IVF/ICSI Support Group

Hi all, just wanted to share how important supplements are in our IVF journey.

During my first fresh, I had 7 retrieved, 4 fertilised but 2 later arrested so nothing to freeze. I trans 2 and BFN.

Now I'm in 2ww of 2nd fresh, I had 5 retrieved, 4 fertilised (2 graded "very good", 2 graded "good"). Trans 2 and freeze 2.

Between the two cycles I started taking COQ10 (Ubiquinol version), DHEA (not suitable for PCOS ladies), and melatonin (during stim period only). On top of that I continued prenatals. Also, I stopped using perfume and nail polish as these two products are most toxic to fertility.

Don't know if will BFP this round but just wanted to share that the egg quality did seem to improve. I know my numbers are small, but I'm 38 and ovarian reserve is on borderline side, so quality is most important to me now.

Baby dust to everyone! :)
Hi sister, which doctor are you with?
 


Dear ladies, I'm scheduled for my FET sometime this week or next but I'm in a dilemma. I'm with TCM Dr Tan Kian Sing from Clementi for quite sometime and I'm quite torn between whether i should continue his an tai yao for my 2ww, husband is not very supportive becoz we don't really know the ingredients well, but Dr Tan says his an tai yao is very good for implantation. I didn't go though TCM at all for my first fresh and it ended up a failed cycle, so i thought maybe i should try to go along tcm this round. Ladies, any inputs pls?
 
Dear ladies, I'm scheduled for my FET sometime this week or next but I'm in a dilemma. I'm with TCM Dr Tan Kian Sing from Clementi for quite sometime and I'm quite torn between whether i should continue his an tai yao for my 2ww, husband is not very supportive becoz we don't really know the ingredients well, but Dr Tan says his an tai yao is very good for implantation. I didn't go though TCM at all for my first fresh and it ended up a failed cycle, so i thought maybe i should try to go along tcm this round. Ladies, any inputs pls?

I'm going to try his an tai medicine during my next 2ww, anyway will stick a not is depend on ur embryo quality , environment of ur uterus
 
Is the tcm good?
I think it's an individual choice. If u read through articles online, they say that acupuncture helps with the blood circulation to promote implanation. Chinese med also says to build up body to prepare for pregnancy. I opted for tcm becoz i felt i had a weak body and menses was short and very thick, no harm trying to make my body stronger though. I failed my first fresh therefore i decided i should just give tcm a try this round. Btw during my second fresh, i went almost daily for acupuncture for my stims and with the chinese med given, my follicles grew fast as well as my lining grew thicker compared to my first round. Husband commented that it's due to gonal f (my first round was puregon) that i was reacting well too, however i beg to differ.
 
I think it's an individual choice. If u read through articles online, they say that acupuncture helps with the blood circulation to promote implanation. Chinese med also says to build up body to prepare for pregnancy. I opted for tcm becoz i felt i had a weak body and menses was short and very thick, no harm trying to make my body stronger though. I failed my first fresh therefore i decided i should just give tcm a try this round. Btw during my second fresh, i went almost daily for acupuncture for my stims and with the chinese med given, my follicles grew fast as well as my lining grew thicker compared to my first round. Husband commented that it's due to gonal f (my first round was puregon) that i was reacting well too, however i beg to differ.

I'm also contemplating if I should take tcm. My tcm doc says I shouldn't take anything now until after ET due to high progesterone.

May I ask how many embryos are you thawing and transferring, will you be doing natural FET? It's my first FET so not too sure what to expect
 
I think it's an individual choice. If u read through articles online, they say that acupuncture helps with the blood circulation to promote implanation. Chinese med also says to build up body to prepare for pregnancy. I opted for tcm becoz i felt i had a weak body and menses was short and very thick, no harm trying to make my body stronger though. I failed my first fresh therefore i decided i should just give tcm a try this round. Btw during my second fresh, i went almost daily for acupuncture for my stims and with the chinese med given, my follicles grew fast as well as my lining grew thicker compared to my first round. Husband commented that it's due to gonal f (my first round was puregon) that i was reacting well too, however i beg to differ.

I'm also contemplating if I should take tcm. My tcm doc says I shouldn't take anything now until after ET due to high progesterone.

May I ask how many embryos are you thawing and transferring, will you be doing natural FET? It's my first FET so not too sure what to expect
 
I'm also contemplating if I should take tcm. My tcm doc says I shouldn't take anything now until after ET due to high progesterone.

May I ask how many embryos are you thawing and transferring, will you be doing natural FET? It's my first FET so not too sure what to expect
I think tcm did make my progesterone level higher compared to my first fresh, that was why i couldn't have a fresh transfer. 1st fresh without tcm my progesterone level was 1.5 during first fresh et day but 4.5 during 2nd fresh et day. Thats why im totally confuse whether to continue my tcm during 2ww and hope to hear views from the ladies here. Total i have 5 2-day embryos froze but dr yet update me how many will be thawed, my guess is 2. Mine is medicated fet, don't have to worry abt ovulation.
 
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I'm also contemplating if I should take tcm. My tcm doc says I shouldn't take anything now until after ET due to high progesterone.

May I ask how many embryos are you thawing and transferring, will you be doing natural FET? It's my first FET so not too sure what to expect
Cheazoo, just nice i needed to visit my tcm this evening so i took the chance to clarify with him whether chinese med will cause high progesterone level. According to him, he claimed he had never heard of chinese med resulting in high progesterone, even if it will cause higher, usually will not be more than 0.1 or 0.2. He also added that actually injections cause more of the high progesterone level.
 
Cheazoo, just nice i needed to visit my tcm this evening so i took the chance to clarify with him whether chinese med will cause high progesterone level. According to him, he claimed he had never heard of chinese med resulting in high progesterone, even if it will cause higher, usually will not be more than 0.1 or 0.2. He also added that actually injections cause more of the high progesterone level.

Thanks Twinkleshinemeow, my tcm also said high progesterone is mainly due to the Ivf drugs. But he also said taking tcm when progesterone is high is not advisable cos it may not come down. He said after ET then can take tcm, that's when u want progesterone to be high. Like how we insert crinone after ET.

Good luck with ur FET! :)
 
Thanks Twinkleshinemeow, my tcm also said high progesterone is mainly due to the Ivf drugs. But he also said taking tcm when progesterone is high is not advisable cos it may not come down. He said after ET then can take tcm, that's when u want progesterone to be high. Like how we insert crinone after ET.

Good luck with ur FET! :)
Thank u! All the best for ur cycle too!
 
I think it's an individual choice. If u read through articles online, they say that acupuncture helps with the blood circulation to promote implanation. Chinese med also says to build up body to prepare for pregnancy. I opted for tcm becoz i felt i had a weak body and menses was short and very thick, no harm trying to make my body stronger though. I failed my first fresh therefore i decided i should just give tcm a try this round. Btw during my second fresh, i went almost daily for acupuncture for my stims and with the chinese med given, my follicles grew fast as well as my lining grew thicker compared to my first round. Husband commented that it's due to gonal f (my first round was puregon) that i was reacting well too, however i beg to differ.

Wow accunpuncture can do daily? Very disciplined of you. Twice a week is enough to make me tired of traveling to and fro
 
Wow accunpuncture can do daily? Very disciplined of you. Twice a week is enough to make me tired of traveling to and fro
Haha.. I'm lucky that I'm staying near my tcm therefore it's easier for me, i wonder would i be so hardworking if it wasn't for that reason haha.. I was tired but i told myself just bite through that 1 week plus hopefully would get good results.
 
Haha.. I'm lucky that I'm staying near my tcm therefore it's easier for me, i wonder would i be so hardworking if it wasn't for that reason haha.. I was tired but i told myself just bite through that 1 week plus hopefully would get good results.
Haha.. I'm lucky that I'm staying near my tcm therefore it's easier for me, i wonder would i be so hardworking if it wasn't for that reason haha.. I was tired but i told myself just bite through that 1 week plus hopefully would get good results.
Everyday going must have cost you a bomb!
 
Everyday going must have cost you a bomb!
Yes! So heart pain. Averagely per visit ranges between $60 to $80 depending on the medicine given. After ovulation/ET more expensive, abt $200 per visit becoz of the medicine. No choice, if this is the way it's going to work, i guess I'll just have to do it. Hubby's not very supportive on my tcm journey, i really hope can show him all my effort will not be futile.
 
Yup i heard that accupunture before ET is good.


Yup i heard that accupunture before ET is good. Thanks for the info. Why is not good for progesterone to be too high before ET? All the best and baby dust to you!.
Thank u! According to KKH Doctors, if progesterone level is too high above a certain level, ur lining is not receptive to the embryos transferred. My TCM refers if progesterone level too high the lining is too old.. haha! Then when our next menses starts, progesterone drops back to normal level where we are able to start FET. All the best for u too!
 
Thank u! According to KKH Doctors, if progesterone level is too high above a certain level, ur lining is not receptive to the embryos transferred. My TCM refers if progesterone level too high the lining is too old.. haha! Then when our next menses starts, progesterone drops back to normal level where we are able to start FET. All the best for u too!
I see. Strange my doctor at nuh didnt measure my progesterone level before ET.
 
Hi cheazoo, mine are actually day 4 embryos. Not yet reach the blastocyst stage. The embryologist advise that they need to observe my remaining 3 embryos for another 2 days before they can freeze but they didnt survive so no freezing done at all.
If i were u, i will choose to do a fresh cycle since u only have 1 frozen embryo left. If it didn't survive after thaw or after blast, u will have to skip this cycle. I understand that its not easy to go through all the injections and medications all over again but it gives us another chance to get better quality eggs.


Hi,

I was with dr tan Kian seng as well. I went to him for acupuncture and med for ER... but I didn't take his antai med after ET which is my successful cycle. I personally feel that his acupuncture is helpful to stim the eggs.. took his antai Yao for my first 3 transfers and didn't stick. The 4th and final round I got lazy and didn't take his antai med but happened to be a successful cycle.
 
Hi,

I was with dr tan Kian seng as well. I went to him for acupuncture and med for ER... but I didn't take his antai med after ET which is my successful cycle. I personally feel that his acupuncture is helpful to stim the eggs.. took his antai Yao for my first 3 transfers and didn't stick. The 4th and final round I got lazy and didn't take his antai med but happened to be a successful cycle.

Hi you continued the accunpuncture after ET? How frequent?
 
Dear ladies, I'm scheduled for my FET sometime this week or next but I'm in a dilemma. I'm with TCM Dr Tan Kian Sing from Clementi for quite sometime and I'm quite torn between whether i should continue his an tai yao for my 2ww, husband is not very supportive becoz we don't really know the ingredients well, but Dr Tan says his an tai yao is very good for implantation. I didn't go though TCM at all for my first fresh and it ended up a failed cycle, so i thought maybe i should try to go along tcm this round. Ladies, any inputs pls?

Hi, I did my first fresh cycle in 2014, I also didn't want to clash tcm med with ivf so I stopped and ended with bfn. I went back to Dr Tan Kian Sing after the failed cycle to tiao my body and continue till my second fresh in 2015. When I bfp I continued to take an tai Yao thru the first trimester. My boy is 18 months now. All the best to you!
 
Hi, I did my first fresh cycle in 2014, I also didn't want to clash tcm med with ivf so I stopped and ended with bfn. I went back to Dr Tan Kian Sing after the failed cycle to tiao my body and continue till my second fresh in 2015. When I bfp I continued to take an tai Yao thru the first trimester. My boy is 18 months now. All the best to you!
I also ended up with bfn during my first fresh when i wasn't with him. Really hopefully i can get as lucky as u this time round, thank u!
 
Hi i was told i must die die do on feb menses then else need re Q if my menses start mar. Menses came late feb. Stimuation & er in mar thou.
Hi Daledale, my case will be like yours, menses will come late jul and er, et in aug. I guess i dun have to re-queue again
 
So there's actually two practices- take medicine and avoid accunpuncture post ET or the opposite. Hmm. Also, .can we take tcm med during stimulation?

You can take tcm during stimulation just 2hr apart from jab / western medication. I only went accupunture post ET with dr zou. Bfp on my first cycle.
 
Saw a lot of ladies have adeyomosis and endometriosis. How do you all cope with the monthly pain ? I wish to get preggie asap naturally to resolve this
 
Going for my 3rd fresh in June, and cannot decide whether to continue TCM medication during stimulation or not.
Did any of you continue with the TCM medication during stimulation?
 
Going for my 3rd fresh in June, and cannot decide whether to continue TCM medication during stimulation or not.
Did any of you continue with the TCM medication during stimulation?
I continued with tcm meds and acupuncture during stims, found it quite helpful for the growth of follicles and lining. I just made sure i took the tcm med 2 to 3 hours after my jabs.
 
Your TCM is who? first two did u continue?

1st fresh took tcm. BFN.
then i stoppped tcm and went for 1st fet from this batch of embryos also bfn.
2nd fresh did not take tcm. bfn.
2nd FET started tcm with Dr Zou. had chemical pregnancy
so I believe tcm with Dr Zou helped me since there was an improvement.
But the embryos from this fet was when I did not take tcm.
So that's why I am in a dilemma as to whether to take the medication during stimulation.
Will definietely continue accupuncture during my 3rd fresh, but not sure about the medication.

Any advice from sisters who tried with and without tcm for previous cycles?
 


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