Tips for getting body ready for ivf?

[Heidilouise89]

Hello I am hopefully having ivf in April is there anything I can do that will increase my chances and get my body ready for ivf/icsi? Thank you

[Hollibob]

Hello.

I'm not sure if you've seen my post previously, but I thought I'd add it on here for you.

I was told and started this before ivf so that I could get used to it:

No caffeine/alcohol

Low sugar intake

Low carb, high protein

2 litres of water a day

My clinic used to advise 1 litre of milk a day too, but they now say part of your daily diet in drinks, cereals etc.

Avoid snacking inbetween main meals as it's got something to do with your body trying to break the snacking down when it should be concentrating on growing your follicles.

They said if you need to snack then seeds or nuts are ok.

I haven't drunk milk on its own for years, so I had some milkshakes, yoghurts and cheese on most days.

I also got some Danio yoghurts and Upbeat drinks as they are high in protein.

Mainly stuck to fish, meat, veg and fruit, but did have some carbs as you still have to be happy in yourself whilst you are going through the treatment!

After transfer I:

Took time off work

Kept my diet food and drinks similar to what I had been doing but had some "naughty" foods too!!

No hot water bottles

No hot baths

No over exercising

Apparently you are also meant to keep your feet warm after transfer too.

I'd had some reflexology prior to starting IVF.

Are you having any acupuncture?

I was having it pre ivf and then had it during the stimming time, before collection and then before/after on the day of transfer.

I also got the zita west CD's and listened to them at bed time.

I was taking Pregnacare as well.

I didn't take any painkillers from starting ivf until this week, even though my 2ww was pretty full on with cramps etc.

My hubby was supportive too in eating the same foods as me and taking vitamins.

I thought I'd be ok with the injection side of things and was for the first few days, but I had a bit of a mental block and couldn't do them afterwards. Hubby stepped in and infact it made him feel part of it all

Do your clinic do endometrial scratches or use embryo glue? Might be worth asking them? I left it too late to discuss the scratch, but they did the glue at transfer as part of their protocol.

It was our first round and we did ICSI. We got a positive pregnancy test, but sadly we were advised last week that we had a missed miscarriage at 9.5 weeks.

I hated the whole feeling of "what if" my body does or doesn't react to the medication and having to potentially juggle all my leave that I'd booked at work, but you just have to go with it....I prewarned my bosses at work so that they were aware not to stress me out totally whilst I was there on the run up and to allow flexibility to change my leave if required.

The whole process felt quite surreal to be honest, but we were excited to be finally another step closer. If you feel tired during the treatment, listen to your body and rest when you can.

Wishing you lots of luck x

[leah345 in reply to Hollibob]

Hi I believe I am in the same position as you .

Myself and my partner have been trying for a baby for the last 3 years and I have been also receiving acupuncture which I have weekly .

We got pregnant naturally last August but sadly I miscarried at 7 weeks . Since the miscarriage We have been unable to get pregnant again so I have been referred for IVF .

My friend has had IVF and was paying privatley .

She gave me a list of vital vitamins which help before and during IVF treatment .

The vitamins are

DHEA, l,arginine, Coenzyme Zinc, Selenium, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B Complex, Folic Acid , Vit C and D ,

Eat lots of meat and fish . Salmon contains lots of omega 3 !! Lots of green leafy veg and dairy !

Dont drink alcohol or caffeine . ( Very damaging for your eggs )

Raspberry leaf tea from Holland and Barrett is good to help blood flow to the uterus .

Avoid strenuous exercise .

If you google all the vitamins you will see they are good for female fertility !

Also get your partner to take Zinc and selenium as it helps the swimmers !

Acupuncture is really good for relaxing you .

I am anxiously waiting to hear from the fertility clinic as to when we start Ivf !

I hope this helps x

[pm27]

Our consultant prescribed high level folic acid and Vitamin E and C for both of us. Apparently this is to help the quality of DNA and to make outside of eggs softer (for ladies over 35). Check with your clinic whether these would be appropriate for you and your partner.

My clinic said to drink plenty of water, 1 litre semi skimmed milk per day (during treatment cycle), sensible diet, avoid alcohol and caffeine. Like Hollibob I don't drink milk so I'm taking my milk in as a smoothie for breakfast (frozen banana, frozen red berries, 1/2 litre of milk) and then decaf milky coffee during the day. The clinic said it's fine to do my usual exercise but I'm not running during my 2ww and had a week off swimming after EC whilst I was on the antibiotics to prevent risk of infection.

Good luck.

[Eggfreezer2015]

Just to add DHEA has some terrible side effects, I would not take this without speaking to your consultant.