IVF/IUI and losing weight

sweetirish
sweetirish Posts: 70 Member
edited December 22 in Motivation and Support
I am trying to get to the recommended weight/BMI for my particular fertility clinic. If I were an inch taller I would have qualified already. I'm looking for other women in the same boat and who I can be candid with about everything. There's no real IVF groups on here so I thought I'd start a board.

Location - USA, New Hampshire
Cycle - not yet
Procedure - IVF

Replies

  • Ar_cervantes
    Ar_cervantes Posts: 78 Member
    Hi I too am trying to get to a healthy BMI before starting IVF. I need to loose 35 pounds and I am down 9 so far in my first month.
    Location: Northern California, USA
    Cycle: not yet started but hopefully February/March 2020
    Procedure: IVF
  • lucyeponce
    lucyeponce Posts: 19 Member
    After doing IVF and losing 60 lbs before starting. I suggest you pick a workout routine you can stick through even when you do get pregnant. It helps balance the moods and flush the body out with the added hormones. I did a 1/2 a lb to lose weight and did 60 mins cardio with 30 mins of weight training.
  • sweetirish
    sweetirish Posts: 70 Member
    @lucyeponce Thank you. I have changed my clinic to one that actually doesn't have a weight requirement, but not for that reason. I had issues with the competency of the office I was going to - they had no record of putting me on birth control and when I called for a refill of the metformin they put me on they doubled the dose without checking my levels of anything. The new clinic is at Brigham and Women's and they've informed me that I didn't need to be on either medication and we're starting a Clomid challenge this month (insurance requirement since I've now turned 40) and then a cycle in November. I am now focusing on making myself healthier for my future pregnancy and will be doing cardio/walking daily and adding strength 3 days a week.

    @Ar_cervantes <3 love! Fingers crossed for both of us!
  • Ar_cervantes
    Ar_cervantes Posts: 78 Member
    sweetirish wrote: »
    @lucyeponce Thank you. I have changed my clinic to one that actually doesn't have a weight requirement, but not for that reason. I had issues with the competency of the office I was going to - they had no record of putting me on birth control and when I called for a refill of the metformin they put me on they doubled the dose without checking my levels of anything. The new clinic is at Brigham and Women's and they've informed me that I didn't need to be on either medication and we're starting a Clomid challenge this month (insurance requirement since I've now turned 40) and then a cycle in November. I am now focusing on making myself healthier for my future pregnancy and will be doing cardio/walking daily and adding strength 3 days a week.

    @Ar_cervantes <3 love! Fingers crossed for both of us!

    Glad you are with a more competent clinic! How exciting for November! Is this your first IVF cycle?

  • JeanieLomas
    JeanieLomas Posts: 1 Member
    Hi! I need to lose some weight too! I was preparing for IVF for a couple of years trying to afford the medical piece. I waited too long and should have taken out a loan instead. But I don’t ever recall being told I couldn’t do IVF if I was over weight.
  • sweetirish
    sweetirish Posts: 70 Member
    @Ar_cervantes Yes, my first actual cycle. I'm nervous and excited. I'm also freaked out about the whole "what if it doesn't work" thing.

    @JeanieLomas They had some BS about "we're not at an actual hospital so the anesthesiologist is afraid to put you under if you're over a BMI of 38". If I were an inch taller I wouldn't have had an issue. Sorry you had to miss out! I'm extremely lucky my insurance covers it.
  • JudysJourney2021
    JudysJourney2021 Posts: 3 Member
    JeanieLomas wrote: »
    Hi! I need to lose some weight too! I was preparing for IVF for a couple of years trying to afford the medical piece. I waited too long and should have taken out a loan instead. But I don’t ever recall being told I couldn’t do IVF if I was over weight.

    Did you get to have a baby? Why was it too late?
  • JudysJourney2021
    JudysJourney2021 Posts: 3 Member
    I'm 304 lbs and 42 years old. I'm working to defy the odds and be 200 lb by December to try IVF while I'm 42. I don't turn 42 actual till 2 months from now... weve never had a baby.
  • sweetirish
    sweetirish Posts: 70 Member
    I took a long break from MFP because our first cycle in January worked. We made it to 8 weeks before the baby's heartbeat stopped. We did test the remains and the poor thing was missing a sex gene and would never have made it past where it was. No we're on hold until after COVID and it sucks. I'm 40, he's 46 now, and we're not getting any younger. We'll be doing a FET (frozen embryo transfer) as soon as we can and it's going to be a natural cycle.
  • rach3116
    rach3116 Posts: 35 Member
    I wanted to pop in and send love. It took us over 5 years TTC with treatments and miscarriages. It’s so hard, so exhausting. I’m so sorry for your recent loss. And now to have to wait longer bc of Covid, ugh- that sucks. Super F’ing sucks.
    I’m sorry y’all are part of this *kitten* club, but you’re not alone. 💜
  • harper16
    harper16 Posts: 2,564 Member
    I'm so sorry for your loss. It took us 3 years of treatments to get pregnant, and I had to carry the twin we lost through part of the pregnancy. I agree with PP it's a *kitten* club.

    So many positive thoughts as you move forward.
  • sweetirish
    sweetirish Posts: 70 Member
    @rach3116 and @harper16 Thank you ladies. Never heard it called a "kitten" club. We gave ourselves a year of treatments before we would try another route. My insurance covers 6 rounds if we don't go over the age threshold. We have 4 embryos on ice. The geneticist wanted to have us do a thaw-biopsy-refreeze of them all but there's no data on how that affects the viability of an embryo so we're not going to trust it. Insurance will cover donor egg/sperm provided the doctor deems it medically necessary.
  • FrustratedYoYoer
    FrustratedYoYoer Posts: 274 Member
    Hi guys, I'm currently trying to lose weight so I can start IVF. I have about 10 kg to lose before I can get started. Looking for people in the same boat, if anyone wants to add me. I'm in the UK
  • hilariouslbc
    hilariouslbc Posts: 61 Member
    I’m currently in the middle of an IVF cycle, between retrieval and implantation. I was already in the overweight category and the meds made me gain like 20lbs, pushing me into the obese category. I’m trying to get my diet and exercise back under control (keto and aerobic ‘kickboxing’) mostly to prepare for implantation in a few weeks. The whole process does crazy things to the body, for sure
  • sweetirish
    sweetirish Posts: 70 Member
    I'm on transfer number 2 (embryo installed yesterday). Our first one in January worked, but the pregnancy was not viable - embryo was missing a gene for sex and ended at 8 weeks. Fingers crossed this embryo is healthy. Welcome to the boat. Drink lots of fluids to help flush the water weight and fats out as you burn it.
  • harper16
    harper16 Posts: 2,564 Member
    sweetirish wrote: »
    I'm on transfer number 2 (embryo installed yesterday). Our first one in January worked, but the pregnancy was not viable - embryo was missing a gene for sex and ended at 8 weeks. Fingers crossed this embryo is healthy. Welcome to the boat. Drink lots of fluids to help flush the water weight and fats out as you burn it.

    I hope everything goes well. So many positive thoughts for you.
  • sweetirish
    sweetirish Posts: 70 Member
    Thank you! The procedure is really simple and easy for the transfer. It takes 15 minutes MAYBE but then you have to be there an hour beforehand. So now we wait for 7/1 for our first Beta test (blood test measuring the HSG levels).
  • sweetirish
    sweetirish Posts: 70 Member
    Well, we've had 3 blood tests confirm that it worked and I'm pregnant. A little nervous that it will end like my last 2 pregnancies have (2010 and 2020). Just doing what I can to make sure I'm healthy and taking care of myself. That's literally all I can do at this point.
  • Lionsandtigersandbears2
    Lionsandtigersandbears2 Posts: 4 Member
    I am thinking of you and wishing you the best. I am about to turn 39 and am going for my first consultation (also in NH) in mid-August. I am trying to make myself as healthy as possible before then.
  • sweetirish
    sweetirish Posts: 70 Member
    @Lionsandtigersandbears2 I sent you a friend request. I'm still pregnant which is a good sign. I'm nauseous basically all day long and vertigo isn't helping. Officially 7 weeks today.
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