Supplements and a WWYD question

trigirl79

OK, so since I got pregnant on the second IUI with my daughter, there was no reason to think my IF (Unexplained) was an egg quality issue. But with not responding well to the meds for IVF (and 4 failed IUIs), plus the one egg not growing well...I am starting to wonder. I feel stupid for asking this so late in the game. I called my nurse to talk through it with her but she's out of the office until Friday. 

I eat healthy and have cut back on my exercise. I don't totally avoid caffeine but am working on cutting it out even further. 

Do you take supplements? I've read about DHEA and CoQ10 plus royal bee pollen as the big ones?

Is it worth it? It's not cheap (what is these days). 

But here's the thing. We are only doing one more fresh cycle. If we got a frosty and the fresh cycle didn't work, we would do an FET. But that's it. The financial drain (not to mention everything else) is too much for us. 

Then the question is - should we take some time off before the next cycle to give everything time to work? 

Instead of Jan maybe Feb or March? I don't want to delay it but if that month or two gives us a better chance, it's obviously the better option. 

Thanks ladies!

fullfhope

I can really understand your situation right now, on the one hand you want to give this upcoming cycle all the chances in the world, but on the other hand, supplements can be questionable and you will hear and read mixed reviews and opinions, and as you said, they are not cheap.

I am now 40. Was diagnosed DOR in 2011 (37).
 

I can only share my experience and opinion. IVF #1 in Spring 2012 I was taking B6 and D3, 6 eggs retrieved, 4 fert, transferred 3 and gave birth to perfect DD in Feb 2013! 

Fast forward TTC #2-Full disclosure-I am currently taking CoQ10, DHEA, D3, B6... I took the CoQ10 and DHEA before my IVF in the spring for a few weeks but not for the recommended 12+ weeks. We ended up with 4 eggs, 1 fertilized and transferred but resulted in BFN. I took the same DHEA and CoQ for 12 weeks leading up to IVF in September and results were 7ER, 4F, 3 grew, on fifth day transferred 2 the 3rd didn't make it to freeze. Resulted in BFP but low betas, strong heartbeat but measuring behind and no heartbeat at ten weeks.

Now I am back on the supplements, reading "It Starts with the Egg" hoping to get a miracle BFP but expecting to do IVF in Feb/March.this would be our last (I thought Sept was our last but am realizing I am just not done yet). So, long story short, I am going all in.

Sorry for being long winded, my thinking is , I don't want to wonder "what if I had ...." 

But after all that, I still question the science of the supplements ...as I take them religiously.

Good luck with your decision, I can only hope that we will both be able to say, whatever we did, it worked