called Gretchen Rubin, who writes about people being "abstainers" or "moderators" when it comes to things like booze - she has a short post about it here https://gretchenrubin.com/2012/10/back-by-popular-demand-are-you-an-abstainer-or-a-moderator/ I'm definitely an abstainer too, even though I'd prefer to be a moderator!

Pain au chocolate for breakfast for me this morning so I'm definitely getting my treats in

Thank you for sharing this! I think I’m definitely an abstainer

That article is really interesting. I think it sums me up very well!

How is everyone doing with their new healthy lifestyles?

I’ve been doing okay with trying to fit in lots of veg and veg but have caved and had a glass of wine this evening after a particularly rubbish day!

I’ve eaten my body weight in biscuits over the last few days! But I think once lockdown eases I’ll cope better. Definitely comfort eating at the mo!

I was doing ok, and then I came down with horrendous tonsillitis on Monday It's been absolutely awful - I literally haven't been able to do anything this week except rest and my poor husband has had to do everything else, including all childcare for DD

I'm wondering in a funny way though if it's a sign of how much I do need a lifestyle reset - I haven't been this ill for YEARS and I don't know if it's a sign that everything (pandemic, infertility, PND after the birth of DD, risk of redundancy when I was in maternity leave, lots of minor but accumulating life stress) have really taken their toll on me and my body was totally desperate to rest?

I'm bloody glad I bought the course of probiotics though seeing as I'm on 10 days of antibiotics I will be getting back on track as soon as I've sent the tonsillitis packing!

I need this thread. I've had 3 failed transfers (no bfp at all) and am currently in the tww after a FET (new batch collected in November but got ohss so no transfer) and have decided I really need to sort my shit out. My BMI is probably 26 ish. It would help my confidence too to lose a stone.

I also have the zita west book but have been completely put off by the complexity and uncommon ingredients.

If this FET doesn't work I'm going to be starting couch to 5k.

@FabricPigeon sorry about your tonsillitis. What a nightmare. You're right though, it might be your body saying something.

I use cyclogest in the back door. Maybe try that next time to help with the thrush.

I'm attempting gluten and dairy free, and need to lose 2 stone so can I join in?

When is your test day, @seven201? Keeping everything crossed for you! Will you tell us how you get on? I did c25k last spring, finished the last run and never went again 🤦🏼‍♀️ And I wonder why I don't feel great...

I actually do do cyclogest via the back door but I think it's the change in progesterone levels that seems to trigger the thrush. I've got my review with the consultant next week though and I don't think my progesterone levels are high enough anyway (I always bleed pre OTD) so I'm going to ask re alternatives.

@greendress789, please do join us! What stage are you at?

My tonsillitis is starting to settle now I think but I've been so so unwell. Maybe all the enforced rest has done some good?! Hoping for a better week and to start feeling healthier and more energetic 🤞🏻

Oh that's annoying about the thrush then. Good you can ask the consultant soon. I'm glad you're on the mend now but it sounds horrible.

I have the opposite problem with progesterone levels - I need injections on top of the cyclogest as after my first transfer my period arrived 6 days later and they think it's because my progesterone levels dropped.

I have had a super shit week. Sadly my brother-in-law died of a heart attack leaving two young kids. I've done so much crying and obviously trying to support my sister, niece and nephew.

My official test day is weds but it was 10 days after 5day embryo today so I tested and it was a stark negative. 4 negative transfers, I just don't know why they fail so completely! I do have a naturally conceived 4 1/2 year old and had an early mc 3 years ago, so it's confusing. I feel guilty for being sad about my negative when my brother-in-law has been ripped from existence.

I'm more determined now to get healthy. I'm going to wait until I've got my official negative then get cracking with the c25k!

It's the start of a new week, we can do this!

Welcome greendress! Why are you trying gluten and dairy free?

@seven201

Sending you a MASSIVE hug. Such an awful time for you.
I really really admire your strength and like you say c25k will be a brilliant goal and something to focus on.
Look after yourself as you must feel emotionally drained xx xx

@IloveHaroldBishop (love the name btw) thank you, that's very kind.