Conception FAQ

Smoothie Recipe!

Smoothie Recipe

By Amy (Practice Makes Perfect)

I SWEAR by my smoothie recipe.  M (husband) and I started drinking them close to daily back in August.  Since then, my cholesterol has gone down to rock star levels, and his triglycerides went from over 500 to below 200.  And I swear its because of the shakes.  I have only had 2 or 3 cycles of TTC since I started these shakes so I can’t swear there, but I am confident they will help!

 

It is a nice alternative to doing plain Whey Protien shakes, plus it counts as a serving of dairy and 2 servings of fruit.

 

This recipe is for TWO 32 oz shakes
2.5 cups of water 
1 cup of ice cubes 
2 scoops JAY ROBB Vanilla Whey Protein Powder 
2 scoops Samabazon Acai Powder
1 tablespoon Ground Flax seed
2 tablespoons organic creamy Peanut Butter
5 heaping tablespoons organic vanilla yogurt
2 large bananas
handful blueberries (fresh or frozen)
8 whole strawberries (fresh or frozen)

Put it in the blender and mix!  Everything can be purchased at Whole Foods or online.  Word of warning – It is absolutely a meal replacement shake calorie wise. 

 

Jay Robb Whey Protein Powder is awesome stuff too.  It is about $45 for 24 ounces - so NOT cheap - but it is seriously yummy and organic. 

Be sure to see the other posts about protein!

IVF/IUI Medication Costs - Comparison by Pharmacy

A very organized and helpful woman named Heather put this comparison together several months back.  I snagged it, knowing I would refer to it often. 

I have not checked to see if any of the prices need to be updated.  Even if you are using different meds and/or different dosages, seeing a price comparison is still pretty helpful!  I so appreciate that Heather put this together.

Freedom Pharmacy is not on the list.  However, they consistently have lower prices, especially on Gonal-F.  I have found some things at a lower price at other pharmacies, so it still pays to call/investigate.  Here is a link to their prices!

Click on the image to make it bigger!  I'm sorry that the links are not clickable.

Foot Baths and IUI/IVF

What are foot baths for?

Soaking your feet in a warm bath can't be bad, can it?  I don't think so.  Several women that are seeing acupuncturists or TCM practitioners have relayed the recommendation to soak the feet in warm water especially during stims.

On this holistic clinic's website, it says, "Heat is another wonderful method that can easily be applied at home if cold is an issue.  Soaking you feet in a warm foot bath is excellent for increasing circulation throughout the body, including the reproductive organs.  This method is especially useful if the person suffers from cold hands and feet."

Every time I've read about this (from other women doing IVF) the wisdom is - frequent warm foot baths helps to increase blood flow to the mid-section, especially the uterus and ovaries, and should be done during stims and up to embryo transfer.

If nothing else, it helps you slow down and relax!

Acupuncture and Infertility

Does acupuncture help infertility?  Does it help you prepare for IUI/IVF?

I have tried acupuncture.  I really enjoyed it, although I really can't be sure that my acu doctor actually specializes in fertility.  He doesn't speak English very well (which I take as a benefit, he is actually Asian!), but I know he understood what I was asking for because he asked me if I had ever been pregnant, etc. 

His treatment centered on "balancing me" and that sounds good to me.  He said, though, that I would need to buy certain herbal mixtures that would actually help me to get pregnant.  Unfortunately, the herbal mixtures were just way out of my budget.  So, I continued to go to him for awhile, just for acu - mainly because it was so relaxing. 

Ideally, I would continue to go to acupuncture if I could be sure I was seeing someone who specialized in fertility.  I don't think that it can hurt, and it is very relaxing for most people, and it might even help!

I found some interesting information about acupuncture and IVF online.  The website includes synopsis of 4 trials involving acupuncture and IVF.  What I found interesting was that in most of the studies, the IVF success rates were higher with acupuncture!  But, the studies weren't conclusive, because they didn't prove statistically positive - it could have just as likely been chance that resulted in the IVF success rates.

Here is a link to the information on IVF and Infertility. 

This website from a holistic clinic in Nova Scotia explains the acupuncture points used to treat infertility and has a lot of information on herbs as well.  There is almost too much information on this website!  It is not easy to self-treat, but you might be able to get some insight about what your practitioner is recommending for you.

CBE Digi - Buy Two, Get One Free!

Gotta love the digis!  And its always great to get one for free!!

Click here for buy two, get one free!!

First Visit with RE

When you are ready to meet with an RE, or a new RE, its hard to think of all the questions you might want to ask. 

I found this list on Fertility Friend - but I don't know who posted it originally!  Nevertheless, it is a good list, so I want to share it!  If you made this list, let me know so I can give you credit!

I just want to add, that in my experience, listening to what the doctor says BEFORE you even start asking questions is very effective as well.  Sometimes, just letting them lead at first will tell you volumes.  For example, do they ask you a million questions or immediately launch into their "plans" without knowing anything about you?

Here are the questions!

Approximately how many office visits per cycle?

Who does morning ultrasounds? What are the hours for labs/monitoring? How long should I expect to be here each morning for monitoring?

What drugs do you use and what are the side effects?

How often do you perform ICSI? Blastocyst transfers? Frozen embryo transfers?

How many embryos do you typically transfer per cycle?

Do you typically do 3 day transfers or 5 day transfers?

How do you feel about utilizing supplemental forms of treatment along with medications? (Vitamins, acupuncture, hypnosis, therapeutic massage, herbs, etc.)

What kind of protocol might you suggest to reduce the risk of OHSS? What percentage of your patients experience OHSS?

How much does it cost to store embryos and how long can we store them?

Is it possible to setup payment plans for things not covered by insurance?

What is your pregnancy ratio per embryo transfer?

What is your pregnancy rate for couples in our age group and with our fertility problem?

What is the live birth rate for all couples who undergo this procedure each year at your facility?

How will I communicate with you during this whole process?

Will I see you all the way through my treatment?

Will you give me a print out of the number of follicles I have produced each time I go for a scan?

Will you tell me precisely how many follicles were aspirated from each ovary when I have my egg collection and what happened to each one of them?

Will I be able to stay lying down for half an hour to an hour at the clinic straight after my egg transfer?

How long do blood tests and other test results take to receive? What is the procedure for getting the results? (Expect a call from nurse, call clinic after certain hour.)

How open are you to discussing information and protocols I may learn about from other sources? (The Internet, Resolve support groups, etc.)

I understand that many of my questions can be answered with a callback from a nurse, but if I need to speak with a doctor how do I make that clear?

What do I need to know about scheduling weekend procedures?

Number of patients cycling each month? How many retrievals and transfers do you do each week?

Are there any times when they don't do cycles (holidays, etc.)?

IVF Discussion on the Radio Tonight - Updated 2.26

Got this from Krystal in Austin.  I'm going to listen and hope that they don't make IVF/ART/women with infertility look horrible.  (Topic has been prompted by Octomom - bah.)

IVF Discussion

Here is a link to the podcast and information about the book written by the woman being interviewed.

Liza Mundy:  Multiple Births "Changing Our World"

Salt for OHSS?

OHSS causes mild to massive fluid "loose" in the abdomen.  Sometimes, it stays just around the ovaries, sometimes it fills the abdominal cavity.  Obviously, the pain and unpleasantness is proportional to the severity.

There is no way to prevent OHSS.  If its going to happen, its going to happen.

But, there are things you can do to help the symptoms. 

It seems counterintuitive, but salt helps.  You would think that salt RETAINS fluid and that you are trying to get RID of fluid so salt should be avoided.  In fact, because salt helps cells retain water, it helps OHSS.

With OHSS, the fluid is just "loose" in your abdomen and you need it to get out!  Salt helps your cells to absorb all that extra fluid - and then it can actually be processed and move OUT of your system.

Along with salt, you need to be well hydrated.  Again, you have to put liquid in to help the excess fluid move out.  You can actually get dehydrated with OHSS, because the fluids you are taking in are not being used by your body but instead are just dead-ending in your gut! 

Some ways to be hydrated and getting salt intake - V8 and Gatorade products are high in sodium. 

If you are under 35, you might want to start your salt increase when you start stims.  No need to start it earlier than that - since high sodium intake is generally not good for you!

OHSS usually kicks in after your hCG shot...or it may not kick in until you are actually pregnant (and producing your own hCG).  Obviously, if you get OHSS after you are pregnant, you should follow your doctor's orders to deal with it.

If you are over 35, your chances of getting OHSS are much lower!  I will probably drink Gatorade (I like the G2 - lighter flavor and less calories) after stims start only because I know I will be on a higher dose of stims to try to get my old ovaries to respond better. 

Read this post for more info on OHSS.

What is OHSS?

For a great explanation of OHSS, I found this on Dr. Gordon's website.

While OHSS seems to be unpredictable, I found some solace in the fact that wome over 35 rarely get it - mainly because we just don't stim as well and don't develop as many follicles. 

Dr. Gordon also has a book that looks really helpful!  Its has a great price, too.

Read this post for info on salt and OHSS.

Protein for Egg Quality

Preparing for IVF and IUI

Better Egg Quality - Protein

If you are like me (in the AMA category), or are worried about high FSH, you might be looking for ways to improve your egg quality. 

I have read many times, and heard from many women that adding extra protein to your diet while preparing for IVF or IUI helps improve egg quality. 

But how to easily increase protein?

You can always add meat to your diet (unless you don't eat meat).  But I wonder how much protein I'm getting with meat, or peanut butter, etc. 

Protein Powders

Protein shakes made from whey (a milk product) was suggested and I was quick to jump on that bandwagon.  It is easy to control and I like the taste!   Also, if you are a lacto-vegetarian, this will fit your diet.

I wish my brand was available for me to sell - it is so good - I'm working on that!  The brand I use is "Natural Factors" and strawberry is my favorite flavor.  I like the chocolate, too, but the strawberry tastes just like strawberry Quik!

A friend of mine (thanks N) lists her favorites as Unjury for thick, traditional shakes (it comes in chocolate, strawberry, vanilla, and unflavored), and Syntrax Nectar for thinner, more juice-like fruit flavors. Check out all the flavors!

I went to my local crunchy organic health food and supplement store and the Natural Factors brand was recommended by an employee.

And I have to tell you - I love my Blender Bottle!  I bought mine at the health food store, but should've bought mine here as it is less expensive!  (I'll be getting a second one and I've learned my lesson!)  It mixes up my powder really well.  I think it will be great for scrambling eggs, too!

What Not to Get

Make sure your protein powder doesn't contain soy as a main ingredient (or not at all) because soy acts like estrogen in your body - and you don't want anything "messing" with your estrogen when you are working so hard to control all your hormones through medication.

Also, I did not like many of the powders I saw at GNC or Walmart because they generally contained "extra stuff" as they were aimed at body builders and people trying to lose weight.  I wanted "pure" whey protein.  Just read labes - you may find something you like!

Cost

The cost - well, in the scheme of things - its cheaper than Gonal-F!  But what isn't?  Mine costs around $45 for the 2 pound jar.  The Syntrax Nectar is much less!  I will be trying that next!

When to Start

When to drink these shakes is a common question. The general wisdom is to start a month or two before your IVF or IUI cycle. 

And how much to use - I just follow the recommendations on my canister!  (Two yummy scoops of powder in 12 ounces of milk or water.)

You can also add the powder to your own smoothies - just throw ice, milk or yogurt, fruit (bananas are yummy), and your powder into a blender for a great breakfast shake!  Many brands make "unflavored" powders that would be perfect in a smoothie.

If you have a favorite brand, please write a review and send it to me!  I'll post it!

Be sure to see the other posts about protein!