What did it for you?

[Marley&Me]

Yeah I thought it would be a good idea
I'm torn between the 'natural' way or 'scientific' way. I've been thinking about it for days, endless hours on the net researching, it's doing my head in!! Hopefully this thread will give us some direction.......

keep 'em coming ladies!

[nothing2lose]

Tasha,

Personally, I like to try to have all bases covered IYKWIM.

I take supplements coming out the wazoo, have started acupuncture, try to look at diet boosters, seeing a naturopath specialising in fertility and, just as a backup, inject high doses of hormones into my body under the guidance of a skilled FS (just for kicks)

Honestly, I think it's better to take a little from column A and a little from column B and do what's right for you.

ETA - Interestingly, the one theme that keeps coming up for me again and again from both "sides" is eat more protein - eggs, milk (wholefat), chicken, meat, nuts, etc and reduce carbs.

[~TT40~]

It seemed like this time we did things different.. even though all my drugs etc I had to take were the same (we had to have ICSI as DH had a vasectomy and the reversal didn't work, so no natural options for us). Our first 2 transfers I did everything by the book. I don't drink, (except i did on the days i got the BFN from the clinic), I went completely cold turkey on caffine and didn't touch a drop of it (I normally have easily between 500-1000mg of it a day) and our little embryos were day 5s. first tf was fresh, 2nd frozen. THEY DIDNT WORK.

This time, the one that did work were day 2. DH had started taking menivite about a month or so before pickup. I switched my multivitamin to elevit (was on swiss before that). and this time I still drank caffine. not as much, I am under 500mg a day. and trying my hardest to go lower to 300mg, but its really hard =( (my one vice) We had a different dr do the t/f too. and unfortuantly this time DH couldn't be there for the transfer. we also didn't tell anyone.

so even though things were different, i guess they might not be seen as different enough to make a difference... but obviously something did cause I have babies in my belly!!

ADDIT ~ also with this t/f they gave me a whole week off after egg pickup and the tf was during that week. so all I did was sit on the couch watching Dr. Who and crossstitiching... very relaxing!!! (my first stim i only got the day off of pickup and was back at work - a very stressful job too) and for the frozen t/f i didnt get any time off. so that would have made a difference!!

[blessedatlast]

but obviously something did cause I have babies in my belly!!

Babies??? As in, more than 1?

[~TT40~]

Babies??? As in, more than 1?

im hoping. we t/f 2 =) but dont find out for a few weeks.

[blessedatlast]

Teirae - Oh, I hope so too Hun.. Twins are so so special. I'll be stalking.

Sorry to hijack a bit Tasha..

I agree with N2L, take a little from Column A and column B.. I tried all sorts of herbs etc and nothing seemed to work for me.. DF had been on menevit, but wasn't at the time of conception I don't think.. I just read your sig and saw you have tried clomid Do you know why that didn't work for you? Do you ovulate or is it unexplained IF? Personally, if I hadn't been pregnant by 30, it was time to take it seriously and look at scientifically/medically.. IUI, IVF, whatever, because IMO at that age you just don't have time to wait another 2yrs, especially if you would like more than 1. I know how blessed I am clomid worked for me, I really hope you get your BFP soon.

[Marley&Me]

BAL, I agree with you and N2L, bit of both. And don't mind the hijacking at all!
I tried clomid for 6 months and I ovulated on all cycles, but never got a BFP. I think I may have CM issues. When we started TTC I had really long cycles so for the first year I ovulated about 5 times. That's when I was put on clomid, then after I stopped clomid I had a m/c and now I am on my first cycle since the m/c, but I am on CD23 and no sign of ovulation
I am looking into a place and maybe considering IUI. I am also taking vitamins (for ages now) EPO and cutting the caffeine (so hard!)

[kass]

yeah teirae - are you keeping secrets?

Science did it for us - but it took 9 attempts. We were both pretty healthy for all of them, but with the last DH also cut out soy and caffeine and I didn't let him drink at all for ~8 weeks leading up to collection - it was meant to be three months, but we decided to try another fresh rather than one of out frozen ones, so we didn't have a full 3 months prep.

I also took a sedative before my transfer and lay down for an hour before it happened. I did this for my last three transfers - the first of which was our first bfp (mc). This made transfer so much easier, and I think probably made a big difference to the final outcome. I've had some shocking transfers - on two or three occasions the emby went back into the lab because the fs couldn't get the catheter in place, and 4 or 5 times I ended up with injections to either dilate my cervix, or numb the pain as he forced the tube up. Hardly surprising when those transfers didn't take.

[*EJ*]

This is not my personal expereince but one of my cousins...

Her and her partner had been 'not not trying' in the early years of their relationship and then when things hadn't happened and they were really trying had 3 (i think) unsucessful attempts at IVF. Long hard road for them which i'm sure goes without saying.

They ended up having a few personal issues, the short of it being that he didn't want to get married, they almost seperated but then he had a change of heart and proposed to her. Not long after their engagement they fell pregnant naturally and have gone on to have 2 more also conceived naturally.

That is the basics of it from someone close to her looking from the outside in. She did have some issues with endometriosis but i do not know the full details.

I believe in their situtions their minds and their hearts were happy and things finally worked for them.

If only this could be said for all.

Good luck with all attempts made xo

[Lenny]

I believe in their situtions their minds and their hearts were happy and things finally worked for them.

My FS used to LOVE stories like this because they made him laugh. Especially the ones who 'got a dog' or 'went on holiday'. He said if that kind of thing worked, he'd quit and run a pet shop!

Unless you know the full details behind someone's fertility story and their road to becoming parents then it's not wise to comment. It puts unreasonable pressure on those who are trying and feel that perhaps if they were better people or had their minds in a better place it would work. It isn't the case in reality.

Mine was combination of science and acupuncture.

Science backs up acupunture. A lot of specialists recommend it for a number of positive benefits it has on fertility and IVF as well.

[*EJ*]

My FS used to LOVE stories like this because they made him laugh. Especially the ones who 'got a dog' or 'went on holiday'. He said if that kind of thing worked, he'd quit and run a pet shop!

Unless you know the full details behind someone's fertility story and their road to becoming parents then it's not wise to comment. It puts unreasonable pressure on those who are trying and feel that perhaps if they were better people or had their minds in a better place it would work. It isn't the case in reality.

I apolosgise if i offended anyone in anyway this was not my intention. However the story is very real for my cousin and at the time i did my best to support her through the process. I was trying to offere support but it obviously hasen't been taken that way.

I wish everyone the best of luck in their path to becoming parents.