Conception FAQ

Medication Guide

Here is a list of commonly prescribed medications related to infertility.  It is not broken down between IUI or IVF, but you can look up medications you may be discussing with your RE.

Click here to see medication guide.

Vitamin B6 for Luteal Phase Defect

 

Vitamin B6 to Combat Luteal Phase Defect (LPD)

by Brigitte (MikeandBrigitte)
 
A "short luteal phase" or a "luteal phase defect" (LPD) is when the interval from the time you ovulate until you have your period is too short.  A fertilized egg needs a certain amount of time to implant in the uterine lining.  If you menstruate in less than 10 days after ovulation, the pregnancy will not be able to implant firmly and you will get your period even though you may in fact have conceived.  I always thought it was suspicious that we had not been using contraceptives for the almost 10 years we had been married and had never gotten pregnant.  Once we decided to start actively TTC (temping and charting), I was nervous because of our "track record".  I began to notice that while our timing was great, I was not getting the sought after BFP.  I started to analyze my chart and found that my luteal phase on average was 8 days (if the interval between the day of ovulation and the first day of your period is less than 12 days, you may have LPD).  I also had a few symptoms of PCOS (fibrocystic breasts, cystic acne, etc.) but have never been diagnosed.

Once I concluded that I had LPD, I called my gynecologist office to voice my concerns.  I was told that it generally takes about a year to conceive and that I needed to wait it out before they were willing to do anything for me (although they did offer to let me come in and get a blood test).  If I had been trying for over a year at that point (even though we were not using protection for almost ten), a reproductive endocrinologist would have supplemented my progesterone level. However, because we had actually been "aggressively" TTC for a shorter amount of time, I decided to look into alternatives to help myself.  That was when I found documentation to support the supplementation of vitamin B6 to lengthen LPD.

My prenatal vitamin had 5 measly mg of B6 (which is 250% of the daily value).  However, the dosage typically needed to correct LPD is between 50 mg and 300 mg daily.  I started out with an additional 50 for an entire cycle.  If your luteal phase does not change, or does not change enough, increase another 50 for each additional cycle until correction is seen.

The first time I took B6 I only took 50 mg daily and the cycle corrected instantly.  I ovulated on day 17 and got a positive pregnancy test on day 31.  I never did go back for the blood test, but it is still on my list of to do's.  I was also taking a prenatal, selenium and additional folic acid.  The only new things that cycle were the B6 and selenium (and I had DH taking the selenium as well).
 

Review: Preseed

Preseed

by Vanessa (Incognito Mosquito!)

After taking clomid, I noticed a decrease in my cervical fluid, and since I am skeeved by the thought of putting a raw egg in my neither regions, I decided to try Preseed. I asked my DR, and he (of course) said, he'd prefer I use nothing, but he didn't see the harm if it was absolutely necessary. Being as that I was dry enough that I was scared the friction might start a fire, I decided it was worth the cost.

Originally, the company only offered single use tubes... these should be labeled MULTI-USE. If you choose to use the entire tube, which is the suggested amount, you might want to have sex with a safety net. It will be similar to a slip-n-slide for your husband. Yes, it makes for a night of entertainment, but it's a bit of a problem, if you actually plan to get the job done. Use just enough to moisten for your comfort, otherwise you are just wasting the extra. With the single use tubes, I just kept the opened tube in a zip lock bag for cleanliness. It really does make a huge difference when you need moisture, but don't want to deal with the only other safe alternative of a real egg white.

Good news is this: They now offer a multi-use tube with a screw on cap. It is still a bit on the pricey side, but it lasts for a very long time and will make all the difference in the world when you are on day 1 million of TTC.

Boosting Your Fertility with Reflexology

DIY Reflexology

by Carole at michokobeautybio.canalblog.com

In this post you will learn how to stimulate with reflexology the zones associated with fertility.

Before we start I'd like to remind you of a few category of people who are strongly advised not to use reflexology (and a decent reflexologist should always ask you these questions):

- are you pregnant , especially in the 1st trimester or with a risk pregnancy?

- do you suffer from thrombosis or other serious venous problems?

- precautions should be used with babies, kids, older patients and people with disease like Aids or cancer or diabetes

Having said this, I don't think you should fall into any of these categories so let's start and enjoy our reflexology session!

The reflex points which I am going to show you will work on the following systems which are all relevant to fertility:

-  the hormonal system, with the reflex point of the pituitary gland and the thyroid

- the pelvis area, to help with blood circulation

- and finally the ovaries, uterus and Fallopian tube areas

Unlike other reflexology points, these points are quite easily found, you can do it yourself or have a friend or partner do it to you, which would be more relaxing. Of course, a full reflexology session would not concentrate only on these points and would enable you to relax as well (and we know we do get stressed TTCing....)

But as I cannot describe a full session online, I will only concentrate here on the areas for fertility.

To start with your feet must be clean and dry (no oil or cream), and your hands nails must be filed short unless you want it to be more a torture than a pleasurable experience!! 

Sit in a comfortable position if doing a self reflexology session, or lie down if you have it done to you.

All the reflexology moves are made with the thumb or index fingers.

We'll always start our session with the left foot and do all the points before moving on to the right foot.

I apologize as my reflexology charts are in French, but I have highlighted all the areas in red on them and also gave you the translation, so there should not be a problem for you.

1) Start with the pituitary zone (marked hypophyse on the chart): first press on the point situated in the middle of the big toe, then follow the red arrow by massaging following a clockwise motion from the center to the side,  eventually covering an 180° area. Finish by relaxing the area by massaging it with your thumbs.

2) Continue by massaging all around the big toe, which is the thyroid area (marked thyroide on the chart); to massage you must use your thumb and make what can be described as a "caterpillar move", by flexing your thumb. Then you go down along the para thyroid area, which goes from the space between the big toe and 2nd toe to the internal side of the foot. Do it several times then relax it by massaging it with your palms.

3) Then massage the pelvis area situated on the lowest part of the foot, underneath the line marked "sciatique" on the chart. It is easier here to massage it in diagonal then change the diagonal way.

4) Find the ovary area, situated on the internal side of the foot; to find it, trace an imaginary line going from the top of your ankle bone to the angle of your heel, the ovary point is right in the middle of this line. Massage by applying pressure for a few seconds then releasing, and continue like this for a few minutes. This area is generally quite tender... Then relax it by massaging it with your palm. Next massage the zone marked "sciatique" on the chart, along the Achilles tendon, going up. This area is also quite useful if you suffer from painful periods or constipation.

5) Now do the same thing on the external side of the foot, where the uterus point is located . Relax the zone like previously.

6) To finish, place one index finger on the uterus point and the other on the ovary point, then move slowly by using the caterpillar move until the meet on the top of the ankle; do it several times then relax by gently rotating your ankle.

Now, repeat the same moves on your right foot!

Voilà! so did you find this difficult?

Notes:

- the  stimulation can be tender or slightly painful, this is generally the sign there is an imbalance in the area; the painful sensation should diminish over the sessions.

- to stimulate male fertility the points are exactly the same: the uterus point becomes the prostate point , and the ovary point becomes the testicles area; the Fallopian tubes are the canals in which sperm travels. So you have all the information to treat your man too!

- beside trying to conceive, this reflexology moves are also very useful to regulate the cycles, help with painful periods etc...

If you can find a reflexologist in your area, I recommend you go as it will be much more pleasurable than doing it yourself, and he or she will have a more holistic view of your personal situation.

Smoothie Recipe!

Smoothie Recipe

By Amy (Practice Makes Perfect)

I SWEAR by my smoothie recipe.  M (husband) and I started drinking them close to daily back in August.  Since then, my cholesterol has gone down to rock star levels, and his triglycerides went from over 500 to below 200.  And I swear its because of the shakes.  I have only had 2 or 3 cycles of TTC since I started these shakes so I can’t swear there, but I am confident they will help!

 

It is a nice alternative to doing plain Whey Protien shakes, plus it counts as a serving of dairy and 2 servings of fruit.

 

This recipe is for TWO 32 oz shakes
2.5 cups of water 
1 cup of ice cubes 
2 scoops JAY ROBB Vanilla Whey Protein Powder 
2 scoops Samabazon Acai Powder
1 tablespoon Ground Flax seed
2 tablespoons organic creamy Peanut Butter
5 heaping tablespoons organic vanilla yogurt
2 large bananas
handful blueberries (fresh or frozen)
8 whole strawberries (fresh or frozen)

Put it in the blender and mix!  Everything can be purchased at Whole Foods or online.  Word of warning – It is absolutely a meal replacement shake calorie wise. 

 

Jay Robb Whey Protein Powder is awesome stuff too.  It is about $45 for 24 ounces - so NOT cheap - but it is seriously yummy and organic. 

Be sure to see the other posts about protein!

Foot Baths and IUI/IVF

What are foot baths for?

Soaking your feet in a warm bath can't be bad, can it?  I don't think so.  Several women that are seeing acupuncturists or TCM practitioners have relayed the recommendation to soak the feet in warm water especially during stims.

On this holistic clinic's website, it says, "Heat is another wonderful method that can easily be applied at home if cold is an issue.  Soaking you feet in a warm foot bath is excellent for increasing circulation throughout the body, including the reproductive organs.  This method is especially useful if the person suffers from cold hands and feet."

Every time I've read about this (from other women doing IVF) the wisdom is - frequent warm foot baths helps to increase blood flow to the mid-section, especially the uterus and ovaries, and should be done during stims and up to embryo transfer.

If nothing else, it helps you slow down and relax!

Acupuncture and Infertility

Does acupuncture help infertility?  Does it help you prepare for IUI/IVF?

I have tried acupuncture.  I really enjoyed it, although I really can't be sure that my acu doctor actually specializes in fertility.  He doesn't speak English very well (which I take as a benefit, he is actually Asian!), but I know he understood what I was asking for because he asked me if I had ever been pregnant, etc. 

His treatment centered on "balancing me" and that sounds good to me.  He said, though, that I would need to buy certain herbal mixtures that would actually help me to get pregnant.  Unfortunately, the herbal mixtures were just way out of my budget.  So, I continued to go to him for awhile, just for acu - mainly because it was so relaxing. 

Ideally, I would continue to go to acupuncture if I could be sure I was seeing someone who specialized in fertility.  I don't think that it can hurt, and it is very relaxing for most people, and it might even help!

I found some interesting information about acupuncture and IVF online.  The website includes synopsis of 4 trials involving acupuncture and IVF.  What I found interesting was that in most of the studies, the IVF success rates were higher with acupuncture!  But, the studies weren't conclusive, because they didn't prove statistically positive - it could have just as likely been chance that resulted in the IVF success rates.

Here is a link to the information on IVF and Infertility. 

This website from a holistic clinic in Nova Scotia explains the acupuncture points used to treat infertility and has a lot of information on herbs as well.  There is almost too much information on this website!  It is not easy to self-treat, but you might be able to get some insight about what your practitioner is recommending for you.

FREE SHIPPING ON IC HPTS!

Get 20 HPTs (IC) - for $10.49 and FREE SHIPPING! 

Feed the POAS need...don't you need to test your trigger?

What about Green Tea?

According to the American Journal of Public Health, women who drink one and a half cups of green tea a day approximately DOUBLE their chances of conception.

Green tea is an easy thing to add to your "get pregnant" menu.  It tastes good, it has many general health benefits, and its low in caffeine (and you can get it caffeine free)!

There are varying results in research - some research suggests that ingredients (hypoxanthine and polyphenols) in green tea may make eggs more fertile, help with maturing of eggs, and may increase the percentage of viable embryos.  It is generally accepted that polyphenols are antioxidants - good for overall health.

There are even some who advocate green tea helps male fertility - possibly helping low sperm count and motility.

Of course, too much of anything is usually not a good thing.

Recent research by the John Innes Centre in Norwich and the University of Murcia (Spain), as published in the Journal of Cancer Research, confirmed that green tea could reduce the risk of certain types of cancer. However, their study also found that drinking high levels of green tea at the time of conception and during early pregnancy could increase the risk of birth defects such as spina bifida and anencephaly (a neural tube defect).

Green tea has been found to contain an active ingredient called EGCG, a naturally occurring polyphenol. It contains up to five times as much EGCG as black tea. This ingredient acts as an anti-folate. It reduces the activity of the enzyme that uses folic acid, thereby counteracting the beneficial effects of taking folic acid supplements. Evidence of this could be seen even at relatively low levels of consumption such as two or three cups of green tea per day.

Many of us are taking folic acid as part of our prenatals and some of us are taking folic acid above and beyond the prenatals.  It seems counter-productive to drink green tea, then, if it acts as an anti-folate.

This is one of those topics that you have to do your own research, talk to your doctor, and decide for yourself which side you want to err on.  Maybe moderation is key here - like with most other things in life!

Where to Start

If you are relatively new to TTC, you may have a lot of questions.  Especially if it seems that the conventional wisdom about getting pregnant (have unprotected sex) isn't working for you yet. Or, if you are over 35 and just starting to try to get pregnant and thinking - hm, maybe I need help.  Or, maybe you are in a "non-traditional" relationship where having sex doesn't involve sperm. 

No matter who you are, there are some basics that you need to know.

One, not everyone ovulates on cycle day 14 and starts their period on cycle day 28.  Online ovulation predictors are not very accurate.  Ovulation predictor kits (OPKs) are much more helpful and relatively easy to use.

Two, charting is a great way to see what is going on with your body.  You can learn all about it in this book - Taking Charge of Your Fertility.  I can't recommend this book enough if you are starting to TTC.  Actually, I think every girl should get one when she hits "sexually active" status.

You can chart on paper or you can find an online website that offers it - one is www.fertilityfriend.com, or www.ovusoft.com, and www.myfertilitycharts.com, among others.  I have tried several of these - but you really have to try them out for yourself to see which one fits you best.  Some sites charge a fee - but they often offer a free trial period.

You will need a basal body thermometer to chart your temperature.

And last - google is your friend!  I hope to accumulate a lot of information here, but this will never match the vast ocean of information available out there.  You must educate yourself!

Using OPKs and charting are two of the best, easiest, most accurate ways to get started on your way to a baby.  Good luck!

More general info from WebMD.com