Supplements

I started supplements this week. Below is a list of what I'm taking for any of my fellow TTCers that want to add supplements to their treatment plan. I am following the recommendations of  Rebecca Fett author of  "It Starts with the Egg", which I highly recommend if you're considering adding of the below supplements.

Ubiquinol There is an entire chapter in the book with the explanation and benefits of Ubiquinol which is the active form of COQ10. Other versions of COQ10 are not as easily absorbed as Ubiquinol. It is a natural molecule in the body, and plays an important role in energy production throughout the body. The energy that is needed during egg maturation plays a huge role in the quality of our eggs. If you're interested in the exact scientific function in has on your eggs.... get the book... read it, it explains it all in detail. Recommended dose: 600mg daily.

Vitamin E  is believed to be helpful for people dealing with unexplained infertility, which is the category that I fall into. I was initially diagonsed with PCOS by my obgyn, was told later by my RE that I probably do not have PCOS. We were then diagnosed with low sperm motility and count which was corrected with supplements. So now I fall into the unexplained infertility category. Vitamin E is believed to compensate for the antioxidant levels that decline as women age. The book recommends no more than 200IU daily.

Vitamin C  is a natural antioxidant that is found in large amounts in ovarian follicles. Studies were dones on mice that proved that Vitamin E & C were shown to prevent ovarian decline with age. Vitamin C also improved quality of pig embryos in a lab study. Recommended dose: 500mg daily.

Alpha Lipoic Acid also has antioxidant properties which can play a role in egg quality. Best forms to get are R Lipoic acid or R-alpha lipoic acid which is more easily absorbed. Studies have shown that in women with PCOS it has regulated ovulation. Recommended dose: 100mg or 600mg daily. (I'm doing 100mg)

N-acetyl Cysteine This one may be the one that impressed me the most. There have been studies that showed women undergoing fertility treatments pregnancy rated increased by 20% when taking N-acetyl Cysteine. It was also proven in studies to increase the quality and number of fertilized eggs in mice. It also acts as antioxidant. It is also recommended for women who have suffered recurrent miscarriages. Recommended dose: 600mg per day.

Prenatal Vitamin is nothing new for me, I've been on it for almost 3 years now. The folic acid contained in prenatal vitamins are play a HUGE role in preventing birth spina bifida and other neural tube defects. Most doctors recommend any woman of child bearing age to take folic acid daily.... I know this not only from the book but from working with a doctor who prescribes it regularly for women.

I will take this combination for at least 4 months before attempting another IVF cycle. We are looking towards another fresh cycle this summer or early fall. I'm also cutting out all plastic cookware due to the effects BPA has on fertility, do the research it's proven to cause infertility. I'm also trying to cut out a lot sweets and foods that contain preservatives.

Changes...

I got the book "It starts with the egg" by Rebecca Feit. I've been reading it, taking notes and doing my own research as I go along. This book is going to hopefully change my life for the better & in the process I pray we have a healthy pregnancy and baby. I've decided when we finish out this weeks groceries we will be switching over to a more organic, less preservatives, cutting out refined carbs diet. We will be getting rid of all the plastics in our home that we can. I will be changing over all of our cleaning & personal care items to phthalate free products. After reading about the effects of BPA & phthalate & other chemicals on infertility & our health in general I want them gone! I've always believed that environmental factors play a role in many diseases, but I've never done any research or looked into the studies done on this sort of thing. There are numerous scientifically proven studies that show items containing  these products cause infertility.

The opening quote in this book reads "only I can change my life, no one can do it for me" - Carol Burnett. That couldn't be more true. Whether this process helps bring a biological child to us or not we will know without a doubt wr gave it our all. It can only benefit our lives, it surely won't hurt.... Well it may hurt the pocket book a little initially until we get everything switched over & learn what to buy when grocery shopping, but we will adjust. This is going to be a learning process. I've always ate junk food, never gave a second thought to what foods I pop into my mouth, or what effects products I use could have on my health. This is going to have to be a new way of thinking.

I'm excited about things moving forward. Next month we will be attempting our last FET cycle from our initial IVF. It had to be delayed another cycle due to the lab at our clinic closing for cleaning of equipment. If this cycle fails,the plan is to attempt another fresh cycle IVF around August or September.