Anyone starting IVF this year?

[Syd43]

I also improved my amh Not sure if it was the vitamin D, ubiquinol, reflexology or acupuncture...

 

[lisey]

Probably all of them Syd xx

 

[MrsS15]

Syd I actually don't know what my level was. She just said my levels are lower than that of a 40 yr old woman's and I'm 28. I was so taken aback I didn't actually ask the number! She did say it wasn't disasterous but for my age it wasn't ideal! What were yours ladies if you don't mind me asking back?

Love the sound of that Syd, I'll look into it. I started taking vitamin C this month actually but probably not a high enough dose. What would you recommend? I had a look at acupuncture but because we're paying the ivf ourselves I didn't feel I could add in another costs. Do you think it is really worthwhile? I'm trying to lose some weight too and eat cleanly, I know that probably won't make a huge difference but I feel better about myself for it!

I'm Leah btw xx

 

[Syd43]

The mounting cost of all of this stuff is an absolute nightmare. Fortunately now that I've moved abroad my health insurance covers my IVF, there's no way we could afford it otherwise. I personally do think that acupuncture is worth adding in but you need to do it weekly and start before your IVF treatment to get the most out of it. There are studies showing an increase in success rates with acupuncture (equally there are plenty of people out there that don't believe in it). I figure it's worth throwing everything at it.

I'm taking 950mg of vitamin c which is high, I would take up to 1000 as the antioxidant properties are shown to help egg quality, get a gut friendly one though as that sort of dose could upset your stomach. Ubiquinol is also an excellent supplement for egg quality but your egg cycle is 3 months so you need to be taking it for at least 3 months before your ivf cycle and I think you're looking to start as soon as possible? Ubiquinol is also expensive... Although as you're so young you could use coq10 instead as ubiquinol is the version that's for older women.

My amh was 9.9 two years ago and 11.7 two months ago which is very good for my age (44) but still low in the grand scheme of things, apparently it's equivalent to someone in mid 30s. I do think it's worth you finding out what the figure was - also check the unit of measurement as there are two.

Finally (!) I would definitely read the two books that were mentioned elsewhere in Peanut's thread - It Starts With The Egg and Trying to get Pregnant (and succeeding). The first one has lots of practical help about what you can do, although it's scary reading - by the end of chapter one you think everything surrounding you is toxic! The second one is a great help re mindset, amongst other things, I don't agree with everything in it but a lot of it is helpful.

Oh, and don't underestimate the importance of eating cleanly, that's huge! I had one friend that struggled to get pregnant but managed it after losing a bit of weight (and she was slim to start with) and someone else I know struggled for a while but then went completely clean for a period of time and got pregnant.

You probably knew a lot of that already so apologies for the long-winded post

 

[lisey]

I do believe acupuncture is worth adding in but it is expensive. They say it's best to start 3 months before IVF. Treatments on the day of egg collection and transfer are really supposed to improve success rates but there are also loads of people who don't don't and it works regardless.
We had acupuncture on both cycles and both worked. I wasn't going to on the second round because of expense but OH wanted to do everything the same as before.
During IVF keep to a high protein diet, myself and OH had Brazil nuts every day during IVF as good for both. I had lots of eggs for protein and dark red/purple fruit for anti oxidants. Chinese medicine says to avoid anything really cold during treatment, not too much milk and keep feet and womb warm xx

 

[miamia]

Ladies with low AMH, I have very low AMH, I took high dose vit D and it increased my levels, I also responded better with the IVF too. I did lots of reading and read that low vit d levels can cause AMH issues xx

From what I have read vit D deficiency may negatively affect pregnancy rates and implantation

 

[lisey]

Ladies with low AMH, I have very low AMH, I took high dose vit D and it increased my levels, I also responded better with the IVF too. I did lots of reading and read that low vit d levels can cause AMH issues xx

From what I have read vit D deficiency may negatively affect pregnancy rates and implantation

It does seem that Vit D plays a big part in fertility, which I never knew before researching. My OH was vit D deficient when his sperm results were not the best, so it could have been a factor in that too. Once he took vit D and wellman conception vits, the results were amazing xx

 

[MrsS15]

Thank you syd that's fab. I'm taking note of it all! Going to get vitamin C this weekend (the one I'm taking only has 100mg) so I'll get what you suggested. I've also been taking co enzyme q10 for a while so I'm glad you recommended that!

I've read up on a few of those books and I'm actually a bit reluctant too, I think they could convince me that breathing is making me infertile my hubby told me that wearing perfume can be bad I'm scared of going down a way too obsessive route!

Lisey if (hate saying this) the first round doesn't work then hubbys agreed I'll start accupuncture so I feel better about that. I eat quite a lot of the things you suggested so I'll continue doing that and up what I'm eating nearer the time!

This is all really helpful ladies thank you xxx

 

[lisey]

Thank you syd that's fab. I'm taking note of it all! Going to get vitamin C this weekend (the one I'm taking only has 100mg) so I'll get what you suggested. I've also been taking co enzyme q10 for a while so I'm glad you recommended that!

I've read up on a few of those books and I'm actually a bit reluctant too, I think they could convince me that breathing is making me infertile my hubby told me that wearing perfume can be bad I'm scared of going down a way too obsessive route!

Lisey if (hate saying this) the first round doesn't work then hubbys agreed I'll start accupuncture so I feel better about that. I eat quite a lot of the things you suggested so I'll continue doing that and up what I'm eating nearer the time!

This is all really helpful ladies thank you xxx

I started reading a couple of books and I found that they did make me over think and obsess. One of them was about thinking positively and how thinking negatively can cause issues, I then started to feel annoyed with myself for negative thoughts and made me feel worse.
I haven't heard that perfume is bad in natural cycles but you can't wear perfume or OH deodorant or aftershave when you go for egg collection or transfer. Can't even wash with perfumed stuff as can damage embryos xx

 

[MrsS15]

Thank you syd that's fab. I'm taking note of it all! Going to get vitamin C this weekend (the one I'm taking only has 100mg) so I'll get what you suggested. I've also been taking co enzyme q10 for a while so I'm glad you recommended that!

I've read up on a few of those books and I'm actually a bit reluctant too, I think they could convince me that breathing is making me infertile my hubby told me that wearing perfume can be bad I'm scared of going down a way too obsessive route!

Lisey if (hate saying this) the first round doesn't work then hubbys agreed I'll start accupuncture so I feel better about that. I eat quite a lot of the things you suggested so I'll continue doing that and up what I'm eating nearer the time!

This is all really helpful ladies thank you xxx

I started reading a couple of books and I found that they did make me over think and obsess. One of them was about thinking positively and how thinking negatively can cause issues, I then started to feel annoyed with myself for negative thoughts and made me feel worse.
I haven't heard that perfume is bad in natural cycles but you can't wear perfume or OH deodorant or aftershave when you go for egg collection or transfer. Can't even wash with perfumed stuff as can damage embryos xx

Oh my god really? I never knew that. God I feel so uneducated on the ins and outs of IVF xx

 

[lisey]

You don't really know until you go through it, you get lots of info as you go along, I found it all so confusing to begin with xx

 

[Syd43]

I only know that about nothing perfumed for ET because I read it in one of those books. Didn't realise that was for EC too.

Honestly Leah, I can't tell you how uneducated I feel about ivf. I feel like I've studied ttc for 18+months now and could definitely pass any exam thrown at me but still don't really have a clue about ivf.

The "It Starts With the Egg" book could definitely make you paranoid, when my reflexologist recommended it to me she told me to skip the first para completely for that reason.

Lisey, I think you might be referring to the How to get pregnant book. I liked quite a lot of it but there is a fair amount about the impact of negative thoughts etc which I thought was very ott.

 

[lisey]

I can't remember what it was called Syd, it was by a hypnotherapist. I do believe that thinking positive is good but when you're reading that negative thoughts are making you infertile its just stressful.

Yep, its no perfumed stuff for egg collection too, same for OH too as he has his sample to do. No nail polish, no perfume, no makeup etc. Any questions regarding IVF, feel free to ask away, it is all confusing to begin with xx

 

[Syd43]

Yep, Marissa Peer, I think she is a hynotherapist. I totally agree with you.

Thank you, it is so confusing. I find the fertility friends website helpful too. OH has done his bit already as he's back in Hong Kong now. Poor guy, I made him fly over and whisked him straight off to the clinic.

 

[lisey]

Don't feel too sorry for him, he had the easy part xx

 

[Syd43]

Fair point

 

[MrsS15]

Exactly syd, I think I'm a pro at the ttc bit (not so much a pro otherwise it would have worked ) but now going into the world of IVF I feel like I'm way back at the start. Lisey you may regret that offer but thank you very much!

Haha I always say to my hubby how easy he has it. I'm so bitter xx

 

[lisey]

I won't regret it, happy to help
They do have it easy, one little appointment with a hand and a cup. We get poked and prodded, have to inject daily, get sedated (although, I like that part) and have all the appointments etc. I have everything crossed for you ladies xx

 

[MrsS15]

Yeah absolutely, it's no fun for us!

Thank you everything crossed for us all!xxx

 

[BoJangles]

Just found out I will be starting soon too - I thought I was having a 12 month wait so its come as a bit of a shock!