IVF/ICSI Support Group

Hi Ching, heee...I just googled lotus root soup last week. Apparently lotus root is quite liang but after being cooked, it becomes mildly liang only. Really up to you if you are ok with it. For me, since I'm a big soup drinker, so I just avoided it. But I've been thinking if have red dates in it, maybe can neutralize the mildly liang...??

For me, I'm just sticking to soups with carrots, sweet corns, white fungus, peanuts, black beans, fish. Avoiding soups with watercress, lotus roots, seaweed, winter melon, radish, old cucumber, herbs, tanghoon, cabbage, bitter gourd (lol...looking through my tingkat menu now).

Not sure anything else to avoid...a small tiny bowl maybe doesn't harm especially if the person's body can take it...
 


Hi Tromso, thks for the adv. Just had yummy pizzas with DH. Going into 2nd week of my 2ww. I'm trying to take things easy now. Since ET I haven't been able to sleep thru the night. Always wake up around 3plus to pee. Sometimes feel body very warm when weather is actually quite cold. Last night also like that, 3plus woke up feeling warm. This morning got 'scolding' from DH cos he was disturbed by my toss and turn
sad.gif
 
Tromso,
hmmm....I love lotus root soup leh....Hv to cut down the intake liao
sad.gif
Will check with Dr.Zou if adding red dates, is it ok or not...
 
pinkdoll, raise body temperature is good
happy.gif
I almost wake up everyday in the middle of night, in a pool of sweat, so now I just cover myself a bit less. But I have kept the air con not too cold, 25 deg, so as not to catch a cold, would rather be bit sweaty...

I get up everynight abt 3-4am to pee too...then will auto semi wake up about 6am again, I find it hard to get back to sleep too, 1 thing is the full bladder feeling, another thing is the hormones I think. But I'll keep my eyes close and start counting sheeps and make sure I only fully wake up closer to 8am, cos our body does replendishing/ repairing of our system/ organs from 11pm to about 7am.

Perhaps you can try to limit your water intake after dinner. Counting sheeps kinda work for me...as long as don't get outta bed, keep brain activity low, can still steal some sleep
happy.gif


Try to take a nap daily. 1 more week to go for you...excited!!
 
Ching me too, lotus root soup is my favourite!! tabao some back from mum's place other day, now ended up in the freezer haizz... I did ask dr Zou about it, funny thing is she says for people risking m/c, must take this lotus roots something concoction cos a m/c person's health is very heaty...weird right...

What I usually do is I would google in Mandarin 孕妇可以吃 blah blah blah 吗? Will get many different advice, so I try to form an impression from it.

Good to google dr zou's answer sometimes cos diff tcm dr has diff viewpoints. Like Dr Zou says can take gingseng in 2WW and 1st trimester, but my more trustworthy other TCM dr tan sb says absolutely cannot cos it can cause bleeding, 活血. I read in my Chinese herbs book, says cannot drink soup with black beans if concurrently taking Chinese herbs but when I ask Dr Zou, she says can...hmm... So I normally just google to double triple confirm
happy.gif
 
Tromso,
Haha...Ya ya, diff TCM said diff things.... Last time when I saw one TCM, he said my body is liang, must take more heaty food like "dang gui". But another one said my body is heaty, hv to take slight cooling food. My HB then said if like that hor...everything also cannot take liao... hehe

So, I think sometimes we are the one who knows our body best.
 
Hi Tromso
Just to explain wht doc Zou mean on lotus roots.. She agreed that Lotus roots is abit cooling. But is ok to take if hv spotting or bleeding as she will encourage pp to make glutinous rice with Lotus roots. Why we still use lotus since knowing it is cooling? As she say with spotting, we cant sleep well at night with all the stress so endup, we will feel heaty.. Thats why lotus can help to remove some of our heatiness to prevent fall sick..;)
 
oic...thanks so much for clarifying Joanne!! yes yes, she did mention to me about the glutinous rice now I recall. It's amazing how our body works. It's really hard to understand all the workings of the tcm and western med, sometimes can be so overwhelming. But definitely a good learning process, thanks for pointing out. Do you recall if Dr Zou says ok to take lotus drink soup? I think she says can, but my memories bit failing me now.... thanks!!
 
Hihi gals.

How long will the side effects of the pregnyll jabs last? My last & 4th jab is last Sunday.

I been feeling nauseous and more sensitive to smell. Even to my dog Sasha who has been with me for 12 years. First time ever, I can't quite smell her for too long. I also feel cramps like menses coming.

Today is coming to the end of day 15 after ET. BT on Monday.

Ok, now to go read from where I left off yesterday
happy.gif
 
Hi Tromso, congrats for your BFP. I just failed my 1st FET and would like to try TCM. I am interested in Dr Tan SB as she helps you conceive. May I know if she speaks English? and does she do accupenture?
 
Tromso,

CONGRATS!!! Thanks for sharing so many of your symptoms and tips with all of us! really admire how you take care of yourself during the 2WW. I still went out for work-related stuff for quite long hours. btw, what time did you go for BT and what time did they call you to tell you the BT results?

BabyJourney, Eskimobaby, Coolcool, Chrisl, 

Thx for ur well wishes! Hopefully I hv good news to share on Monday
happy.gif


HOPE,

I was diagnosed with endometriosis over 10 years ago. Been having painful menses and twice, had to go for laparoscopy to remove big blood clots. After m/c in 2009, menses became really irregular, 40 days once for a few months. Was only last year when menses stabilized. But menstrual cramps were really bad, will be bed ridden for abt 2 days, very heavy flow, super super pain. Even if I use heat pack, mix different pain killers and triple the dosage, will still be in pain until I perspire. 

DH and I decided to try IVF this year after trying clomid and natural last year but no good news. Went to NUH and saw prof Wong, did all the tests etc and decided to go ahead since didn't see any cysts. 

My gonal f stimulation was 1 more week than others, had to spend over 1k more on those. Nearly had to abandon the cycle cos prof at first says my follicles were not growing enough, later he said my ovaries were too high due to adenomyosis making my uterus too swollen and pushing up my ovaries. 

Eventually, suddenly can see 21 follicles and the sizes are over 20mm, then went for ER. Out of the 21 follicles, only 6 were retrieved, of which there was only 1 egg. And that 1 egg didn't become embryo so failed cycle. Prof suggested I go thru a laparoscopy to stitch down my ovaries permanently so that for 2nd cycle, can reach the follicles better. I trusted his judgement and went ahead with surgery. 

Dr Fong was the one who did the surgery. He said my uterus is swollen til there is no space to stitch my ovaries down. But he saw blockage in one of my tubes and cleared it tho it would still not function properly anymore. And my uterus is stuck to my intestines like how an envelope is sealed with glue
sad.gif


That's why he suggested surrogacy or adoption cos even if pregnant which is very difficult, the environment inside is not conducive for pregnancy. Prof Wong did not suggest other methods. My friend who's successful under dr Loh asked me to seek his opinion which I did. 

Dr Loh advised I take a 10-week Lucrin jab to help bring down the activity level of my hormones so that my uterus can be less swollen. He also has confidence to reach my follicles. Thus I switched hospital o kkivf. 

Dr Loh has helped me retrieve 7 eggs and 2 became embryos, the rest didnt make it. During ET, it seemed challenging, took quite some time, but he did it too. 

Now I just hope I can be another of his success story after my disappointment at NUH. Thinking back, I feel that I wasted my first cycle and even had to go thru a failed surgery. Prof Wong and dr Fong are nice doctors though. Just no fate with them I guess. 

Sorry for my long story...
 
Sasha, wish u BFP in your coming BT
happy.gif


Tromso, when do u start feeling cramps in your 2ww? 7-8 days onwards? Or 12-13 days nearer BT date? Tdy is my 6th day but so far I hvnt been feeling any cramps yet
sad.gif
 
Hi sashamama, 1 more day
happy.gif
No worries, your 'troubled past' could be a thing of the past very soon, as long no colored discharged, good chance, stay positive!! I had my bHCG BT done about 8.30am and I called them up at 2pm+ to confirm results. Normally nurse will call betw 1-4pm.

Pink doll, my cramps only started in 2nd week of 2WW....initially I thought mensus coming, but you rest assure, it probably isn't. I also experience some pulling tugging and momentary pain (like a sharp prick) now and then, I read it's all part of the 'package'. Actually many of the BFP sistas here didn't even have any symptoms during 2WW, so don't worry about it ok. I think some ladies experience backache, sore boobs too, hunger pangs, frequent unrination, etc. For me, it was getting harder to urine 2 days before bHCG day, more frequent but also lesser quantity, I suspect uterus pressing on bladder a bit.
 
Hi tromso
U r most welcome..;) hmm.. Am not sure abt the soup but since we know is liang, unless touchwood got spotting else better dun take..;)

Hi shashamama
All the best to ur bt tomorow..;) i hv a feeling tt u hv strike..;) i went for bt at 7 plus and usually i will call them at 12 plus to get my result.. Cant wait too long..;) btw, tts very early sympton tt u r already sensitive to smell..;) for me, my ms sympton start only 5wk plus.. Now, i hate dinner time.. No appetite n when i smell cooking smell.. I feel very smelly.. Hee.. Can take more food during morning time only.. But all this sympton is gd sympton for me.. Tired n sleepy always plus feel hungry always but cant eat much.. Hee... All the best to u tomorrow..;) bb dust to u..
 
Hi coolcool, I was checking the IVF update spreadsheet earlier this week and saw your hBCG results, so sorry to hear that... How are you feeling now? Has your men sus come?

It may be a good idea to visit Tan SB after mensus cos she cant really prescribe much herbs before that, in order to facilitate complete blood discharge. She speaks Mandarin, but knows most of the English medical terms. During your first visit, you may like to prepare a copy of your medical records (incl. Hubby sperm test results, etc.) for her. What I did was, I had googled the chinese characters of my conditions and wrote them besides the technical English terms, as a just in case. Hmmm...do not be alarmed if you don't get much info outta her, usually doesn't review much about her diagnosis and doesn't offer much instructions on the do's and don'ts. I suspect she doesn't want us to unduly worry, that's why. But once pregnant, she will dish out valuable advice.

To add on, for my case, besides TCM, I have also changed my diet quite a bit. I'm been eating semi organic for about 1.5 years now, aim is to avoid pesticides, chemicals and most importantly the hormones and antibiotics in chicken and eggs. Many believes that the hormones fed chicken that we consume daily may be a cause for messing up with our reproductive system, and perhaps also the IVF jabs, so I only cook kampong chicken and organic eggs at home, outside food, no choice liao. It's been monthssss since I had my last bubble tea or ice cream. No more sugarcane drinks or cold drinks. I have also kept away from sugar cos said to affect eggs quality.

I have been on organic brown rice for about 1.5yrs now too, also take organic oatmeals/ bran, organic some fruits and vege, always have multicolored vege in the fridge. I also only steam my fish now, no more pan frying, don't add much sauces to my dishes, haaa...very bland food, quite unbearable initially but used to it now, trying to avoid preservatives, coloring, additives, etc.

Actually, I dunno what's the reason for my not being about to get pregnant, so I just try to simplify my diet as much as possible, eliminating possible 'contaminant' 1 by 1 in a way. It's not easy but I encourage myself that it's a 养身之道, if really no offsprings, at least I can learn to eat right and influence the people around me too.

The reason for my long-winded posts is, just to say that TCM may be an option, but also importantly, it's beneficial to eat right.

Actually I also don't know if I can pass the various stages of pregnancy, keeping my expectations low to be honest, and just learning as I go along, sharing and learning from all of you
happy.gif
we all JY hard together ok!!
 
Morning Joanne. May I know if you are taking any supplements after Conceive Well? Do you still take Immunocal? Brazil nuts?

Haaa...it's like suddenly there isn't as much to consume, medicine also greatly reduced, actually kind of a relief. I really don't like the 2WW progesterone inserts and daily injections...
 
Hi Tromso
Nothing much actually.. I stop brazil n immouncal..only take gynea medi..;) n sour plum.. Hee.. When will be ur 1st bb hb scan?
 
Dear pinkdoll, Tromso and Joanne,

Thanks for your well wishes. Today is day 16 after ET, still got faint line on the cheap hpt strips, last jab was Sunday. I hope my eyes are working well cos today seems a bit darker. Later I wanna test on DH's urine, see got faint line or not. I tested using water, totally no line. today still no see red, hopefully tmr also no red, then I can go for BT. Tho I feel some cramps like menses coming, on and off.

Yesterday DH and I went out, opposite our place to Tampines mall to have dinner. Been 2 weeks since we ate out other than at KK. Got caught in drizzle to and fro, DH didn't initiate to take umbrella and I didn't force him too. Now I'm having a flu!!! Argh... Anything I can take to ease the flu huh?
 
Hi coolcool, forgotten to answer your question. No, Tan SB doesn't do acupuncture, actually she doesn't encourage so I didn't tell her I did accu during the IVF jabs.
 
Joanne, my scan is in 2 weeks' time, trying to not think too much now. Hubby was suggesting the Blackmores pregnancy supplements but I thought if getting gynea med soon, no point. I just finished my immunocal and brazil nuts, am thinking to continue with brazil nuts...
 
Sashamama - pregnyl from last Sunday would have cleared by now. Good luck for BT tomorrow. The Internet cheapies can be quite accurate
happy.gif
 
Hi everyone I'm a silent reader.

Sasha> have faith. I think u high chance
happy.gif
jia yo

Tromso> I salute u! U well deserve the good results! I feel so ashame compared to u. U r so diligent n strong willed
happy.gif
 
Tromso.. GRATZ!!!

Sasha: ALL THE BEST!!!

Jus to check for those who used OPK, I tested positive on 2 days, is it ok? My BBT did raise abt 0.2 deg after that so I assume its ovulation?
 
Hi eskimo
Nope.. Only injection will affect result.. U tested positive? Congrat to u..;)

Hi coolcool
Hugz.. Tiao urself well this period of time n try again k.. U will strike next cycle..;)

Hi tromso
Better dun take any extra supplement unless prescribe by doctor..;)
 
hi ladies,

i believe this will be a repetitive question, but this thread is too long for me to find my answer.

I am heading my IVF in Jan 2012, however I need to know is there a period that I will not be able to work? and How long?

as i am changing job in Feb and worry that the IVF will effect my new job
 
Hi Ladies, i am not frequent here but everytime come in will bump into 'joyous' news. Congrats to all!!! *grabbing all your baby dusts and stuffing into my fat tummy* >.<

This morning woke up feel abit emo. Was thinking all the cycles i went thru till now still no results, all i get is $$$ down the drain and over 10 kilo of weight put on. Dont know what good will come out of this, dont know will one day succeed or not and make this all worthwhile.
sad.gif


Hmm~ abit feel like want to give up already~ but then i only 34~ see some of you older than me also still trying makes me feel i am so weak and useless, why no courage and perseverence to go on like you ladies, hmm~
 
Hi Shi Jia Xin, u will be given 2 weeks hospitalization leave after the egg pickup. U will also need to apply leaves for the scans &amp; bloodtest.
im not sure ur new company will accept u taking so much leaves or time off.
 
Hi miracle_happens

thanks for the reply, really appreciate it
however for the scan n bloodiest, does it happen a lot? and will it take a long time?
 
shijiaxin, the scans are depend on individual...see how ur body react to the medication.
i cant really rem how many times i went back..coz i lost count.
KKIVF centre queue are always quite long..esp the scan.

Its all up to u... ur priorities.. IVF or new job.
 
mc007, usually if u detect positive once u won't test again
happy.gif
... cos it usually means ovulation within the next 48 hours... so once u get positive, can start trying.... dun have to keep testing... dun waste ur OPKs
happy.gif


Joanne,
Thanks for the reply
happy.gif
I'm just wondering since i'm itching to test :p

anyway this is wat i found out from the internet,
"Cyclogest is a natural progesterone supplement which comes in a pessary form for insertion into the vagina. It is most commonly used to help prevent miscarriage in patients undergoing IVF. Progesterone in secreted by the corpus luteum following ovulation in the normal menstrual cycle. The corpus luteum secretes this hormone for approximately 14 days, then it degenerates and the level of progesterone in the body falls off. This loss of progesterone causes the sloughing of the inner lining of the uterus (which is the menstrual period). If a woman becomes pregnant, then the hormone hCG is secreted by the newly formed child. The hCG stimulates the corpus luteum to continue secreting progesterone, which allows for the continued support of the lining of the uterus and allows the embryo to implant and survive.

By the end of the first trimester, the placenta begins secreting its own progesterone, and the corpus luteum is no longer needed. A common reason for early miscarriage is inadequate secretion of progesterone by the corpus luteum. This is why progesterone supplementation is commonly given early in pregnancy to woman who are at high risk for miscarriage. It is the hCG that is detected by pregnancy testing, not progesterone. Use of Cyclogest would therefore NOT cause a positive pregnancy test. I would recommend that the progesterone levels in your pregnancy be measured and supplementation provided according to whether and how much is needed."

btw, i also read that if ur pessaries/suppository finish up before u find out if u r pregnant or before your BT... better to either do an earlier test or ask for more pessaries cos a sudden drop in progesterone level might cause the body to 'abort' the baby!
 
shi jiaxin,
if u are on the long protocol, it will most likely eat into february especially the 2ww after your ER/ET where u will be given 18 days hospitalization leave to rest.

Sashamama,
sorry to hear that u have to go through so much... really hope that you'll bfp and get your wish this time
happy.gif
 
Tromso,
as u progress into your pregnancy, you'll be given supplements by gynae so dun have to buy ur own.... and the supplements usually come in after 1st trimester when ur placenta is well formed and baby starts getting nutrients from you... it's better not to overdose as excess of certain vitamins and minerals may cause defects in baby... from now onwards, whatever supplements u wanna take pls ask your gynae first... dun take it on your own.
 
hi miracle_happens and eskimobaby,

i will be going NUH, so I am seriously confuse now.
my priority is having a family, however after trying for 3 years with no result, it is really holding me back.

the preparation is 2 months right? which mean Jan is for egg preparation, and when AF comes for 2nd month, it will be extracting eggs and transfer the fertilizer egg ... am i right?
 
Jiaxin,
Does NUH do any briefing? For kkh, before we start, the nurse will go thru the procedures n the whole process n the estimated time take for each stage so from there roughly will know how long the whole ivf will take.
 
Hi eskimobaby

my first apt is will be at Jan 2012
however before that I have been seeing Dr Charles Lim and he had briefed my through the procedure... but due to the cost issue, he refer us to NUH where we can get subsidy....

based on Dr Charles' briefing, he said he take about 2 months for the procedure..
 
Dear Ron, CEO, Ching, mc,
Thanks for your well wishes! Keeping my fingers toes and eyes crossed for tmr. Will know in 24 hours.

Dear mc,
I recall reading in forum last time to BD BEFORE the estimated ovulation date. Cos sperms take time to swim and can survive inside. I recall in the 2009 forum, one gal BD before opk turned dark rather than trying a few months to BD only when opk turned dark and she strike! Anyone heard something similar?

Dear shijiaxin,
What time does your work start and is it near NUH? Cos the scans can be done early, like before 9am. Let me find my NUH records and post here for you. hopefully your work place is supportive of you trying to conceive. Mine is very supportive.

dear Eskimobaby,
Thanks so much! I just stay positive, told myself I still have 2 subsidized cycles. If this time fail, try one more time before trying private. Can't just give up.

Dear heartbeats,
Great that you come here to share your feelings. I also feel emo tho I try to stay positive. It's been such a long journey for me, been married 6 years and m/c at 8 weeks cos bb didn't grow. Doc and TCM both also almost give up on my case. Thankfully dr Loh didn't. And my hopes are renewed. You gotta hold on to hopes. Get some support here. We'd graduate eventually I'm sure.
 
Jiaxin - if you are starting after January's menses, even if your menses is early Jan likely as you mentioned the actual stimulation period will start in Feb after Feb menses, when I assume you start your new job. This assumes u r on the long-protocol. The hosp visits are not too many but usually you do have to spend at Least 1-2 hours minimun even if u r no 1. Prob more for busy centres like KKIVF. During stimulaation stage will be longer waits coz need to do more BT and scans. After retrieval, usually will be given 2 weeks HL. Some sistas take halfIday off for the scans/BT, some bosses let them get in slightly later. Whether this affects your new job only you will know.

Bear in mind it's a fluid process, soemtimes things get delayed by a week here and there. Or sometimes AF just dun turn up when you want it to.

All ivf centres/clinics in SG will have pre-cycle breifing, it's mandatory.
 
Hi sashamama, I'm reading this KKH published book - The new art n science of pregnancy n childbirth, says for common cold, can take:

- chlorpheniramine 4mg thrice a day, for runny nose, can cause drowsiness
- paracetamol 1g 6 hourly, for fever, headaches and body aches/ pain

If you have cough/ mucus/ sore throat, pls let me know, and I'll let you know the KKH approved med for them.

For myself, when I caught a cold after ET, I just pop down 500mg of vitamin c, I think twice and cold went away. But most importantly, rest plenty, drink lots a water and keep warm. Hope you'll feel better soon.
 
Hi sashamama
i start work are 8.30 / 9am
i will be working at tanjang pager, so it kinda far tho.
i not sure for my new company as yet, but i am thinking i shouldn't hold myself back for the new job.
I appreciate you sharing ur NUH record with me
happy.gif
really appreciate

Hi ron8129
thanks for the briefing, now i just hope everything will go smoothly for me...
just wondering, is there any procedure or visit during weekend or after office hour..

i know i am very confusing....
 
Shijia - unlikely, so best option is to try to be no. 1 on the queue as most hosp/clinics start at 8. ER and ET will be in the day. Scan &amp; BT dates follow your body, not the calendar so you will to be preparted to go for these appmts as necessary. No worries, u r not confusing, 1st cycle aLways a lot of unknowns &amp; uncertainty. Good luck
 
Thanks Joanne and eskimobaby, yes, I'll patiently wait for gynae prescribed supplements.

Hi shi jia xin, for visits to hospital, for my case,

- suppression stage 2 visits, to collect Lucrin jabs, then baseline scan + blood test + collect Gonal F
- stimulation stage 1 visit, scan for follicles and lining (many ladies here have more than 1 such scan)
- Egg Retriever day 1 visit
- Egg Transfer day 1 visit
- Progesterone BT 1 visit
- Progesterone jabs 9 visits, daily jab cos my level lower than standard
- bHCG BT 1 visit (to confirm pregnancy)
- collect med for confirmed pregnancy 1 visit
- upcoming heartbeat/s scan 1 visit

Actually, if you get in early enough, like before 8am, high chance can get outta clinic by 9-10am or even earlier, this is for KKIVF. The aim is to place your scan/ injection paper into the tray as early as possible, then can go take breakfast then come back by 8am when clinic starts, I noticed many people do that but I usually only arrive about 8.30am. Hope this helps.
 
Hi heartbeats, big hugz, jia you!! I was reading forum from sometime back and recalled you were VERY VERY encouraging then, gave me lotsa warmth and strength
happy.gif
Stay strong and positive always. I'm sure the right moment will come soon. Sometimes I feel that it's a test from the big boss up there, so whatever i know I'm not doing correct, I'll try my best to alter and improve. He is watching over us and will certainly provide, keep the faith.

Any success with managing your weight? Hee...I recall reading about you mentioning it sometime back
happy.gif
 
Jiaxin,
I think u already roughly know how long will the whole process take after u talk to ur gynae. Now ur dilemma is how u r going to manage both ivf n a new job. Really this is something u have to figure out with ur hubby. Let's say if u r successful first try of ivf, then u also need to let ur new employer know that u r pregnant during ur probation too. Watever decision u make, make it together with ur hubby n make one that wont give u any regrets.

Sashamama,
Yes, now that it's mentioned. Take vit c if u dun feel comfortable taking any medicine now. Maybe tomorrow can check with the ivf nurse after ur BT.
 
Hi Tromso, thanks for your reply. It's very kind of you. I really appreciate it. You are so diligent in healthy eating. Good for you.
I am feeling fine now and my menses already came. So I want to prepare my body before going for next FET. I don't know what's wrong with my FET. My fresh cycle was going well. Retrieved 10 eggs, 9 matured and 7 fertilized. Of which 6 embryos are good grade. I got pregnant. But baby did not grow well and stopped heart beat at 11 weeks. So I had high hope for my FET. But in the end my hopes are gone. I think I may have weak womb. So I would like to try TCM. Can Dr Tan speak simple English? I don't speak Mandrin. May be I will ask my friend to accompany me for my first visit for translation if need be.
happy.gif
 



Back
Top