"secret recipe"

so after countless emails asking about my last protocol I am finally posting the formula for our success. grandma's secret recipe. maybe not.

IVF #4
first of all, I believe we went to the best RE out there (in the world maybe) for a high FSH/AMA/DOR/crappy eggs/poor responder dx. yes, this is my simple opinion but many people (with proper medical training) feel the same as I do. dr davis at cornell is a genius! his wait list is very long but he is so worth it. after being "fired" from my first RE, "new RE dr d" was the only one who gave me a morsel of hope. remember, we are talking 1% chance here. my FSH was 16 point something going into IVF #3.

before I completely assaulted my body with hardcore hormones I did a little fine tuning to my diet. my acupuncturist who specializes in IF had me commit to changes that were necessary for my particular dx. I did a lot of research on my own as well.
- no wheat (I ate lots of brown rice and spelt toast with almond butter.)
- no caffeine (I had 1 cup of organic decaf a day.)
- reduce sugar intake dramatically
- no alcohol (not going to lie. I did have the occasional glass of wine here and there. and here and there...)
- no soy (very bad for fertility)

I included
- TONS of protein for egg quality issues (whey shakes, eggs, almonds, fish)
- lots and lots of organic fruit and dark green veggies (kale, spinach, broccoli...)
- fresh (almost daily) 1 oz nasty wheatgrass shot (powdered or pill form is not as effective.)
- omega 3's
- co-q10
- DHEA (75 mg for at least 3 months) really only recommended for AMA
- l'arginine
- pnvs
- folic acid
- specific herbs prescribed by my acupuncturist

b reluctantly included
- folic acid
- zinc
- maca
- fertilaid supplements
- omega 3's
while whining "the pills are too big and hard to swallow."
(insert :::slap, slap, SLAP:::)

co-culture! brilliant! I truly believe this was the "magic bullet" for our bfp. cornell is known for this procedure. it's not for everyone and does come with a high price tag. I'm talkin' HUGE! they literally do a cervical scraping (oh, and it hurts!) and then freeze your cells. it's awesome for those with repeat "questionable" embryo quality. it allows the embies to grow and develop in your own "fluids." makes sense to me.

for round 4 I was put on EPP/MDL (estrogen priming/microdose lupron -- a VERRRRY long protocol.) I was injecting 525 IU follistim and 75 menopur -- 5 shots a day total!

at ER I had 4 total (and decent) follies going in. we were incredibly disappointed. dr g retrieved 4 mature eggs which were all fertilized with ICSI. at my 3dt we had 3 embies that were ready for transfer (NOT implantation!) hoping at least 1 would indeed implant and stick around for 9 months. I did acupuncture immediately before and right after ET. I spent 1 day in bed and ate fresh pineapple core for a week. each day I listened to guided imagery by belleruth naparstek (goofy, I know, but the woman has a serious calming effect.) I was so convinced the cycle was a bust that I took major walks with the dog every afternoon during the 2ww to keep from going insane. but... there it was. 8dp3dt. that teeny tiny hint of a line that literally, only I could see. was it for real? I kept it a secret although I did share the news with lulu. she's good like that. 10dp3dt (day before beta) I did officially POAS. 2 lines! an image strong enough for all to see. what a glorious sight! one of the most fantastic, shocking, brings tears to your eyes, magical, overwhelming, takes your breath away, unbelievable, amazing moments of my life. (I think I left out magnificent.)