Preparing for IVF

mamabear7 · August 2009

How did you and/or DH prepare for IVF or any IF treatments for that matter? I'm thinking I need to cut out caffine - anything else you guys have done or are thinking about doing?

nikinikinine · August 2009

accupuncture and yoga. I hear accu is good for IVF, but mostly I'm doing these things to help with the stress level. I've heard of some women joining a support group called Resolve too.

I read the Infertility Cure (very Chinese medicine based) and the Couple's Guide to In Vitro Fertilization (which was published in 2004, but aside from old statistics was still very helpful).

As far as diet is concerned I haven't given up coffee (but I limit myself to one cup in the morning). However I've started to eat completely clean, not sure if that's helping, but it's giving me control over SOMETHING in my life.

GL to you!

JackieMac824 · August 2009

I am preparing for IVF right now - I have cut out caffeine - which is not easy. I am also bladder training - to make my bladder stronger for the ET. I have started taking pre natal vitamins and have been exercising. Good Luck to you.

mamabear7 · August 2009

JackieMac824:
I am preparing for IVF right now - I have cut out caffeine - which is not easy. I am also bladder training - to make my bladder stronger for the ET. I have started taking pre natal vitamins and have been exercising. Good Luck to you.

What is bladder training?

JackieMac824 · August 2009

mamabear7:

JackieMac824:
I am preparing for IVF right now - I have cut out caffeine - which is not easy. I am also bladder training - to make my bladder stronger for the ET. I have started taking pre natal vitamins and have been exercising. Good Luck to you.

What is bladder training?

Oh I have a very weak bladder and I am super concerned about the ET because you have to have a full bladder for it and then wait a half an hour afterwards to go to the bathroom. So I am trying to train my bladder so I do not have the urge to go as often and the urge is not as strong. I started out going every hour - even if I did not have to go - then every hour and a half - now I am up to every two hours and I hope to get up to every four hours and hopefully that will help when it comes time for the ET.

tgrbelle · August 2009

We both cut down on caffine. DH only drank decaf after his 1st cup in the am and I switched to 1/2 caf & 1/2 decaf for my cup of coffee in the am. I also cut out soda for the most part. We didn't cut out alcohol (ok per RE), but drank in moderation during treatments. We don't eat soy intense products like soy milk or edamame, they can interfere with estrogen levels. Becuase of DH's low morph we only eat hormone free & antibiotic free meat & wild seafood, we drink organic milk, and dh doesn't reheat food in plastic containers. I know it sounds like we're a bunch of tree huggers, but we're really not.

For IVF#2 I will cut out caffine all together. We are both going to cut out alcohol during treatment and continue with the other stuff too. But that's about it. Good luck!

mamabear7 · August 2009

tgrbelle:

We both cut down on caffine. DH only drank decaf after his 1st cup in the am and I switched to 1/2 caf & 1/2 decaf for my cup of coffee in the am. I also cut out soda for the most part. We didn't cut out alcohol (ok per RE), but drank in moderation during treatments. We don't eat soy intense products like soy milk or edamame, they can interfere with estrogen levels. Becuase of DH's low morph we only eat hormone free & antibiotic free meat & wild seafood, we drink organic milk, and dh doesn't reheat food in plastic containers. I know it sounds like we're a bunch of tree huggers, but we're really not.

For IVF#2 I will cut out caffine all together. We are both going to cut out alcohol during treatment and continue with the other stuff too. But that's about it. Good luck!

Wow, thats great. Did you read an article or book that had these recommendations?

tgrbelle · August 2009

Nope. Our RE recommended the switch to free range meat & not heating foods in plastics. The theory is that traditional meats contain more estrogens & other hormones that can harm sperm production. And somehow, when you heat food in plastic chemicals that mimic estrogen leach into the food. It could all be a bunch of horse crap for all I know, but it's worth a try.

I switched over to eating exclusively free range poultry and pork 8 years ago before I even met DH, so that wasn't much of a switch. I used to eat free range beef when I could, but now it's a priority. Of course if we're having friends over for hamburgers I go with the regular stuff, but just us I use all free range. The wild seafood is just my thing. I just feel like it has less "stuff" which is better. The big downside is that it's pricey. The upside (besides the possible fertility benefits) is that free range meat & organic dairy tastes 1000 times better, to us at least.

ladychicago · August 2009

we've decided that i will cut out alcohol completely, and switch to half-caf coffee. and i'll try to watch the processed foods, etc. but that's often harder said than done!

CandT · August 2009

Similar to PP. I read a few books, did the acupuncture, stopped alcohol and caffiene, decreased intensity of workouts, and tried to eat very very healthy. I basically acted like I was preg. Good luck to you!!

mamabear7 · August 2009

Thanks everyone!

prazenjc · August 2009

i didn't really change anything until i was at the ER/ET stage. i was already in the midst of a healthy lifestyle change (recently lost 38 lbs, was maintaining my eating habits and activity level from then). i didn't cut caffeine until ER/ET time.

even now my RE allows 1 caffinated drink/day if i want it. sometimes i have one, more often than not, i don't. similarly, i am allowed 1 diet soda/day. general risks are for people that can't process the phenylkneutronics in aspartame. i don't have that problem, process it fine, so it is processed properly before it would ever get to the growing fetus.

msinformation · August 2009

My DH has been taking vitamins on a regular basis. We figure it can't hurt anything! I don't drink that much caffeine as it is but I did cut way back on the pop. Even though the majority was caffeine free and diet, the aspartame isn't that great for you and not recommended for pregnant women. I've been very diligent on taking my multivitamins and extra folic acid. My RE has recommended that I also take DHEA supplements to help my body produce quality eggs and a DHA supplement.

MAK06 · August 2009

DH and I officially decided yesterday that we are doing IVF. I am taking 2 months off first to try and lose some weight (for myself) and I may consider some of the things other posters mentioned like accupuncture.

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