Things to eat or not to eat..

A while ago, one of my readers asked for a list of food to eat or avoid during IVF or TTC-ing. I can't say I am an expert on it, but this will be a short summary on what you can eat or should stock up on.

IVF - During Stimulation (Things to eat)

• Egg whites, or rather, protein. You can eat it in the form of egg whites or Immunucol. - http://www.immunocal.com/ Personally, I think if you are on a budget, you can just egg whites. I eat them soft boiled with a bit of dark soy sauce and pepper, 4 eggs in the morning and 4 in the evening. I know some people said to stay away from soy or soy products but honestly I don't see how half a teaspoon would harm you. I ate it like this everyday and still got pregnant. What I think is not consuming it in large portions like drinking soya bean milk everyday. I think for soya bean milk, it contains estrogen which probably does not help in conceiving. You can google more about estrogen to read up more on it.
• Fish, yet another source of protein.
• Longan Red Date Tea. It supposedly helps to warm your womb and make it a condusive environment for your eggs to implant in. Your womb needs to be warm for implantation to occur.
• Grapefruit juice. Some people take it to prep their lining. You can buy those ready made ones in the supermarket, but I prefer to squeeze it directly into my glass of freshly made juice.
• Essence of chicken. If you have time, you can buy a whole chicken and do it yourself. However, it can be quite time consuming and tedious so I just drink the ready made one from Brands.
• Most fruits and vegetables except for pineapple and watermelon as they are considered cooling.

IVF - After ET

• Durians. If you can stomach the taste of it. Apparently it helped quite a few girls to conceive. I ate them every other day and drank lots of water to prevent my body from being too heaty.
• Egg whites still. It apparently helps to prevent bloating and cramps. Normally after egg retrieval, women suffer from OHSS and their stomach can get really bloated. Loads of egg whites and water helps.
• LRD tea and chicken essence. As above.

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To be honest, I didn't really take too much notice of what I ate because I felt that it is important to eat in moderation. I had a friend who went through IVF and did not have coffee at all for the 1 month and totally abstained from chilli. But she still did not get pregnant, so I think it boils down to rest and being relaxed during the 2 weeks wait. Personally, I didn't spend too much time obsessing over each and every symptom because I did not want to stress myself that way. So I ate what I wanted and if it was unhealthy, I ate a teeny bit just to satisfy my craving. I was happy and took the 2 week wait as a mini holiday and relaxed, watched tv, slept and did absolutely nothing. I caught up on my readings and went to forums to chat with other ladies who were experiencing the same thing as me. I really cannot emphasise how important it is to relax and keep your mind away from thinking too much. I think this, and God helped get me pregnant. :)

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Today I ordered KFC because I was dying for something greasy and unhealthy. I kept thinking of how mean I am to my babies, but I am allowed to indulge every once in a while right? Symptoms wise, well, apart from yesterday night's puking episode, I did not experience any morning sickness. I was tired and had minor cramps in the afternoon but the cramps have been coming on less and less. My breasts still hurt and itch so I think the skin is stretching around it. I'm taking care of them by putting on moisturiser but I hope I don't end u in stretch marks. They have grown quite a bit and I'm quite happy with them. Mum says it'll get bigger so I shouldn't get a maternity bra soon. However, I am looking at some bras from the brand Bravado, which was recommended by my cousin. When I am ready, I will buy and give you guys a review on it as compared to the ones available at Mothercare.

Watching Walking Dead now. Will be back tomorrow with new updates.

xoxo,

J.