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Absolutely. This is my first post trying to link something click here for the amazon link. Hopefully that works.
You basically eat fruits, vegetables, and meat. You cut out bread and grains, dairy and processed sugar for 30 days. It is a tad extreme for some people but if you are not a picky eater there are amazing recipes out there. I follow an instagram account called Nomnompaleo and she is amazing, her recipes are super tasty and got me through the harder days of the whole 30. I had already cut a lot of dairy so that part was easy for me, the sugar part was hard.

Hopefully I have explained it well enough. Pinterest is full of ideas and recipes and youtube and instagram have tons of amazing people doing the Whole 30 that support people trying it. I found that it really helped and I am planning to start one in the next few days. Just getting all of the food supplies ready.

If you have any more questions let me know :)

For me personally, a lot of the reason infertility was and has been so difficult, is because of the emotional neglect I experienced as a child. While I had come a long, long way emotionally since I've been an adult, I still hadn't yet mastered how to process and deal with my emotions. In a way that sounds simple, but for me it wasn't at all obvious or easy to figure out, even though I had spent years trying to resolve various past traumas, thinking patterns, behaviors, etc.

Infertility, compounded with other issues, pushed me to the brink, and along with learning about new (to me) therapies and actually find a good therapist who I respect and trust, I was able to come to a turning point in how infertility was affecting me. For me it wasn't "just" the infertility, it was related to many areas and previous past traumas in my life. It was related to feeling completely alone and isolated as a child and teen, when I had zero emotional support or connection with my family. Deep down I feel as if I have no family. Based on my beliefs about what a parent should be, I have no parents.

It's amazing and wonderful to think that you can just create your own family, and give your children the things you were never given (emotional connection), but when that chance is taken away from you, you no longer have that opportunity to heal the past in the present, you no longer have the opportunity to have what you always wanted deep down: emotional intimacy, a (real) family, etc.

I don't know if any of that will resonate with you, but if you're interested, the way I made the most progress was by reading the books:

• Running On Empty: Overcome Your Childhood Emotional Neglect
  
  
• Running On Empty No More: Transform Your Relationships With Your Partner, Your Parents, And Your Children
  
  
• Passionate Marriage: Keeping Love And Intimacy Alive In Committed Relationships
  
  
• The Body Keeps Score: Brain, Mind, And Body In The Healing Of Trauma

Hi there!

I'm so sorry to hear about your anxiety. I can definitely relate as I also struggle with panic attacks and anxiety and the infertility treatment process has been challenging in that regard.

This reply will be long, but hopefully helpful. I'm also on mobile so bear with me re: formatting/autocorrects...

If you need to take mental health breaks I recommend doing so. I've taken a few- a month here or there over the last three years and it can help. But, if you take a break you should also be doing what you can to address the anxiety itself, otherwise a break won't help.

If you don't address the anxiety on its own terms, returning to treatment will bring the anxiety back with it.

If you haven't already, find a therapist or counsellor who deals with anxiety and (if possible) who understands and works with infertility. Most fertility clinics will have a list of therapists they recommend.

If you don't have the financial resources for a therapist there are cognitive behavioural things you can do on your own to help. I recommend doing these even if you do have a therapist as they can provide coping tools in the moment you are having anxiety.

There are a number of apps that can be helpful. Anxiety BC (a government sponsored mental health resource in Canada) had a great mobile app with a number of tools for anxiety and panic attacks. You can find it here. It is geared toward teens and young adults but is usable and applicable to people in all stages of life. You just might see examples that mention school stress etc.

Pacifica is also a good free app with anxiety tools. As is Stop, Breath, Think (which focuses on mindfulness). All of these apps are free. They have in app purchases but the free resources are more than enough.

There is a desktop and mobile compatible site I use sometimes when I know I need to work on breathing. http://xhalr.com you can use the settings to time the length of inhale, paused and exhales to your comfort level. I recommend 4-2-6 or 6-2-6 seconds. The interface is minimalistic and soothing. I use it at my desk when I feel panic coming. Many people find this kind of breathing can alleviate panic attacks like you are experiencing.

If, like me, focusing on your breath when you are already in a panic attack makes things worse not better, try a grounding exercise. I use one I call "5 things". You can say it out loud if you have privacy or you can do it in your mind while you are in public.

To do this, simply focus on 5 things for each sense. So, you say to yourself. "What are 5 things I feel?", and list them. "I feel the fabric of my pants on my thighs, I feel my feet in on the ground, wind on my skin, i feel tingles in my hands, etc" just any 5 sensations you feel in your body. Then 5 things you see, hear etc. Repeat as necessary.

There are also some workbooks you can get and work with on your own if therapy isn't an option.
My therapist recommends reading Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy to get a sense of the basics of cognitive behavioural therapy. This is an older book (1980's ish) but is a good foundation. Not everything in the book will apply to everyone, and no book should be considered a replacement for working with a qualified professional, but I find them helpful for adding to my mental toolkit.

A doctor once gave me Mind Over Mood which is a helpful workbook with concrete exercises to get you practicing CBT. This can be very helpful.

**edited from desktop to add links

Hey! Yes! Exposure therapy is a thing! As a therapist specializing in anxiety disorders, I can attest to it!! I would say though, that best practice for treating anxiety no longer supports the "downregulating" model. Sometimes that can subtly teach us that we can't handle our anxiety and need to make it go away, when actually the anxiety itself is harmless, but sometimes convinces us to do maladaptive things (like avoid needles). This article in huffpost isn't perfect (again it sort of talks about needing to 'control' anxiety, rather than accept and be willing to experience it) but it gives a decent overview of the process. They also link to a book that can be used to help yourself do exposure therapy.

/u/ttctoss I think that you are very brave to challenge yourself to do shots!! My husband has a needle phobia, and despite this being my area of expertise, we haven't tackled that (I've learned not to try and treat your family). Best of luck to you!!

If you haven't read It Starts with the Egg: How the Science of Egg Quality Can Help You Get Pregnant Naturally, Prevent Miscarriage, and Improve Your Odds in IVF https://www.amazon.com/dp/0991126904/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apap_OkuIL8ErKSxGQ

I highly recommend it. Fett has a degrees in molecular biotechnology and biochemistry and devotes an entire chapter on CoQ10. She notes it takes at least 4-5 months for any supplement to actually make a difference.

She also struggled with infertility.

I'm no expert on anything. Just sharing some knowledge that a fellow subredditer shared with me. I've been taking her recommend brand and dosage for almost four months.

Just had Endo/septum/fibroid/polip surgery so, currently my lady garden is under construction.

Regardless, I wish you well in your journey.😊

We did IVF due to MFI - all numbers for me were good. My first 2 retrievals had good numbers - I think 13 and 15. Ended up with a mc from the second. Never had anything to freeze, but a lot of that had to do with quality factors from MFI, as well as a clinic that didn't have a great lab and didn't do PGS. Stims were antagonist protocol. (gonal + luveris)

I switched REs, and he switched me to Menopur, but still antagonist protocol. My retrieval numbers went way down. We were batching for PGS, and suddenly started getting only 6 or 7 eggs at retrieval. We did FOUR batching cycles, ended up with only one PGS normal out of 8 or so blasts, and transfer failed. The RE was recommending donor eggs, and I was convinced the protocol changes with the increased LH were the issue. There were also some doubts I had about their PGS testing, because he convinced me we needed to test on Day 3, for a transfer on day 5, since we never had day 5's frozen before.

So, new RE. He put me on microdose lupron flare protocol, and retrieval numbers jumped back up. I've done two cycles with him - one with 12 retrieved and one with 18. We have 3 PGS normals from those two cycles with him, testing was done on day 5. (I think we had either 7 or 8 blasts tested). So it's a major improvement, and in 2 cycles we achieved three times what we had from the previous 4 cycles.

My current RE said ovarian response can be cyclical and it's possible that for RE #2 they were just in a down cycle. In particular, my left ovary was not responding at all and RE #2 said it was done. My last retrieval I had 10 follicles in the left, so he was totally wrong there.

Current RE also said the flare protocol can be very helpful for low response, and it was for me.

We also did HGH - though I've basically taken that from cycle 5 onwards. So it's hard to know if it helps, but it doesn't hurt.

I also took acai based on this study. I used this one from amazon. I used it a few weeks before and then during stims. Also CoQ10.

I would get a second opinion in your shoes. I really don't think IVF#2 should be your last shot with your own eggs. If I had listened to my second RE, I would probably be on donor eggs and sperm, when in reality we have 3 perfectly normal embryos frozen now. Having only 2 embryos to test is just a crapshoot - you can't say all embryos will be bad based on just 2. And the first IVF is always a guessing game in terms of protocol, etc. And I think the flare protocol is a good move, possibly with adding in HGH.

Also, get your husband on some supplements and clean up his living. Sperm quality has got to play a factor too, and it won't hurt either way. Plus, it's no fair if you have to do everything :)

my nurse was fairly adamant about Lupron in the fridge. She told me it's technically ok at room temp for 28 days, but the potency goes down so they say just stick it in the fridge. I think I shared once before, but I got this: https://www.amazon.com/Neoprene-Insulated-Insulin-Medicine-Makeup/dp/B0089SFJLU/ref=sr_1_19_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1494356149&sr=8-19&keywords=icy%2Bcools&th=1

(and it kept it cool for 8+ hrs... it was nice to me because it is something I can reuse afterwards for small snacks or whatever. I didn't really like the insulin ones because they had pockets and such and I would not use that again)


On the way to my destination, I "claimed" the items and told the security person I had sharps and an ice pack for meds. they were like "yeah ok" I kept it in the original box because it was just one vial of Lupron. For Menopur- I would ditch the extra stuff and condense. They don't know what all is supposed to be included ya know? I kept pharmacy label on my lupron box in case they questioned it. I saw them take it off the belt and look inside them put my little kit back. No questions. On the way home, I didn't even mention I had meds and I didn't notice that they checked anything.

The BPA free is an excellent idea. Ours that we've been using aren't, and now I kind of want to get new ones! I googled and found this one which would be nice because it has an AM and PM side!

ETA This one is super cool too!! And you can take off each day to throw in your purse if you need to. I think I may order one of these now haha. (another edit--nevermind, this one is quite expensive!)

I posted this in a different sub a couple days ago but didn't get much for response. Wonder if you have some suggestions, given that there are men and women here.

The gist of it being, I'm feeling very low right now about this supposed TTC thing. I know my circumstances are a bit different, and comparatively speaking we haven't tried for all that long. I find myself overwhelmed by grief and underwhelmed by the thought of ever getting another positive. I find myself wondering what my magic numbers are. How many cycles before I don't want to anymore? How many miscarriages can I ensure before I can't anymore? How do I figure out these answers?

Meanwhile it feels like my husband is at about the same place he was a year ago when we lost #2. The sort of yeah, its sad but it will be better. (Will it? Really? You think we'll get to leave planet-my-baby-died? I'm pretty sure it's lifetime membership....)

I wouldn't say I'm resentful, I'm just disappointed that he and I see this so differently and can't be better comfort to each other. I wish I could have his shoulder shrug it'll get better approach to it all. I wish he could understand just how broken and unsuccessful i feel after all this time with no result.

We talked a bit about this, last week. I told him how I wanted him to have a deeper understanding from a knowledge point of view. Mainly so that when we go to our infertility/repeat miscarriage appointment, he can understand and contribute to the discussion. Because I expect I'll be in tears within a minute, and too upset to remember anything or answer anything.


So now that we're on that page, I have to figure out what I would like him to read. Not Broken was excellent and I think gives a good overview of everything....

Does anyone else have suggestions? What was a must read for your partner, for you??



What else can I suggest that might be shorter or different that will help him understand this journey?

Looks like you've already got lots of great advice to keep it private; I'll add my vote to that.

I'll also add that a female engineer friend of mine recommended this book: http://www.amazon.com/Lean-In-Women-Work-Will/dp/0385349947

I haven't read it yet (on my long list!), but apparently a major point is that women often withdraw from leadership/jobs/etc earlier than when they have to (i.e. volunteering that they are trying for kids, etc) and hence end up unintentionally sacrificing career advancement.

Anyways, good luck tomorrow!

CCRM's study is based on 1200mg and from my conversation with Dr. Choi the preliminary results are very promising. I couldn't find a good quality Acai Berry at 1200, it was either 1000 or 1500. So I choose 1500. I take Puritans Pride. It says 3000mg, but that's for 2 capsules. I just take one.

Puritans Pride Triple Strength Acai 3000 Mg, 120 Count https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004R64LJE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_q0RBCb65KA619

Yup. This. If you've been TTC with no success for a few years there is something wrong but no one knows what. That sucks! IVF can be diagnostic and hopefully feel less like slamming your hand in a door repeatedly but do prepare that it may take a few cycles.

Here is a book on recurrent miscarriage that others here have liked: https://www.amazon.com/Not-Broken-Approachable-Miscarriage-Recurrent/dp/0998714607?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Welcome to the shitty society! You're going to get a lot of advice from all us here, and it can be very overwhelming. So. Are you trying to get pregnant? Did your GYN do testing for STDs? There's a lot of infections which can cause damage to your uterus and fallopian tubes, resulting in infertility.

Beaver gave a great explanation of your cycle in brief. However, if you have time, I would get this book out of your local library:
Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler
http://www.amazon.com/Taking-Charge-Fertility-Anniversary-Edition/dp/0060881909

TCOYF goes into detail about what happens to your body during a regular cycle when everything is working perfectly. I found it really helpful when we first started trying. It also explains what your GYN meant by temp/OPK kits.

Hi, /r/giantredwoodforest recommended I read this book about RPL: https://www.amazon.com/Not-Broken-Approachable-Miscarriage-Recurrent-ebook/dp/B06XTZW86Y
I just finished reading it and it gives you the pros and cons of using IVF as a treatment for RPL. I did skip over the eastern medicine chapters, but maybe I will read them again at another time. I will be using the book to help me decide if IVF is right for me or not. I am in a similar boat as you. I've had 3 early losses. I know this doesn't answer your question, but I thought I should mention the book. It will probably help you ask better questions during your IVF consult.

Amazon! =D I splurged on this one because I thought it was pretty.

This is a much cheaper one.

And this is another cheaper format.

It's good that you're on this subreddit before starting the process--I wish I had been much earlier. If you're just starting, I would skim through "It Starts with the Egg"...I wish I had done some of these things before my retrieval just to do everything I could. Who knows if it would have helped, but I would have felt like I did everything to get the highest number of high quality embryos.

https://www.amazon.com/Starts-Egg-Pregnant-Naturally-Miscarriage/dp/0991126904

There are tons of options: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=insulated+medication+travel+bag+tsa+approved&crid=1UGZFKEHQTPF2&sprefix=insulated+medication+%2Caps%2C1133&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_4_21

I personally used this one: https://www.amazon.com/Icy-Cools-Neoprene-Insulated-Medicine/dp/B0089SFJLU/ref=sr_1_19?crid=1UGZFKEHQTPF2&keywords=insulated+medication+travel+bag+tsa+approved&qid=1571587093&sprefix=insulated+medication+%2Caps%2C1133&sr=8-19

It worked fine. I froze the insert until we left for the airport and was visiting family so I could refreeze it for the trip home. I had zero issues with TSA despite me alarmingly and repeatedly telling them directly I had medications and syringes the first time. They just waved it off and didn't even look or ask. I was flying TSA Precheck as well so they don't require you to take any liquids out anyway. I kept the original prescription labels with my name on them just in case there was any questions.

This book, Why We Get Fat, is amazing, in my humble opinion.

Also, r/keto has been very informative and instructive. I recommend their Keto in a Nutshell and FAQ.

Your pain is valid, and I'm so sorry. No one deserves this, and to have such terrible luck with the donor is incredibly hard.

In case therapy is not an option for you, perhaps this book will help. It helped validate that what I was feeling was trauma, and helped me better understand and accept my emotions: Unsung Lullabies by Janet Jaffe

Take care.

The book "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" is good for learning more about your cycle. It'll probably be a good place for you to start. http://www.amazon.com/Taking-Charge-Your-Fertility-Anniversary/dp/0060881909/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1416878093&sr=8-1&keywords=taking+charge+of+your+fertility

Hello, sorry to hear of your disappointment regarding this. One book I read that really helped me was an amazing book called 'It starts with the egg': https://www.amazon.com/Starts-Egg-Pregnant-Naturally-Miscarriage/dp/0991126904 the author lists a lot of evidence based ways to improve egg quality and quantity - in case you are thinking of doing another cycle. One thing you might think about is DHEA supplementation, this is associated with increased egg counts... here is some information about it: https://www.centerforhumanreprod.com/video-gallery/video/overcoming-poor-response-to-ivf-stimulation/

Yes! I got this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0089SFJLU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

Maybe it depends on which meds you're taking. I have less stuff that needs to go in the fridge, so I use this shoe organizer on the back of a closet door. My house is tiny, so otherwise it would be on a table where I'd constantly have to look at it. I didn't get Pinterest-y with it though, just bought it and hung it up, lol.

I cannot agree more with this comment.

I experienced counselling for the first time after my dad died and i've used counsellors/therapists since then when I've felt the need, and they have been really therapeutic - You're the one providing the answers and solutions however the counsellor works to assist you in exploring those options and move forward.

The last thing you want to do right now is make a knee-jerk decision. If you can't find or afford appropriate counselling then there's a great book I've heard about which maybe you and your husband could work through together... http://www.amazon.com/Good-Leave-Stay-Step-Step/dp/0452275350

The Panic-Free Pregnancy doc says most of his (middle-class, well-nourished) patients don't need a multivitamin, and since they can cause nausea and constipation, he recommends taking folic acid by itself.

I actually weirdly felt the worst around day 7. Days 8-10 I was feeling a lot better.

Drink a lot of electrolytes (I bought this to avoid sugar - it tastes a bit like drinking seawater... https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EISFBYA/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 )

I've also been chugging a protein drink every day. I don't know if it's the combo of those two things, but I've actually been feeling really minimal side effects so far.

I want to say it's something like...colonist's pride? The name is horrible.
Ah, okay, it's actually Puritan's Pride, which feels just as weirdly racially fraught given that acai is not native to the Puritans, but "whatever". They're little gel capsules so they're not offensive going down.

My clinic is doing a trial that has women take 1 tablespoon day and night of Acai concentrate for egg health/quality improvement. Specifically the NOW brand: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0033T89EO/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I didn't qualify to be a part of the actual trial (you had to have already completed one IVF cycle with no live children, and I think something about age), but my RE said there was no harm in me still taking it even if my results weren't being tracked. Also it's pretty tasty.

I have nothing to compare it to because I started taking it before my first IVF, but hey, I don't think it hurt anything (I only got 5 eggs but all 5 made it to blast), so why not?

It looks like you and I have some similar history - I'm also 35, TTC for 3 years, and have had 2 MMCs and CP. We are also preparing to begin IVF this summer. My RE is very skeptical about these kinds of somewhat controversial treatments since the research does not robustly support them and anything that affects your immune system has some fairly sizeable risks associated. Rather than doing any of those treatments, we are opting for IVF with PGS.

I actually just read a new book that addressed this some also, it's called Not Broken: An Approachable Guide to Miscarriage and Recurrent Pregnancy Loss. The author is a grad of the Stanford RPL program and runs an RPL clinic in Seattle. I thought the book was pretty good - it is grounded in evidence and does a nice job incorporating stuff about treatment, psychological/emotional impact, and the risks around controversial treatments. For the intravenous intralipids (p. 55) she says: main use is for patients who cannot use their digestive tracts to gain nutrition and to clear toxic overdoses of some medications; a few small studies show that blood levels of NKC are lower after (although she is skeptical of the NKC stuff too, and blood v. uterine NKC levels vary a lot) but no large studies to support; immediate side effects can include - flushing, dizziness, muscle pain, nausea, and vomiting; long term side effects can include - liver and kidney dysfunction and increased risk of blood clots.

This all is a highly personal decision, and I know the very strong desire to do anything to prevent another miscarriage. For me, the lack of evidence and risks do not make it worth while. I've sort of come to accept that a large majority of MCs are because of genetic problems in the embryo.

Another option...
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MXDAHIB/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Got this for my wife as she hates sugary drinks.

Many of us have read It Starts with the Egg: How the Science of Egg Quality Can Help You Get Pregnant Naturally, Prevent Miscarriage, and Improve Your Odds in IVF. I enacted some changes, but my egg quality still sucked.

What did improve my embryo hunger games between 2 IVF cycles was a change in protocol from agonist long lupron to antagonist. What worked for me post explains more.

I remember /u/eyeyecaptainfly sending me this article which helped her.

Starting stims tonight. Not worried about the shots themselves, just worried I'll screw up the mixing or loading cartridges since I am totally uncoordinated... Also, been reading up on OHSS prevention and some clinics seems to give their patients a list of foods to eat, i.e. high sodium stuff. We didn't get anything like this. Should I still try to introduce more sodium into my diet? Also, I really am not a fan of gatorade... Has anyone tried HiLyte or LyteShow? These are primarily potassium, then sodium and other minerals vs gatorade is mainly sodium. Does it matter? And if so, what alternatives can you suggest to gatorade that are natural/not full of dyes or chemicals?