Have any advice on preparing for DE ET?

[TreeHugger]

Hi! Although it'll be a few months before my DE IVF cycle, I'm wondering if anyone here has advice on preparing for the ET. What meds did your RE put you on, and more importantly, what did you do in the areas of nutrition and exercise to be as healthy as possible? I know the IVF basics, as I've done it twice with my own eggs, but are there any guidelines for helping to prevent embryo rejection in a DE cycle? Did you do bedrest afterward? I'm too early in the process to ask my RE about this yet, but I want to start preparing myself as soon as possible.

Thanks for reading my post!

Best wishes,
Jennifer

[flicka7]

Not a thing, Jennifer. The egg and eventual embryo makes all the difference between the two kinds of cycles. Nothing you do can change that. I learned it first hand. I tried everything with my 6 IVF's with my own eggs. My eggs just were not going to cut it.

I didn't do anything special for my DE IVF, walked 2 dogs, lifted my 10 month old son, didn't do ANY bedrest and got pg with twins.

It's all in the EGGS! Good Luck!

Kim
6 IVF's, 2 m/c
DE FET's - 26 mo old son, 9 mo old b/g twins

[TreeHugger]

Thanks, Kim! It obviously worked for you!

I have to agree with what you said about nothing making a difference when it comes to trying to improve egg quality. I didn't do acupuncture or take herbs, but I ate organic, did the "right" kinds of workouts ... it didn't matter. I'm happy to hear better quality DEs will help.

Congrats on your success!
Jennifer

[san12]

Treehugger,

Sorry for responding so late. I just did a transfer on Sunday actually. I didn't to anything special like diets or anything. However because I had lining issues in the past, my RE had me on Estrace very early. I started in mid September. I was also given two shots of Lupron Depot, instead of a daily does. I started PIO last Wednesday and transferred on Sunday. My RE didn't say bed rest, but I relaxed and stayed in bed the rest of Sunday and Monday. I took Tuesday off as well, and took it easy. No heavy lifting, no fast movements.

Hope I helped,
San

[Loie]

We actually did quite a bit to prepare for our DE cycle.

First thing we did was go see an acupuncturist two months prior to our ET. I went once a week and applied dietary changes he suggested. If you decide to use an acupuncturist, be sure to find one with experience in IVF because they're more keen to know about what the meds can do to you while you're prepping your lining.

The RE's office gave us strict instructions on meds to use and when. We used Lupron injections, Vivelle dots, 81mg aspirin, Medrol, hCG injections, PEO (Progesterone in Ethyl Oleate-thinner than PIO & easier to inject). The RE also gave strict instructions on exercise, intimate relations, and 5 days of bedrest after ET. We also did acupuncture immediately prior to and immediately after ET.

We had not done IVF prior to our DE cycle and at the end of it all wanted to be able to say that we tried EVERYTHING we could to give this the best odds chance of working. I even went so far as to buy a pre-IVF meditation CD that helped me with mentally preparing for the intense schedule, testing, and procedure.

Good luck with your upcoming cycle! It can seem daunting, but any good RE's office will be holding your hand the entire way through.

[LottieDah]

In preparation for my most recent DE FET cycle, I lost 40 lbs (I developed diabetes while cycling - my weight gain & excuse to eat while cycling wreaked havoc on my body). That was probably the most significant thing I did that I KNOW helped me get pg this time. My bp dropped drastically and overall, I was just so much healthier. I was eating better and exercising, too.

Meds as compared to a fresh cycle were much easier on me. Lupron for almost a month then PIO, E2V and vivelle dot patches. That was it.

This was the first cycle ever that I did not do acupuncture. I did a 3-day bedrest but wasn't super strict this time and where I had previously NOT used my laptop & cell phone, I did this time (just used a special ilap device and bluetooth). I made sure to drink lots of water and well, that's it.

Good luck to you...I hope that your upcoming cycle is successful and easy on your heart and body.

-Lottie

[TreeHugger]

Lottie, I thought I had heard about everything to avoid, but I've never thought of not using a laptop or cell phone! Congrats on your weight loss, and, more importantly, your successful cycle!

Thanks, everyone, for your good advice!

Jennifer