Today I got to go shopping for a baby shower gift for my co-worker. Lucky me. And tomorrow at lunch, my department is taking the pregnant co-worker out for lunch and a shower - woo hoo. Boy, I can't wait.
Today, I also had an appointment with a new acupuncturist who specializes in fertility treatments. I've used acupuncture before but have always had mixed feelings about its effectiveness. I tried it early on in my first couple of IVF cycles, and it never seemed to make a difference. It definitely didn't result in a BFP. After a while, I started to feel like it was just another person taking advantage of my infertility to get rich - well, maybe not rich, but another person to take my money, so I quit going. Well, since this FET will most likely be our last try, I decided - what the heck? I might as well do everything within my power to make this work. I'm definitely going to do acupuncture the day of transfer - both before and after the procedure and then maybe again a few days later, but of course the acupuncturist wants me to start coming in for treatment every week even though we haven't gotten started yet with the FET meds. I understand where she is coming from, but at $120 for my appointment today - I'm not real excited to go back. I know I probably have the wrong attitude and probably need to be more positive about it, but I'm really skeptical of the benefits other than giving me an excuse to take a nap in the middle of the day while soothing music plays.
She also says I should quit doing any type of strenuous exercise like running or spinning. As you all know, I recently signed up to run a half marathon at the end of March, and I really don't want to quit running until the 2ww. She says she has seen a pattern in women who run a lot having trouble conceiving - is that true? Have you heard that? I know for women with really low body fat, it's an issue, but I'm not that type of runner. I have plenty of body fat - right now 15 pounds more than I'd like - another reason I don't want to give up the exercise. She said extra body fat is actually good and suggested that I do yoga instead. I just don't know if I'm buying all this or not. I mean is it really going to make a difference at this point?
She also suggested a book about things I should be eating or not eating to enhance my fertility and also suggested a bunch of supplements to take. You know, I've been down this road before where I was so anxious to try any and everything that might work that I became crazy obsessed researching, reading and thinking about it all day, every day. I don't want to do that again. I'm at the end of my rope. I just want my period to start, and I want to get this FET going. I don't want to be drug back into the craziness of researching my diet, trying yoga, spending thousands on acupuncture, taking crazy supplements just to end up with a BFN again.
What pisses me off, though, is that she put all those thoughts in my head again so now I'm starting to worry about all that stuff and wondering if it really will make a difference or not. I don't want to have regrets, but I really don't have the energy anymore for all this stuff. Crap!
10 comments:
I have heard that in Eastern medicine they don't want you doing really strenuous exercise. Something about getting runner's high, that endorphin release is not conducive to getting PG.
There is lots of literature about how helpful acupuncture is before and after transfer (same day, of course).
I do hope it helps. Whatever you do, don't stress yourself out trying to do "all the right things." I remember reading in Understanding Your Fertility that "implantation can happen days after fertilization, when you are out jogging." (I paraphrased).
Best of luck to you!
I think tomorrow sounds like a good day to call in sick!
As for not exercising, I'm not sure I buy it either. And yeah, I'm tired of not doing things because *I might* get pregnant. The way I look at it, if running and spinning is what you do to relieve stress, then wouldn't it be beneficial before the transfer?
Hopefully your PIO shot did the trick and you can get things going. Take care.
Oh I so know the feeling. We always feel like 'maybe there's one more thing I could do that would help' and torture ourselves over it, choke down supplements, shakes, go to acupuncture, stop doing things we love (exercise), etc. etc. etc. ON TOP of all the craziness of artificial hormones and IVF and then we see our friends do everything wrong and get pregnant naturally. So yeah, who the heck knows what helps/hurts/does nothing.
I always say you gotta do what you gotta do to feel comfortable.
I talk about exercise a lot on my blog. As a fellow runner, I've become kind of obsessed with how what I do to keep me sane could or could not affect my fertility.
My Mom says stop running. My acupuncturist says run only a few miles a week (I stopped going to her about two months ago but only because I couldn't bear the cost on top of all of the IF expenses--it was stressing me out more than it could've been helping). My Mom's best friend (an ob-gyn) says stop running. And what does my RE say? He says, run, run run. He says it keeps me sane and it's healthy and as long as I'm not training for a marathon, there is no research or data to suggest it hinders my treatment in any way. If it makes you feel better and you're not ODing, I say go for it.
I hope the PIO shot brings on AF for you soon. I agree with Heather, tomorrow sounds like a great day to stay home!
I hear you, I am so over all the try this, don't do that, and it doesn't make one blind bit of difference.
As far as the running goes, I can't see how it would make a difference unless you had really low body fat, as you have pointed out. I would say do whatever makes you feel happy and healthy - if that is running, go for it.
Just an FYI... I've read several books on Infertility and they all say to reduce and/or eliminate exercise during the 2WW/early pregnancy. It was hard for me to cut out my gym routine since I was used to going 5 days a week. It's all in what feels comfortable to you. Good luck with your upcoming FET. I wish you all the best!
Wow, I would also develop some emergency lunch thing tomorrow, if I didn't just bag work altogether!
IMHO which is completely non-medical - exercise up til the 2ww. Then I would lay off for the most part. I've never done acupuncture but I've heard it is beneficial. At that price I'd wait til you were closer to transfer though! Good luck -
I'm sort of a slacker. I did all the fertility diet, no exercise, accupuncture on my first IVF with my own eggs and got a bfn. After that, I gave it all up with donor eggs. I drank coffee until the morning of transfer and had a glass of wine 2 days before. After a DE cycle, couldn't afford accupuncture and realized that I truly hated it. I would say follow your gut and see what it says. I'm truly convinced that no one really knows and so they are all guessing, too.
I'm inclined to agree with suchagoodegg. Running helps you to get rid of stress and clears your mind. It's healthy. Just don't get crazy. Overdoing anything is never good. I like the idea of going to the acupuncturist if it doesn't stress you out. Stress can reap havoc on your body. Try to find peace during this FET. If it's going to work it will happen. We can only put ourselves through so much. Do only as much as you can mentally handle. I, like everyone else, have been there too. For a 24 month stretch I'd watched my caffeine intake, my alcohol intake, ate organic, blah, blah, blah. Enough already, I went nuts. That's why I've been on hiatus for the last 6 months. I needed to live again. I was consumed.
Don't get consumed. Just try to relax, enjoy and find peace with this FET. You're in my thoughts.
T
I think I am right there with you on the acupuncture. I think if it stresses you out, don't do it. Do the parts that make you feel good and skip the rest - or skip the whole thing.
There was a time when I needed to feel like I was doing something and acu really helped with that. I also had a wonderful, supportive acupuncturist so I liked going even when it became pretty clear it wouldn't help - at least not enough.
But I hate that underlying assumption that if you don't get pregnant, it must be your fault - because you didn't exercise the right way or the right amount, eat the right foods and not the wrong, go to acu the right amount (and to the right practitioner) etc.
With this FET that I never expected to work I went to a acu specializing in fertility and she was so . . . glass full - she would trash on RE's (mine in particular because he was the only one in town) and act like pregnancies were because of her. I went once or twice and didn't go right after transfer because it seemed too many obstacles were coming up. And I got pregnant anyway.
And of course, there is the "Should I have tried harder?" if it doesn't work . . .and I'm not sure what to say about that. It is important not to have regrets, but it is important not to go crazy in the meantime.
I still think acu might help some people some of the time and maybe even is just what some people need; but it isn't all that.
I am sending you peaceful thoughts!
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