My Dr says that a little caffeine is okay. I just look at it from the point of if I am going to pay thousands of dollars for an IVF cycle, I want to do whatever possible to up my chances.
In reality, will it up my chances?, probably not, but at least I feel like I am doing something, KWIM?
I stopped Monday and I will start my FET cycle next month!
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I stopped when I started my Lupron- I would have a soda every now and again, but mostly no caffeine throughout the entire cycle.
Our Journey from two to three!
3 IUI's, 2 IVF's, decided to move to foster/adopt.
12/24/2009 Baby C born, 2/1/2010 placed with us,
5/17/2011 Adoption final- we are finally a forever family!
I know you probably meant this for the IVF ladies....but I'll respond anyway.
I cut out caffeine mainly due to the possibility of an increase in miscarriage, as I don't need anything to make it worse. But also because I figure if it can cause that to happen, it can't be good for you reproduction wise (not to mention caffeine is said to be bad for your health in general).
I try never to drink caffeine anymore. Between cycles, I slip up every now and then but I try not to get in the habit again because it is complete hell coming back off. Since going off caffeine, I feel so much better and my headaches are so much better! Before, I would get 3-4 migraines a week! Headaches all the time. Once I cut out caffeine and got over the first two weeks, I feel so much better. Since we lost the babies, I have let myself slip a few times & if I have even once glass of coke or whatever, I get a headache. Feel like crap. It's such a pain to go off and then pick it back up again only to cut it out yet again, that its easier to just cut out completely. I want it out of my body before I cycle.
Alcohol...don't drink all that much but never once I start stimming. Now that football is starting, I plan on enjoying some margaritas before we start stimming again in mid-late october.
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My RE says everything in moderation. I just take it upon myself to cut out caffeine and alcohol while stimming. I've been on decaf for 2 weeks now, but even that I'll cut out come saturday when i start stimming. I just want to know I did everything possible I could do during the cycle, and I'm paying lots of money too. Also, I've read studies that show caffeine intake could be one cause of early m/c.
My RE was fine with anything in moderation up until ET. I responded well to meds during IUI, one cycle caffeine/alcohol free the other with 8 oz coffee and 1-2 drinks. Now that I am onto IVF, I quit caffeine thinking it was going to be easy, but have had a headache the past 2 days. I'll probably still have an occasional drink. One thing my RE said at one point was that if you throw your body into this shock it might actually have a negative effect. It's funny you posted this b/c I thought about asking the same thing just yesterday, but then realized people have their own opinions and do what they are comfortable with. I honestly have never seen anything scientific that occassional light use is a no-no. GL!
I don't do coffee but I was drinking soda like it was all I had to drink. When we decided to TTC I stopped drinking any caffeine or alcohol (though I didn't drink much anyhow) and now that it's been a few months I give in every once in a while to have a glass of wine, but it's rare. I think I'm gonna have to give that up too though because I start Metformin.
I weaned off caffeine slowly, so I was caffeine-free from stims through the entire first trimester. Even now, I only have a cup of coffee or a coke every once in a while.
From what I've heard, though, this may not be necessary. You have to consume a lot of caffeine for it to impact fertility, and even then, we're not sure what the effect is. I was like the PP, though--I wanted to do everything I could. Good luck!!
This is from the March of Dimes website:
Does caffeine consumption affect fertility? Small amounts of caffeine probably don't reduce a woman's chances of becoming pregnant. Most studies have found no effect on fertility when women consume less than 300 mg of caffeine a day. A few studies have found that women who consume more than 300 mg a day may be more likely to have trouble conceiving (8). But, again, this has not been proven.
After 7 failed IUIs, IVF w/ ICSI worked!!
I am thankful every day for my miracle after infertility.
I cut out alcohol about 7 days into stims and cut out caffeine after ET. I only have about a cup of coffee/day. My RE never told me to cut out anything.
For FET, I'll cut out alcohol from the get-go, and have a cup of coffee/day. I get wicked headaches if I stop.
PCOS, lupus anticoagulant, MTHFR (A1298C, one copy)
2 IUIs & 1 IVF = BFN
FET#1 = It's a girl! Born 7.1.10
FET#2 = c/p
FET#3 = Twin girls! Born on 3.16.12 at 33w2d due to severe pre-E. After 4 weeks in the NICU they are home!
I've been caffiene free for 2 years, so that's not a big deal for me anymore.
Alcohol... i really was only having a glass of wine or two while AF was in town, but after a breast cancer scare two m onths ago, I h aven't even had that.
It's not something i miss... i might have an occasional glass in the future - but it's not important to me anymore.
Dx: MFI, DOR, 9 Fibroids and homozygous MTHFR
"Smudge's Story - How to Grow a Dandelion" will return soon! The Dandelion Archive
"If dandelions were hard to grow, they would be most welcome on any lawn."
I have fluctuated over the last 20 months. At first I went caffeine-free and rare alcohol (I was completely caffeine-free with DD and alcohol-free too). After the first m/c I had both during the cycle while waiting to start again. Then I was completely abstinent again. After the 2nd m/c I figured it wasn't working anyway so I regressed BADLY and had 3-4 sodas/day and 1-2 glasses of wine every couple of days. Then I went back to 1 caffeinated beverage after O from when I started clomid until I started IVF.
Like Smilee I figured I was spending all this money to try to get PG I should do everything I could to improve my chances. So now...no caffeine and no alcohol at all. If I have a c/p or a m/c this time I will probably binge on both!!!
I stopped caffiene a cycle or two before I got my bfp, which was in prep for IVF. My take is similar to others in that I didn't want anything to mess up our chances, BUT I also noticed that when I switched to water instead of soda it was much easier to up my water intake and get really hydrated. I bought a water bottle and keep it at my desk in lieu of a coke.
I am not saying that giving up caffiene got us PG because I threw a whole slew of "tricks" at that cycle, but it certainly didn't hurt anything that my water intake was greater and my body was well hydrated. I was also better rested because the caffiene was keeping me up until 12:30 or 1 am.
My RE told me to keep it under 100mg a day, so I've been drinking quarter-caf - I mix one part caffeinated beans to three parts decaf beans, so I can still have a couple of cups of coffee and get that little kick in the morning, without going over the limit.
Re: Those who go caffiene free- ?
My Dr says that a little caffeine is okay. I just look at it from the point of if I am going to pay thousands of dollars for an IVF cycle, I want to do whatever possible to up my chances.
In reality, will it up my chances?, probably not, but at least I feel like I am doing something, KWIM?
I stopped Monday and I will start my FET cycle next month!
I stopped when I started my Lupron- I would have a soda every now and again, but mostly no caffeine throughout the entire cycle.
I know you probably meant this for the IVF ladies....but I'll respond anyway.
I cut out caffeine mainly due to the possibility of an increase in miscarriage, as I don't need anything to make it worse. But also because I figure if it can cause that to happen, it can't be good for you reproduction wise (not to mention caffeine is said to be bad for your health in general).
I try never to drink caffeine anymore. Between cycles, I slip up every now and then but I try not to get in the habit again because it is complete hell coming back off. Since going off caffeine, I feel so much better and my headaches are so much better! Before, I would get 3-4 migraines a week! Headaches all the time. Once I cut out caffeine and got over the first two weeks, I feel so much better. Since we lost the babies, I have let myself slip a few times & if I have even once glass of coke or whatever, I get a headache. Feel like crap. It's such a pain to go off and then pick it back up again only to cut it out yet again, that its easier to just cut out completely. I want it out of my body before I cycle.
Alcohol...don't drink all that much but never once I start stimming. Now that football is starting, I plan on enjoying some margaritas before we start stimming again in mid-late october.
My RE was fine with anything in moderation up until ET. I responded well to meds during IUI, one cycle caffeine/alcohol free the other with 8 oz coffee and 1-2 drinks. Now that I am onto IVF, I quit caffeine thinking it was going to be easy, but have had a headache the past 2 days. I'll probably still have an occasional drink. One thing my RE said at one point was that if you throw your body into this shock it might actually have a negative effect. It's funny you posted this b/c I thought about asking the same thing just yesterday, but then realized people have their own opinions and do what they are comfortable with. I honestly have never seen anything scientific that occassional light use is a no-no. GL!
I weaned off caffeine slowly, so I was caffeine-free from stims through the entire first trimester. Even now, I only have a cup of coffee or a coke every once in a while.
From what I've heard, though, this may not be necessary. You have to consume a lot of caffeine for it to impact fertility, and even then, we're not sure what the effect is. I was like the PP, though--I wanted to do everything I could. Good luck!!
This is from the March of Dimes website:
Does caffeine consumption affect fertility?
Small amounts of caffeine probably don't reduce a woman's chances of becoming pregnant. Most studies have found no effect on fertility when women consume less than 300 mg of caffeine a day. A few studies have found that women who consume more than 300 mg a day may be more likely to have trouble conceiving (8). But, again, this has not been proven.
I am thankful every day for my miracle after infertility.
And thrilled to be pregnant again after FET!
I started to cut caffeine out about a week ago - I will start my IVF cycle in about a month.
I am not a big drinker at all so giving up alcohol is not that big of a deal to me.
I cut out alcohol about 7 days into stims and cut out caffeine after ET. I only have about a cup of coffee/day. My RE never told me to cut out anything.
For FET, I'll cut out alcohol from the get-go, and have a cup of coffee/day. I get wicked headaches if I stop.
I've been caffiene free for 2 years, so that's not a big deal for me anymore.
Alcohol... i really was only having a glass of wine or two while AF was in town, but after a breast cancer scare two m onths ago, I h aven't even had that.
It's not something i miss... i might have an occasional glass in the future - but it's not important to me anymore.
"Smudge's Story - How to Grow a Dandelion" will return soon!
The Dandelion Archive
"If dandelions were hard to grow, they would be most welcome on any lawn."
I have fluctuated over the last 20 months. At first I went caffeine-free and rare alcohol (I was completely caffeine-free with DD and alcohol-free too). After the first m/c I had both during the cycle while waiting to start again. Then I was completely abstinent again. After the 2nd m/c I figured it wasn't working anyway so I regressed BADLY and had 3-4 sodas/day and 1-2 glasses of wine every couple of days. Then I went back to 1 caffeinated beverage after O from when I started clomid until I started IVF.
Like Smilee I figured I was spending all this money to try to get PG I should do everything I could to improve my chances. So now...no caffeine and no alcohol at all. If I have a c/p or a m/c this time I will probably binge on both!!!
I stopped caffiene a cycle or two before I got my bfp, which was in prep for IVF. My take is similar to others in that I didn't want anything to mess up our chances, BUT I also noticed that when I switched to water instead of soda it was much easier to up my water intake and get really hydrated. I bought a water bottle and keep it at my desk in lieu of a coke.
I am not saying that giving up caffiene got us PG because I threw a whole slew of "tricks" at that cycle, but it certainly didn't hurt anything that my water intake was greater and my body was well hydrated. I was also better rested because the caffiene was keeping me up until 12:30 or 1 am.