Counting down the days! 16 to go!

I'm on CD12 of my last cycle before IVF. Ovulation is around the corner, last chance for that miracle natural conception! Although I am not pinning my hopes on it and taking it very easy this cycle. I am temping but just so that I know how long this cycle will be.

In about 10 days I will get the script for all my meds and will then have to fork out the R10k! If I have a normal cycle this month then there are 16 days to go before we start!! WhooHoo! I can't wait. I'm so freekin excited and strangely not nervous at all, maybe it will still hit me?

I've been quite lazy the last few days and very tired. Struggling to get out of bed in the morning but it's probably just because it's so cold.

Have to get my A into G and start my IVF Hints &Tips list. Going to start it here and update this post as I gather more info.

Tips to "survive" an IVF cycle and hopefully get a successful outcome:

(1) Pamper yourself! Do whatever it is you need to do to make this manageable for you. (Naps, backrubs, favorite foods, etc. Be very good to yourself during this time.)

(2) Rest is very important, even before transfer. All those developing eggs are taking up a lot of space and energy.

(3) Positive Visualization - Picture the outcome you want, and focus on it. Imagine your embies dividing, implanting and growing.

(4) Eat Fresh pineapple including the core (but not too much) - Cut up a fresh pineapple into 5 servings, and have one serving per day. (Not sure if I'll do this again, Pineapple gives me terrible heartburn)

(5) Sleep on your left side - okay, I read this and thought it was the hokiest thing I'd read thus far. Apparently, sleeping on your left takes pressure off of some organs or arteries or something (yeah, I was obviously paying close attention to the reasoning), but the whole point is that it is supposed to increase circulation to the babes.

(6) Sex before ET - The idea is that there's something in semen that's good to encourage implantation or sticking or something (I bet it was a DH that came up with this one!) Don't try this after ET - uterine contractions then are bad.

(7) No caffeine for as long as you can muster, but especially in the week before and in the week after transfer. Stay away from chocolate. (Note though that white chocolate isn't really "chocolate" so have at it if you must have something sweet and fruit isn't gonna do it for you!)

(8) No alcohol. That's a given.

(9)  Have a good support system and USE them. It can be very comforting to find someone, either in cyberspace or in person, that is in a similar situation (factor, cycle) that you can share stories and progress with. (Got this one covered - thanks to my friends in the computer!)

(10) Increasing your consumption of fiber and fluids as you approach egg retrieval may help alleviate constipation.

(11) Don't talk to your partner too much about his role. This may cause him extra anxiety during an already stressful time and the extra stress can aggravate the performance anxiety that men suffer on the day of retrieval.

(12) Stay active without overdoing it.

(13) Acupuncture - Most important on day of or day after ER.

(14) Take it one day at a time!

(15) Try and stay OFF the internet. You will become obsessed with every little thing and it will stress you more.

(16) Try and remember that everything right now is totally out of your control. You cannot control your period, your ovaries, your follicles, your blood test levels, your retrieval or transfer dates, fertilization of your embryos, implantation and whether or not your cycle will be successful and you'll become pregnant. Try and let the control go. Trust your doctor and the team. They are doing everything they can do to make your cycle successful. They want you to get pregnant too!

To be updated....