My IVF Journey so far.

So i thought i'd update a little bit on where we are up to with our IVF journey.

I had an appointment in June to check on my weight loss progress and by that point i was 2lb off getting my 1and a half stone award at Slimming world. The doctor was really happy and worked out my BMI was 31. (it has to be 30 to start) But he said he would check where we are on the waiting list and if we are near the top he will start us.
It turns out we reached our 6 month wait on the 15th June!! Woop Woop, so we can now start.

It's not quick though, our next appointment is on the 25th July (bearing in mind this is 3.5 weeks after we was told we can start) So now i'm just waiting for this appointment.....I am so impatient i hate waiting!! It's a Pre-treatment appointment. I have no idea what happens but i hope we can actually start and i get my meds/injections etc.

Our doctor in the local paper:

ICSI IVF, Slimming World,

So recently I had another appointment with the Fertility Doctor but it was only a check up so not much happened. He just wanted to check i was losing weight as I have to go from: 14st 3.5lb to 12st 12lb before i can start treatment for ICSI IVF. This will mean my BMI will be 30 which is the requirement for the IVF. At the moment I am 13st 12lb so I only have 14lb left!


Our start date should be around AUG-SEP time. I am so so excited now. It's just crazy. I really hope it works!.

To help me lose weight I asked if i could use a fat binding tablet. He said that it was fine and gave me 2 months worth for free. It's called Xenical. I really think this has helped me get motivated as i am worrying about eating anything with too much fat in because it gives you bad diahorrea if you consume too much fat. Anything over 5g of fat per 100g is not advised to be eaten.

I have been going to Slimming world which always helps. I've done slimming world on and off for quite a few years. When you stick to it it does work, so thats the plan. So far so good. I thought i would share my 'typical day' eating plan:

A Typical Day

My A choice is 250ml of Semi Skimmed Milk (but i rarely measure)

My B choice is 30g of porridge oats. 

Breakfast: 

"Overnight Oats" - This consists of 30g of porridge oats, layered with a Muller light yoghurt of your choice (my faves are Banana and Custard or Toffee)

I choose to include dried Goji Berries (superfood) - These soften overnight as they are mixed in with the yoghurt. And I almost always put strawberries on top.

Lunch:

Usually for lunch i will have last night's tea leftovers. If not, then i will usually make a salad and add a dash of Ceaser Dressing. 

Tea:

Some of my favourite meals are - (these are all done slimming world way; using fry light, making my own sauces etc)

• Spaghetti Bolognaise.
• Salmon, Sweet potato, Salad.
• Steak, potato wedges, salad or beans or peas.
• Omelette, Chilli Heinze beans.
• Chicken Tikka Masala (sw sauce)
• Slimming world frozen meals.
• Pitta Pizza (syns but better than having a normal takeaway pizza!)
• Meatballs, Pasta.
• Sausage Casserole.
• Gammon, Egg, Beans.
• Homemade Soups.
• Stir Fry without noodles.
• Salmon or Tuna Pasta bake

Theres plenty more but i just cant think!

Snacks:

I only ever drink sugar free drinks - Squash, Caffiene Free Diet Coke, Sprite Zero, Lilt Zero, Diet Pink Lemonade etc etc.

• Melon - Usually mid morning, around half 10 or 11, and this is a speed food :)
• or Fruit Mixture - Melon, Pineapple, Mango, Strawbs.

• Alpen Light Jaffa Cake - I tend to have one Alpen bar at some point in the day but i try to keep it till after lunch or mid afternoon with a brew. 

• Piece of fruit, usually an apple.

• Aero Mousse Yoghurt - 4 syns, after tea as dessert.

• Chicken / Ham - Any meat in the fridge for if i'm hungry to pick on.

This is an Extra Easy plan, I do sometimes do SP days and have my extra B choice and no yoghurts but i find those days hard so i don't do them often.

My TTC Journey

TTC = Trying to Concieve

I am aware I haven't spoken about this on here before.

The reason i haven't spoke about it out in the open is because i use real pictures of myself on here and wasn't sure i wanted everyone i know, knowing my business. Especially work. But i realised that no one reads this anyway so it's okay. :)

We have been trying for a baby since March 2014, but taking it seriously since about 2 months ago (Dec 2014)
I have been temping and using OPK since the beginning to help me recognise when I am ovulating. Most of the time i am ovulating fine. I think i have had 2 months where i haven't ovulated, which still isn't good.

I am currently trying to get my BMI down (it's 33.1), and I am on Slimming World. So far i have lost 9.5lb i think i need to lose 1st 9.5lb more to get it to where i want it for ttc.

Currently Reading - Zita West: Eat Yourself Pregnant

I really need to get my head around everything i need to eat at the right times. This book is for us both as a couple so i need to get the Mr on board which will be mega hard.
What annoys me though is that it's drilling into us at slimming world to use low fat everything, Diet coke, low fat yoghurts, semi skimmed milk etc etc. But this book doesn't like sweeteners or low fat so i'm in a dilemma. Do i use the low fat options to lose weight then swap when i get to my ideal bmi to fat stuff? Or do i just swap now but minimise my intake of trans fats etc.
Well I have already bought whole milk for my de-caff brews...and i am going to wean myself off sweeteners or sugar in my tea.

The big thing that i will struggle with is giving up my de-caff diet coke. That will be hard.
I can't survive on just water! :(

I am looking forward to trying this recipe: Courgette Chocolate Brownies

What else do I need to do?

Supplements: Vitex / Agnus Castus

I bought these tablets off Amazon last week, I have taken them for the past 4 days. It apparently helps to balance your hormones and help regulate the length of your cycle:

Irregular menstruation: Vitex has been shown to help balance both an absent menstrual cycle as well as aid a menstrual cycle that is heavy or too frequent.

Increased progesterone levels: Vitex has been shown to stimulate the formation of the corpus luteum. The corpus luteum is responsible for the secretion of progesterone. In a study of 45 women, 86% responded positively with normalized or significantly improved progesterone levels.

May help prevent miscarriage: Vitex has a beneficial impact on progesterone levels. If miscarriages are due to low progesterone, vitex may help to normalize or increase progesterone levels. Vitex may be considered safe to use during pregnancy, but make sure to consult with a healthcare practitioner when using this herb during pregnancy. Also make sure to read our ‘Use During Pregnancy’ section below.

Relieves PMS: Clinical research has shown that vitex may be very beneficial for PMS symptoms, especially depression, headaches, rashes, acne, allergies and sensitivity of the breasts. In one study improvement of PMS by the first month was experienced by 32% of the women. By the third month 84% of the women experienced improvement of their PMS.

Source

So now i am well and truly on track to support my body in getting pregnant. I've just got to work on the Mr doing the same. Wish me luck!

xx Sarah