Tips for Preparing for IVF?

[Foodie23]

Hello everyone,

Yesterday marked 1 year of trying to conceive and a diagnosis of unexplained subfertility.

Our recommended treatment is IVF, but since I have a high AMH level and I'm 33, we were told there wasn't any rush.

The last year has been very emotional and at times, painful and isolating. My husband and I are going to do some research, crunch some numbers to see what we can afford and come up with a plan. Then, I'll take some time to recover emotionally and reset for this next challenge.

Does anyone have any advice for getting physically and emotionally prepared for IVF?

Thank you and nice to meet you all.

Foodie23

[Caza2009]

Hey lovely, just wanted to say hi - and to reassure you that you’ve come to the right place for advice and support!

The IVF journey is sometimes a difficult one, but I think you’re right in taking a bit of time out to get your head round it all before jumping on board.

I have to admit that I found my first round incredibly stressful (which resulted in a BFN), I’m due to start meds for my FET next week and this time round I’m going to try acupuncture and I’ve downloaded a mindfulness IVF app which is great - it gives me 10-15 mins a day to focus purely on myself.

My biggest tip would be to try to stay as stress free as possible and surround yourself with people you love 💕

Wishing you the best of luck xx

[Foodie23 in reply to Caza2009]

Hi Caza2009. I don't think I can fully express my gratitude for your kind, thoughtful message so quickly after I created this post. At a low point in my life, your message felt like a hug from a dear friend and I intstantly knew I wouldn't have to travel this journey alone. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Best of luck on your FET next week!

[Caza2009 in reply to Foodie23]

Ahh your message is lovely - I’m pleased I could be of service 😊 there are so many amazing ladies (& a few men) on here who are all incredibly amazing. You will NEVER be alone on this journey so don’t you worry about that xxx sending lots of love 💕 (and thank you for the luck 🤞🏼🌈)

[Kat9lives]

I agree with Caza2009, you've come to the right place. I've put a list of things together in previous posts (go to my profile and look at some early posts) and there's a list of acronyms too (we speak in code a lot of the time on here!!)

- Read up on what's involved (I think I've listed some books on one of my posts)

- try accupuncture

- healthy eating, BMI under 30 as a minimum

- gentle excersize

- fertility vitamins (try Zita west, they're pricey but have so many vitamins and minerals geared for fertility)

- look after yourself

- talk lots with your partner

- vent/talk/ask for advice on here!

Probably missed some obvious advice, but I'm starting back on this rollercoaster after 2 years or so (I had a little girl from my 2nd cycle), and am trying to remember myself!

Best of luck! 🍀🍀🍀

[Foodie23 in reply to Kat9lives]

Hi Kat9lives. Wow, thank you so much for your message! Very helpful advice and I'll definitely take a look at your previous posts. It can feel a bit overwhelming not even knowing where to start. It was truly such a relief to find support right away from my first post. Thank you for helping me feel less alone.

[Kat9lives in reply to Foodie23]

That's why I love this forum so much, it's so supportive and everyone looks out for each other! Feel free to message me if you need to know something 😁 x

[Foodie23 in reply to Kat9lives]

Also, best of luck to you as well as you begin this journey again!

[wemma83]

Hi Foodie!

You’ve come to the right place! Everyone on here is lovely 😊

We’re at the start of our IVF journey (treatment starts in a few weeks, eeek!) and this network has been a god send, it’s just so comforting to know that other people are going through the same thing as you.

I use it as a kind of diary, just to get everything down on (electronic!) paper and to ask for advice and it’s definitely the best place I’ve found, the internet can be a scary place!

The best piece of advise I can give you is try to smile and laugh a lot! Me and my boyfriend are mostly getting through it by being childish and giggling at sperm samples, sex questions and the amount of time I’ve already spent getting my minnie out for people to look at!

Wishing you the best of luck on your journey, it’s a tough one but (fingers crossed!) it’ll be worth it for us all 🤞🏼😊

Take care doll 💕😘 xxx

[Foodie23 in reply to wemma83]

Thank you wemma83 for such a kind, thoughtful response. I love your suggestion to try and keep things light and fun when you can. I agree it's very important to laugh together.

I'm excited to see you're early in the process and look forward to following your journey. I'm wishing you the best of luck too.