IVF/PGD - Sugar / artificial sweeteners

[Jessir]

Hi All,

I am mid round and desperatly trying to stay away from sugar and artifical sweeteners because I keep being told they are poison during a round.

Any advice or opinions on this? I am seriously struggling with the emotional high and lows and sugar is my rock. Is even just a little bit okay?

I am sure we have all craved chocolate at some stage around the monthlys and wondering whether anyone else gets the same way during a cycle.

Jess

[RhiChiChi]

I haven't heard that but if that is what you have been told I'd avoid it b/c if the cycle fails, it would be awful to think it could have failed b/c you had some sugar. Can you eat more slow release / energy foods (ie: protein & low GI foods) rather than go for sugar?

[Pholi]

As far as I know there's a fair bit of evidence to support avoiding the artificial sweeteners, so if you really need something, can you go for something with natural sugars? What about a really ripe pear, or grapes, instead of chocolate? Or a cup of tea with a spoonful of honey?

[nothing2lose]

I've never heard to avoid sugar during a cycle....

Just wondering where you heard it from Jessir???

I don't really have artificial sweetener so that's not too hard to avoid for me. Thinking about giving up coffee next cycle Now THAT WILL be hard for me

[Mrs P]

I've never heard this before either. The sweetener makes sense to me but what's wrong with natural sugars? I would be stuffed, I rely on chocolate, cake and Icecream in my cycles!

N2L - I hear you honey!! Coffee is so hard to give up! Just had transfer yesterday and currently drinking a decaf latte but it's not the same!!

[Jessir]

Hi All,

Mrs P - Goodluck with your transfer. I was the same with first cycle - chocolate and sweets were my saviors.

nothing2lose - in my last break between cycles I was seeing a dietician with G and he said sugar is poison, avoid it like the plague during a cycle.

Pholi - I am eating fruit like it is going out of fashion and I am not a coffee drinker but as Mrs P says about the coffee and decaf not being the same, fruit is just not cutting it with the chocolate cravings.

So has is there anyone that has got great egg numbers or a pregnancy even though they ate sugar?

All this talk is making me want a cherry ripe

Jess

[Mrs P]

Hey Jess - yep, got my DD (who is almost two) even though I ate sugar!! Never had great numbers of eggs but first stim cycle got two embies and second stim cycle got seven embies. Currently using those embies to TTC #2.

I think a cherry ripe couldn't do too much harm, could it?

[nothing2lose]

I don't think so Mrs P. It's practically fruit after all

[Saffy]

Hi jessir-
i did many cycles while eating a 'normal' amount of sugar ie just whats added in foods, occassional choc and cakes, got varying numbers and quality of eggs/embies. Never a lasting pregnancy.

My final cycle I had been on a diet for a few months before and had lost 8 kg, not much sugar at all ( just occassionally in a homemade snack, but never white sugar, either brown or low gi sugar) mostly grains, fruit/vege, DH was on it too, and while i only got 3 eggs ( I'm old ) we had 100% fertilisation rate and I am currently almost 10 weeks pregnant, the longest I have ever gone in a pregnancy.

I really do think there is soemthing in it, maybe not just the sugar but also the healthy eating ( even for DH) and we both wish we had done it years ago, I really think it may have improved our chances.

Of course no one is a saint and the ocassional chocolate etc can't do too much harm, but I would seriously consider cutting as much sugar out of your diet as possible. As for artificial sweeteners, i wouldn't touch them with a 10 foot pole, try honey instead.

Saying all that this pregnancy I have been craving sweet food constantly and eating a lot of cake, jam and cordial so no doubt I will put all the weight I lost staright back on

Best of luck with your cycle hun xx

[Janie71]

I am a self confessed Chocoholic. I never avoided sugar in my cycles. I got 12 eggs from my stim cycle and 8 of them fertilised. Of those I got a BFN on my stim cycle and then a BFP on my first FET. We have just recently gone back to try for a sibling and I was lucky enough to get a BFP on my first FET again. I eat way more chocolate than I should.

Maybe it is one of those things that it effects different people in different ways

Janie xxx

[juniper76]

I hate to say, but I think there's something to it as well. I will say though, that some are more sensitive to it than others.

The first two times we got a BFP were when I had given up sugar (and dairy). I have endometriosis and part of the endo diet is to avoid sugar (along with dairy, gluten, red meat, soy, anything artificial, etc). I'm trying to remember, but I think it can cause inflammation in those sensitive to it. I was eating sugar when we got the 3rd BFP, but only in small quantities.

I understand your struggle. I know I need to give up the sugar, but I'm struggling with a major addiction to it at the moment for similar reasons (lots of emotional stress). For now, I'll be happy if I just cut back. I am switching to dark chocolate (in addition to it containing less sugar, I find I eat smaller serves) and cutting back on soft drink. If I can make those changes stick then I'll work to improve them further.

One thing that's really nice for dessert is some fresh fruit with a good quality greek yoghurt. The yoghurt I buy is sweetened with honey, so it does have some "sugar", but it's much less than conventional desserts. If you don't mind the tanginess, unsweeetened yoghurt is lovely with fruit too.

*edit*
DD was from IVF#5 and our second BFP (ie sugar-free).

[Jessir]

Thank you for all of your comments.

I am with your Mrs P, although I have stayed away from chocolate as much as possible I figure a little can't hurt. Especially as I am not really having any soft drink, no sugar in my tea either.

Unfortunately I can't do the whole yogurt thing, I have only ever been able to eat the really sweet ones and can't stand the tangy ones.

I am having a lot of fruit smoothies with honey to keep some of the cravings at bay and find they work but it is hard to make them at work towards the end of the day when the snack machine starts calling. I have been good for 12 days straight but I think one little chocolate might be okay. Maybe.

I kind of wish dark chocolate made me eat smaller serves but I actually prefer it and like all good things sometimes I don't know when to stop.

Glad to hear that some women are totally unaffected. Might have a chat to my FS if I get a chance.

Can't say enough how much I am loving this website.

Jess

[nothing2lose]

A nice mild creamy yogurt is the Swan brand Greek with vanilla bean. I put some cinnamon in it too.

[juniper76]

If you've only ever tried yoghurts from the supermarket, I'd encourage you to try some of the boutique brands from the markets or fruit shops. I can't stand the supermarket ones, but love the ones I get at the markets!

If you've gone 12 days being good, I'd also encourage you to try to stick it out a little longer. I was reading a similar post on a different forum this week where they were saying that the first 2 weeks were the hardest and after that it was much easier! You're so close! It'd be a shame to start over!

[~ Mylitta ~]

I had never heard about sugar being a problem. I don't remember changing my diet during my cycles. I have a sweet tooth but in general eat fairly well because I am breastfeeding and was doing so during my cycles.

My first cycle I got 10 eggs and my second cycle I got 21 eggs. We got our bfp from our second cycle from our one single chromosomally healthy emby. All others in both cycles had problems

[Jessir]

Good morning,

Mylitta - I know exactly what you mean. We only had one good egg in two cycle but it didnt take. Those are amazing numbers (sorry you didn't have more healthy ones), did you ever get over stimulated? If you don't mind me asking.

Juniper76 and nothing2lose - thanks for the advise, I will head to the fruit shop near home and check out their yogurt. To be honest I have only ever eaten supermarket ones.

Jess

[BellyBelly]

From a health perspective overall, artificial sweeteners are very bad for health - avoid them at all costs as they are damaging to your body.

This is a good summary of the dangers of artificial sweeteners, if you're trying to get pregnant I would stay well away:

Emed - The Dangers of Artificial Sweeteners

Aspartame accounts for over 75 percent of the adverse reactions to food additives reported to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Many of these reactions are very serious including seizures and death as recently disclosed in a February 1994 Department or Health and Human Services report.

There are 90 different documented symptoms listed in the report as being caused by aspartame. Not good for baby making I would easily assume

[Jessir]

Bellybelly,

Thank you for your post. I agree with artificial sweetness being bad in general, have just been struggling with out sweets.

Spoke to the FS on Friday and she said I should not stress myself by trying not to have things but remember instead to have them in moderation. That is something I am good at doing. Lost 4.2 kgs before I started this round so have kept up the healthy eating 98% oh the time and I feel great.

Thank you for creating this website, best thing ever!!!

Jess