IVF diet

[strawberrysummer19]

We are doing our 2nd cycle ivf in around 4 months time, we are currently having test done for dna fragmentation after a 1st failed ivf last month so will get results back in 2 weeks

we sort of healthy eat, cut out caffeine and pretty much all alcohol and eat healthy but we want to really step it up so we have some supplements recommended by my clinic along with folic acid omega 3 and I also take DHEA

But we want to meal plan
We both work so want to take lunches and know what we are eating in advance
Think it's the only way we will stay disciplined to not grab a take out on way home if we didn't have something in mind or prepared!

Any ideas?

X

One thing I've really liked this past year or so has been Huel.

They do shakes, ready to drink meals and 'hot and savoury' meals where you add hot water to their dried ingredients and get a bowl of grain-based, balanced food. The shakes and hot meals were lifesavers at work - I've kept a bag of each in my office and it's meant I could make a meal within a few minutes, which actually had some nutritional value!

It might be worth looking into as a component of meal planning? ( Not to rely on exclusively of course)

I saw a fertility dietician as I also thought we were eating healthily (so for example salmon fillets, broccoli and baby potatoes for dinner) and it turns out we weren’t 😂

She recommended: high protein breakfast, no/low carb and at least 5 different portions of veg for lunch and again 5 different portions for dinner. No caffeine , sugar or alcohol. No snacking and intermittent fasting from 7pm till 10am. I had my best two egg collections after following this for 3 -6 months.

So for example

Breakfast: 20g organic milled flaxseeds, 15g organic milled chia seeds, 5G raw cacao, 200g high protein natural yoghurt, chopped apple & berries (20g protein)

Lunch: Salad with spinach (1) mixed leaves (2) cucumber (3) beetroot (4) cherry tomatoes (5) crumbled feta, dried cranberries, 1 tsp olive oil 1 tap blasamic vinegar

OR:

Soup: carrots (1) onion (2) frozen peas (3) celery (4) red pepper (5) and potato

Dinner : cod with ratatouille- aubergine (1) courgettes (2) red pepper (3) yellow pepper (4) tin chopped tomato (5)

OR
Thai chicken curry: chicken, tin coconut milk, curry paste, ginger, fish sauce, lemon, lime , asparagus (1) mange tue (2) baby corn (3) carrot batons (4) onion (5)

OR Buddha bowl : avocado (1) cucumber (2) mixed leaves (3) chicken, cherry tomatoes (4) hummus, butternut squash cubes (5)

OR salmon stir fry: salmon, thin rice noodles, brocolli (1) onion (2) carrots (3) cauliflower (4) frozen peas (5)

OR chilli : Turkey mince, chopped tomatoes (1) onion (2) chopped carrots (3) red pepper (4) served with cauliflower rice (5)

So getting 10 portions of veg & 2 of fruit but not sugary fruit like banana every day plus a good source of protein with each meal - minimal red meat

@Scirocco thank you I shall take a look at that
Love that idea for lunches and then breakfast I can make up myself and dinners too

@ForeverAintEnough3 love these recipes
They sound very yummy!

I must admit doing that for 90 days does worry me. I eat carbs and crisps etc so just having to change my whole diet - I mean was healthy but probably not what I should be eating

So I was eating yoghurts and banana and other fruits, cereals and things like bread! I was having 5 veg a day, cut out caffeine and alcohol but didn't totally cut out sweet treats and the odd take away. Which I know i need to do.

But I definitely know I need to write up a plan and stick to it xx

@strawberrysummer19 all I will say is my husband is still in disbelief that I followed that and still largely follow it (fell off the wagon after each egg collection). I am a chocolate addict (hence raw cacao in breakfast to get a chocolate fix) fussy eater and had never eaten cauliflower or onions or beetroot or cherry tomatoes before this diet ( I thought I hated them) and probably had a salad twice a year 😂 so if I can do it anyone can. I also thought I’d struggle more with the carbs and fasting but the good thing about the fasting is there are no excuses as once you’ve had your meal you are done instead of oh I’ll just have one biscuit and suddenly you’ve eaten the whole packet! I also used to have two chocolate cream bars and a coffee for breakfast with 2 sugars, a wrap with avocado Turkey and a bit of cheese for lunch. I’ve had a total overhaul. It’s mad.

Good luck with it.

*chocolate cereal bars

@Foreverain'tenough that's a super healthy food plan. Which dietician did you use?

I'd second going to see a dietician if you can afford it.

With things like Huel, each to their own, but it wouldn't be for me. Perhaps good for short burst if trying to actively lose weight, but not for TTC. It does provide all of the nutrients you need but it's like space food and won't give you much of the satisfaction and joy that most of us get out of eating a healthy and varied diet.

Depends how much you care about food, but for me doing something like Huel whilst TTC would have an impact on my emotional health and wellbeing, so wouldn't be worth it.

There's a lot to be said for being physically healthy but also emotionally health and enjoying life is important during TTC and pregnancy. Don't put too much pressure on or it will affect you in other ways!

@want2bemum I'm against any type of shakes but I think huel do meals too like mentioned above
I did look at it but it also mentions it used pea protein which someone said it's good for ttc ? It's like a minefield with sometimes conflicting information

I think we are going for the Mediterranean diet and writing up recipes so we know in advanced

I like the idea of the fasting foo.

I have tried looking for a dietitian but that's a minefield too!! I'm not sure I need to as think I'm well equipped but as this is kind of our last shot and we start our 3 month diet shortly I may book one.

We want to get an ivf in before a family wedding in December so ideally doing our cycle Oct/nov which gives us over 3 months to diet as we've paid for 2 cycles so I think this will be our last shot.

Felling pretty positive though
We've had a good rest and have eaten what we like, we have a couple more things in diary for this weekend and next and then we are back on the diet but both actually really looking forward to it in a strange way!

Still waiting in dna fragmentation results too x

@ForeverAintEnough3 thanks for the tips. This was really useful. I've been following the It Starts With an Egg stuff for ages (on and off) but it was useful to hear the advice you had.

I also made your breakfast recipe today and it was super easy and quite nice too!!!

Best of luck @strawberrysummer19 and everyone else. The dieting sucks but fingers crossed it will be worth it!!

Xxx

So I am 2 days in Mediterranean diet and I'm a big fan of sugar and have the odd take away so even after 2 days im craving a bit of sugar!

I'm finding it hard I must say.

I've substituted red meat for some quorn and making up salads for lunch and having lots of veg, salad, fruits, nuts, cooking with olive oil.
No pasta, no other carbs or bread or sugar.

Just wondering

What diet is everyone else following?

We didn't really do one before only watching what we eat ( cut out alcohol and caffeine though)

I'm not sure if I want to carry on with this one
I feel like I am on a diet and I'm feeling hungry in the day
I've read you're not supposed to from other people who've done it?!

X

I also went to see a nutritionist- she recommend something similar to Mediterranean but with lots of protein. It helped with curbing my sugar cravings (from about 30 years of eating too much). Just in case it is helpful - good luck! It’s a tough one to crack.

@Passanotherjaffacake I'm just struggling with the med diet as I do feel it's quite restrictive

I think I would benefit in booking to see one

I was healthy before but with this diet
No sugar or carbs, it's seems much more difficult

Things like what I would consider normal food
Bread, pasta, yoghurts etc x

Hi there, did they recommend the Mediterranean diet for IVF?

My clinic only said to have lots of protein and to drink about 3 litres a day. I had been following Joe Wicks' 90 day plan before starting and this actually seemed to fit really well.
My breakfast tends to be granola and Skyr, then something I can pre-cook for lunch and I usually make curry (also made with Skyr because I can't be bothered with different types of yoghurt) or fish with vegetables or something similar for dinner. It seems to be working fine. My body is quite healthy according to my doctor. My eggs are just a little old...and that's what we'll need to work on for our next round. :)

Low carb and high protein is key. I did allow myself the odd piece of dark 85% chocolate though! Lots of chicken and fish. I did it for about 6 months, it is hard but scientific studies show it works for egg quality. No alcohol etc obviously.
I used to have a but based cereal for breakfast with almond milk, fish and veg for lunch and meat and veg for dinner

Nut

Hi - just thought I’d give chip in with what worked for us. Basically agree with all the above!
In 2020 our first cycle I ate normally. Got Seven eggs, 6 mature, only 1 fertilised properly and that one made it to day 3. That cycle failed. No others even fertilised.

Our second cycle we changed the meds. But we also changed our diets for three + months before retrieval. I ate lots more protein (lots of tofu!) and veggies and cut down on carbs. Switched my exercise to focus on strength training. Hubby started jogging and took a product called Proxeed.

Not sure if any of this stuff made a jot of difference (it might have just been the meds), but we did feel healthier and we got 13 eggs, 9 fertilised and we got 6 blastocysts to freeze. All good quality.
One of which has given me a BFP yesterday :)

@LemonyT aww congratulations! Thank you for sharing the "recipe" for your bfp

@LemonyT that's a great success story! Congratulations! 🥳

I wasn't recommended any diet in particular, I'm not sure how evidence-based some of the suggestions are on the thread. Of course it's good to eat a varied diet to maintain your own health but I've not come across/been recommended anything by my clinic to increase my chances, or been signposted to any NHS material in particular regarding ivf diet.

All the clinic seemed to be concerned about are age (can't control that) and having a good ovarian reserve (again can't control that). As far as I know, and also been told this by my clinic, there is no evidence-base diet/supplements which improve egg quality. I've also not been told anything about diet improving my uterine lining

Aged 39, I was extremely fortunate and got pregnant on the first fresh cycle with several embryos to freeze. I believe it was a combination of genetics and luck (and a good response to ivf medications).

A basic google shows up lots of articles on success of high protein and low carb

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.huffpost.com/entry/fertility-diet-pregnancy_n_3209511/amp

[quote Hulahoopla]A basic google shows up lots of articles on success of high protein and low carb

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.huffpost.com/entry/fertility-diet-pregnancy_n_3209511/amp[/quote]
Yes you're right op, however that doesn't answer my question of a reputable scientific source of information. It's as reliable/unreliable as the Daily Fail.

So why isn't there an NHS recommendation? Huffington Post isn't a scientific journal.

The article is based on a science investigation, I found a lot when I was doing ivf will have a quick look

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29390148/