Fertility Diet

Sometimes, miracles do happen.  So, I haven't been posting lately.  I've just had other things on my mind because I am pregnant!  I really did not think this was ever going to happen.  My husband and I tried for 6 years, the last 3 with fertility treatments, and we had started the adoption process.  (We are still going to adopt a baby from India.)  We were on the very last IUI (Intra-Uterine Insemination) procedure before trying IVF.  ...and it worked! 

This was the 9th time I'd had an IUI.  What did I do differently?  Well, at the time I conceived, I was following this Fertility Diet.  I don't know if it was a coincidence or not, but it you're having issues in the area it's worth a shot, right? 

This book is based on a extensive Nurses' Study and has lots of good tips.  Here are some the things I did:

1.  Avoid all preservatives, MSG, trans-fats, and high-fructose corn syrup.

2. Take an iron supplement.

3.  Take fish oil supplements.  (Make sure they are mercury-free.)

4.  Stay away from peas.  They contain a substance that affects fertility.  (Who knew?!)  Apparently, they are studying it to possibly create a natural birth control pill!  Anyway, I hate peas so I was only too happy to  give them up.  (Ironic that the cover of the book has a picture of peas on it, isn't it?)

5.  You'll love this one:  Eat full-fat ice-cream!  Make sure there is no skim milk in it.  (Surprisingly hard to find.)   Full-fat dairy helps ovulation.  Skim or low fat dairy has had the hormones altered (it explains it in the book) and it is detrimental to ovulation.  Crazy!  At the time I conceived, I was eating 1/2 cup of Tahitian Vanilla Bean Gelato with strawberries and blueberries on top.

6.  Eat berries!  Also, dark chocolate, and green tea.  

7.  Limit caffiene.  (Other than green tea.) 

8.  Do Yoga!  I did only 5 minutes of sun salutations every morning.

I wish luck and good ju-ju to everyone who tries this.  Good luck!  :-)

The 6 Fertility Robbers. Beware!

In the book, "Getting Pregnant:  The New Fertility Diet Guide" by Niels H. Lauerson, M.D., Ph.D & Colette Bouchez, they list some foods to avoid if you're trying to get pregnant.  I'm going to list them for you here. 

The Six Fertility Robbers:

1.  Alcohol - (Although I thought alcohol HELPED a lot of women get pregnant.  Not so!)  In a British study, even one glass of beer or wine per day decreased the chances for conception by 50%.

2.  Caffeine - In a Yale study, those who drank more than 3 cups of coffee a day had a 176% rise in infertility in just one year.  Even as little as 1 cup of coffee per day had a 55% higher infertility rate.  (Exception:  green tea.  The caffeine content is lower than coffee and it has other compounds which aid in fertility.)

3.  Peas! - Who knew there is a natural chemical found in peas called m-xylohydroquinone that reduces sperm production by 50% and pregnancy rates by 60%.  They are actually testing this as a potential natural contraceptive!  I hate peas anyway so this is a good reason for me to avoid them.  Hooray!

4.  Diet Soda and Artificial Sweeteners - Is this a surprise?  They're just bad for you.

5.  Sugar & High Fructose Corn Syrup - also not surprising!

6.  Food Preservatives - The two mentioned were MSG and BHA.  MSG also goes by other names like hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP), autolyzed plant protein (APP), autolyzed yeast, sodium caseinate, calcium caseinate.  BHA is found in a lot of baked goods and snack foods.  Read labels and avoid these!

Six Foods that Boost Fertility

I'm currently reading two books about how you can improve your chances of conceiving by changing your diet.  One of these books is called "Getting Pregnant:  The New Fertility Diet Guide" by Niels H. Lauerson, M.D., Ph.D & Colette Bouchez.  (Click here for their website.)  In this book they list foods that can help increase your fertility.  I'm listing them here for you.


The Six Super Fertility Food Boosters:

1.  Wild Organic Blueberries - half a cup per day can help fertility, plus lower cholesteral, fight high blood pressure, and help protect you from cancer.  Remember, what's good for your body is also good for fertility!

2.  Cruciferous Vegetables - broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale, cabbage, bok choy, etc.  Also good for men's fertility!

3.  Onions and Garlic - also leeks, scallions, chives, etc.  Can help to repair damaged DNA and lowers inflammation.  Can help particularly those women diagnosed with endometriosis or PCOS.

4.  Green Tea - This is another paradox because caffeine is said to decrease fertility.  However, the compound known as EGCG which is found in green tea helps increase the number of eggs available for fertilization.  Effective when combined with IVF.  The book says not to drink more than 7 cups per week though.  (Probably b/c of the caffeine thing.)

5. Nuts!  Almonds, cashews, walnuts, and more - The good fats and antioxidants contained in nuts are why these are good for fertility.   Exception:  Peanuts!  They are BAD for fertility because of the plant estrogens which can affect hormone levels in women and slow down sperm production and motility in men.

6.  Sunflower seeds, Pumpkin seeds, and Wheat Germ - I'm gluten-intolerant so I'm going to avoid the wheat germ but I eat pumpkin and sunflower seeds regularly.  Apparently, it's the good fats, vitamin E, zinc, and B6 which make these fertility super foods.

Do any of you know about the fertility diet?  I'm just getting started reading about it.  Eat up and good luck to all!

The Fertility Sundae

I am currently reading two books on "The Fertility Diet".  Apparently, there are foods that can help (or prevent) you from becoming pregnant.  Who knows if it actually will make any difference, but I'm willing to try.  (At this point, if someone told me that my fertility would improve if I stood outside and recited the alphabet backwards whilst standing  on one leg by the light of the full moon, I'd totally do it!)  At least it makes me feel like I have control over SOMETHING to do with the whole process.

Most of the information I've come across so far isn't surprising.  Eat more veggies and fruit, stay away from refined carbs and sugars, eat good fats, etc.  BUT - I did come across something that was pleasantly surprising.   The ice-cream paradox! 

The Ice-Cream Paradox:

Even though saturated fat in general can negatively affect fertility, eating full fat ice-cream increases fertility in women!  It has to be full fat though.  Low fat ice-cream was shown to  be detrimental to fertility.  Both books I have say the same thing so it must be true, right?  Apparently, there was a Nurses Health Study at the Harvard School of Public Health that confirms this.  The following was discovered:

• The more low-fat dairy products in a woman's diet, the more likely she was to have had trouble getting pregnant.
• The more full-fat dairy products in a woman's diet, the less likely she was to have had problems getting pregnant.

Crazy, right? Currently, I'm not eating any dairy at all because I feel better when I avoid it.  However, if the potential life of my future baby depends on it.....well, I guess I'll have to make the sacrifice and eat some ice-cream!  I mean, who am I to argue with Science, right?

My book says that only about a half pint of ice-cream per week is advisable.  You don't want to just eat as much ice-cream as you want because that will cause to gain weight and excess weight is BAD for fertility.  SO - once a week, only on the weekends, I'm adding this "Fertility Sundae" to my diet:

1/2 pint of ice-cream (I used vanilla this week)
2 T Chocolate sauce (the polyphenols in chocolate boost fertility)
walnuts (the omega 3 content and fiber make them good for fertility as well)

Yay!  This the best news I've heard all week.  Yum!

Stupid 'ol hormones and falling off the wagon

So, I did really well on my grain-free, sugar-free diet last week and lost 2 pounds.  This week, I was terrible and totally fell off the wagon.  (I don't know what I weigh now, but I'm afraid to get on the scales.)  Not to make excuses or anything but this past week I found out that my last IUI didn't work and I've now started a new cycle.  (Fertility stuff for those of you who are fortunate enough to not know what an IUI is.)  I have to inject hormones into my belly every day for 14 days or so of each cycle.  I also am craving carbs like CRAZY.  I don't think this is a coincidence!

I asked my doctor if the fertility hormones cause weight gain and he said, "No.  But they can make you want to eat more and THAT can make you gain weight".  Ummm......is it just me or doesn't that mean the hormones make you gain weight?

You know what else?  These stupid 'ol hormones give you nausea and morning sickness.  (Not to mention hot flashes!)  What a mean trick!  It seems like you should have morning sickness and be pregnant OR not have morning sickness and not be pregnant.  To have morning sickness and NOT be pregnant is just plain mean.  I feel like God is laughing at me sometimes.

I think going through fertility is rough because it forces you to face the issue every day.  When I wasn't giving myself a shot everyday and going in to have an ultrasound and my blood tested every 4 days, it was easy to focus on other things and forget about it.  These IUI cycles just kind of shove it in your face and make it hard to ignore.  

Anyway, sorry to be tiresome and to keep harping on about this but it's hard not to.  This is the biggest thing going on in my life.  It's the first thing I think about when I wake up and the last thing I think about before I go to sleep....and all the times in between.  If you're wondering what I'm thinking about when I'm stopped at a red light, it's this!  My hope is that someone else going through infertility might feel better knowing that someone knows what they're going through.  I also hope that this might help those who have never had fertility issues understand those who do. 

A Big Hug for Parent Wannabes

This week, I started fertility treatments again.  I was doing them about 2 years ago, but took a year-long hiatus from it.  I had gotten to the point where the mere thought of going into the doctor's office turned me into an emotional wreck.   Since then, I have lost some weight and have gotten healthier so I thought it was worth another shot.  For those in the know, I am trying IUIs with injectibles.  This is not nearly as invasive as IVF.  I'm not that hopeful since it didn't work the last time, but I'm a little scared of IVF.  This IUI cycle is my last try before I resign myself to the full whack of in-vitro. 

Yesterday morning, I went in super early (7:00am!) for the fertility doctors visit and saw other couples there.  They looked young and healthy and anxious.  I just wanted to give them all a big hug and say, "I TOTALLY know what you're going through".  So----here's a big, virtual hug to all the infertile couples out there.  I totally know what you're going through.

I know that with every year that goes past, you get more and more anxious about that ticking clock.

I know that while you paste on a smile when others tell you they're pregnant, you just can't be truly happy for them.  No matter how much you might want to be.

I know that each mother's day that goes past gets more and more difficult to bear.

I know that when you see terrible parents, you just want to shake them.

I know that you want to scream at God and shout "why?" when yet another teenager gets pregnant even though they were on birth control.

I know that you lose all hope as your friends' children get older and older.   You had wanted your children to grow up with them.

I know that it's another slap in the face when you try for adoption and realize that it's even more difficult and expensive and takes years longer than you ever imagined.

I know that the worst thought is, "what if I go through all of the procedures known to man and it doesn't work?"  What if I never get to have children?  

I know.  I wish I could tell you that it's going to be okay.  For now though, all I can offer is a big hug and lots of understanding.  Most people have no idea.