Hello, we are just looking for absolutely any advice out there if anyone can help please!My husband and I (both about to turn 33) have been referred for IVF on the NHS (we have one free round) - they said it could be up to 3 months wait, how can me and my partner best prepare for this so we know we get our best chance? We don't think we'll be able to afford any private rounds after.
Are there any particular supplements we should take or foods we should make sure to eat?
At the moment I'm taking Inopholic Alpha and my husband just started taking Wellman Conception. We're both eating healthily and have just cut caffeine and reduced alcohol to almost never.
My ovarian egg reserve (anti-müllerian hormone) is 17.5 pmol/L which is within the satisfactory range, thyroid function test and prolactin levels are normal. I have a heart-shaped (arcuate) uterus (which I'm going for a 3d scan for) with normal ovaries and antral follicle count of 14 . My husband has a normal sperm count but with reduced motility and reduced morphology so it is suitable for ICSI treatment.
Thank you to anyone who can offer us advice!
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Hi, I started my first IVF cycle this week, so I’m no expert! But I’ve been taking Folate 400 ug every day, plus CoQ10 200mg twice a day. I’ve also been taking DHEA 25mg twice a day. My diet used to be atrocious, but I’ve been trying to eat lots of fruit and veg - green leaves, legumes, berries and nuts are supposed to be good. My antral follicle count was 8 when I had my fertility MOT in March, but it had risen to 13 when I had my baseline scan this week. Might just be fluctuation - but I guess it could be the result of all the supplements/my diet too - who knows! Good luck x
Heya. Diet wise it sounds like you’ve got the basics - avoiding alcohol and caffeine etc. Lots of fruit and veg is good, also good protein.
As for supplements, for egg quality it’s recommended to take Coq-10 (as ubiquinol), about 400mg a day, as well as 4000u methyl folate (folic acid) in addition to a good multi vitamin. Other things to look into are zinc, vitamin c & d & e - but mostly those would all be covered in a multi vitamin. There’s a book called ‘it starts with the egg’ that has loads of info based on different scenarios…..
Impryl is a good supplement for men , though a bit pricey
Hi! I too would really recommend the book 'It all starts with the egg' - it has very helpful advice on life style and dietary changes you could make to improve egg and sperm quality. Our clinic recommended Proxeed as supplement - it comes in a version for men and women. We also took additional Coenzyme Q10 in the form of ubiquinol, vitamin D spray and probiotics. My husband has reduced morphology so in addition to the supplements, he wore baggy underwear in the run up. ICSI worked well for us and gave us 75% fertilisation rate. Take it easy and look after each other - it is a journey and it can get very rough emotionally especially if you put too high expectations on yourselves. Good luck!
Healthy varied diet, but also don’t over think it. I take so many pills I rattle 😂 look at zita west she does a male and female pack, especially when they have a sale on. Coq 10, vitamin D, folate. Probiotic also. Good luck x
I was 40 when we had our first round of ICSI. All my levels were pretty good for my age, but my husbands sperm had reduced motility. Our consultant recommended I take pregnacare pre conception supplements and my husband take well man preconception. ( I’m still taking pregnacare max now - it’s got everything you need in it). We didn’t need to change our diets or lifestyles too much as we eat quite well and aren’t big drinkers anyway. And we exercise regularly (we’re both military).
Our first round was a success and now 41, I am around 5 weeks off giving birth to our precious little girl. Excited and terrified is an understatement!! X x
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