TTC after 35

What "extra" stuff do you do?

Not counting the medical help most are doing (iui, ivf, etc.), what else are you trying, in hopes to get preg?

For example, Im taking wheat grass pills, finally cut out Diet Coke, cut way down on artificial sweeteners, reading "The Secret", acupuncture, drinking pom juice, wearing crystal jewelry that is supposed to enhance fertility.

Sometimes I feel like an idiot for doing all these "extras"! But Im hoping that they will help me remain positive when things are rough.

Any suggestions anyone? :)?

Re: What "extra" stuff do you do?

  • I'm not doing that much different at the moment. 

    Since TTC, I've limited my caffeine intake to one cup of regular coffee a day.Since I had the IUI, I switched to tea, which has less caffeine than coffee made in a percolator (our method).

    I eliminated Advil.

    I never was a big user of artificial sweetners, but I am avoiding them now.

    I am definitely praying more.

    A Catholic friend gave me a notecard with St. Gerard, patron saint of mothers. I don't pray to him, but I have him posted by my computer. :)

    I think you hit the nail on the head: The value of some of these things is that they help with positive thinking. And also, it helps to have something to "do" in a situation that is largely beyond our control.

     I hope you get your BFP soon.

     

     

     

     

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  • I am taking my pvs, limiting my self to one cuppa a day and last month we used preseed, 1st time and i had 2 reflexology sessions....and nada!! Oh we didnt bd much in the 2ww either...........not doing that again (poor dh has the patience of a saint) !!!!!!!!!! Month before i drank green tea and pom juice and tried the pineapple core......NADA, i have no suggestions really, the things we do Tongue Tied GL to you x
  • jcathjcath member
    I'm all about doing the extra stuff - as long as there's no evidence its harmful I feel like it keeps me busy trying things.  This month I'm using the CBEFM, taking chasteberry in the morning, drinking red raspberry tea and limiting caffeine.  After two months of body weirdness after my m/c this cycle has been surprisingly perfect - I O'd on day 14, had textbook CM and have had no spotting - so hoping something's working.
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  • I am not doing too much extra right now.  I have started taking PNV and am drinking more green tea this cycle (cycle 3).  I have also cut down my AM cup of coffee to 3/4 cup.  I am going to count charting on FF and daily BBT since this is my 2nd cycle doing that.

    Joyfulnature: I am Catholic too and may have to try praying to St. Gerard!   

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  • so far just OPK, PNV with DHA, and preseed.  But I think it's time to cut caffeine altogether, which in turn would cut artificial sweeteners.  I am also going to start BBT.
  • Mostly just lots of extra sex Wink  I started the green tea this month.  When I got pregnant the first time (ended in M/C), I had just started seeing someone the month before for my anxiety.  I am not going to say that stress causes infertility, but the kind of stress that an anxiety disorder such as mine puts your body through, I believe can have an effect.  Think of being on an adrenaline shot constantly through out the day.  So I think that was the key for me.  Its a constant struggle for me to control it though.  I say whatever you have to do to give you some sense of peace and control over the process is valuable for you.  Good luck!
    I give up trying to get a ticker.  I have a DD that is 2.5 years old and is awesome.  Maybe I'll add a quote to distinguish myself.  Hmmm.  How about...

    "It is more fun to talk with someone who doesn't use long, difficult words but rather short, easy words like "What about lunch?" - A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh
  • I take pnv, weekly acupuncture sessions and herbal supplements, charting, pom juice, baby aspirin (do not take unless prescribed by your OB), raspberry leaf tea until O, green tea (do not take within 4 hours of pnv), no sodas or sugary drinks, eliminated coffee, eat pineapple core after O, opks, BD EOD.  I also use a fertility yoga cd, does it help?  I couldn't say it does, but it does help my ttc stress.  I also was taking raw form of Royal Jelly, however it was the most disgusting thing I have ever tasted and can't get it down.

    At this point I am willing to try anything! 

  • thanks for the replies everyone! I think its interesting to see what everyone's doing!

    surfergirlkona...can I ask which yoga cd you are doing?  :)

  • Before I conceived DS, I temped, used OP, ate full fat ice cream, drank green tea and took Robitussin.

    eta: and will probably do all of the above when we TTC again.

  • imagestever:

    Before I conceived DS, I temped, used OP, ate full fat ice cream, drank green tea and took Robitussin.

    eta: and will probably do all of the above when we TTC again.

    Sorry for butting in.... Robitussin?  I am new to this TTC and looking for any easy suggestions.

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  • I cut out coffee entirely (i used to drink ~ 2 cups a day) and now only drink water, juice, and green and white tea.  I've been doing that for about 1 year.

    For the two cycles that resulted in a BFP, I did frozen wheatgrass shots once AF showed thru my retrieval (I did IVF for both cycles).

    For my first BFP (that resulted in a m/c) I did accupuncture once a week for ~1 month before my retrieval; a session the day before my retrieval and a session immediately after (like 2 hours) after my transfer.  For my 2nd BFP, I didn't start accupuncture until the session right before the retrieval, so did that and then the session right after the transfer, then started going weekly. 

    For the first BFP, I ate pineapple core.  I didn't do that for the second. 

    I ate 2 eggs every morning from the time I got AF thru the retrieval for both cycles.  I don't know if that helped with anything, but I've never had lining problems. 

    I strongly believe in a positive attitude, but at the same time, I will share that I was VERY positive for my first BFP cycle (and the IUI and IVF cycles before that) and didn't end up with the result I wanted.  I started this (so far successful cycle) with a very negative attitude.  I was sure that it wasn't going to work.  The best advice I can give is do what you feel comfortable doing and what will make you feel like you gave it your best shot.  The rest is out of your hands. 

     

    TTC #1,
    IUI #1: December 2008 - BFN
    IVF #1: Microdose Lupron - July 2009; only got 1 egg; BFN
    IVF #2: Natural IVF - Sept 2009; BFP!; D&C Nov. 2009
    IVF #3: Natural IVF - ER: Feb 4, 2010 - 1 "M2" egg retrieved; ET: Feb 9; Beta#1 (19dpo): 2567; Beta #2: 6933; BFP w/ singleton w/strong hrtbt! DS born October 2010
    TTC#2
    IVF #4: Natural IVF - ER: Nov. 20, 2011; ET: Nov. 25, 2011; BFP! Beta#1 (19dpo): 1918; Saw hrtbt on 12/28/11!
    BabyFruit Ticker
  • I read the other posts and the only thing i can add is taking a baby aspirin once a day. I have a friends that swore by it. When I started IVF, my doctor put me on it. I had a chemical pregnancy on the first IVF cycle but will be doing IVF # 2 at the beginning of May. Good luck to you! Stay positive and do what feels good to you.
    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
  • I too went out and got a St. Gerard charm for my necklace and we have one hanging on our headboard (I'm not Catholic but I will pray to anyone that can help). Prenatal vit's, and extra folic acid, trying to lower my weight.....I guess the list is long and sometimes seems like it is NOT working, but I feel like at least I'm doing something not just leaving up to fate....cause that's not working either!

    Oh the Robitussin thing.....it has guaifenesin in it, which thins the body's mucus....hence the swimmers don't have to work as hard esp if you are using Clomid or other drugs which tend to dry things out! That's what some literature has suggested anyways!

     

    TTC since 2009 very frustrated 42yr and DH 40

    5 cycles of Clomid with satisfactory response=BFN's
    Fibroid removal Nov2010
    IUI Clomid #1 Feb 2011...BFN..damn it!
    IUI Inject's #2 Apr 2011...CANCELLED...low estradiol
    IUI Inject's #3 June 2011...BFN
    IUI Inject's #4 Sept2011...BFFN
    Lap Dec 2011...severe endo..cyst removed..some remains...
    IVF#1 Apr 2012 ....cancelled due to over suppression
    IVF#2 July 2012....6 follies...only 1 retrieved....BFFN
    surgery suggested to move ovary to an better placement but....we moved two time zones away and are financially and emotionally empty

  • I've cut down on caffeine, alchohol, and I don't take ibuprofen anymore. And of course, DH "gets it" much more than he used to, lol
  • i started pnv, fish oil supplements, mucinex, cup of green tea daily, using the clearblue fertility monitor, just bought preseed...sigh.  i should be Oing this weekend so here's to hoping!
  • Good luck everyone!! :)

    Just out of curiosity...what kind of tea/green tea is everyone drinking? My acupuncturist rec'd that I start drinking it, but there are so many brands out there...

  • Extras that I do: Dr. prescribed baby aspirin, PNV,, Femtrol and Evening Primrose (before O), pregnancy tea and flax seed oil (after O).  We also drink green tea at night. 

    I started taking Femtrol 2 months ago and I had a 27 day cycle last month and had a more normal AF.  I ran out right before O and could tell when I ran out because I ended up with a flare up from auto-immune disorder.  Some of the ingredients have a natural anti-inflammatory effect. :) 

    In ignoring this cycle, I've been drinking more soda, but I know it's bad for me so I'm going to stop.  I had a rash on my leg yesterday and I think it's a reaction.  I don't do artificial sweeteners.  They scare me more than fat does.  

     *I might point out that certain brands of fish oil have been found to have PCB's.  Make sure that you are taking something that is good for pg.  I switched to a pg friendly brand and went with flax seed oil. 

     

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