Not burying the lead: all 12 embryos have survived to fight another day. The clinic is planning on a day 5 transfer.
That's the good news. The bad news is that while I had planned to write a chirpy little post about how I was trying to increase my protein intake to avoid Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS), I ended up having a really rough night with the belly pain. I ate an actual meal last night for the first time since Wednesday's nauseapalooza, and I think my GI system did several backflips when it realized it had something substantial in it. I'm sure the doxycycline I'm taking isn't helping matters either. Now I'm racking my brains for ways to increase my protein intake without writhing on the couch for hours - I had a single piece of toast with peanut butter this morning and so far so good. I also brought a high-protein shake to work and it's sitting on my desk, where I am staring at it with apprehension as though it's about to jump down my throat of its own accord and start causing trouble in my tummy.
I mean, at some point my belly has to stop hurting, right? Until then, I'm just going to have to tread carefully and eat whatever I can manage to eat. And I'm also wondering if more dietary protein to avoid OHSS is a good idea at all, since I'm having trouble finding a professionally authored study on this, even though it's all over the infertility message boards as accepted post-retrieval advice. (If you have hard data to back this up, please let me know.) Either way, Gatorade, ginger ale, and Saltines do not a balanced diet make, so I've got to start mixing it up.
What about Greek yogurt? It's really high in protein and the bacteria from the yogurt might help to settle your stomach. I prefer Fage and Chobani brands. If you go with the plain yogurt, add a little honey and crushed almonds on top for a nice treat. So glad to hear your embryos are all doing well!!!
ReplyDeleteI drank a myoplex shake per day- they have 42 grams of protein, only 300 calories, and about 50% of all your daily nutrients. And the chocolate isn't too shabby, especially when you blend it with some PB!
ReplyDeleteThey're a little pricey (~$2-3 per packet) if you buy them from GNC, but I planned ahead got them for $1 a piece from Amazon.
Good luck! And remember, colace is your friend.
I drank protein shakes because I was quite ill from OHSS and couldn't tolerate meals. I puked for days afterwards and ended up having fluid drained a few times. I payed dearly for the 27 eggs they got out of me.
ReplyDeleteI don't have any solid evidence as to why protein is recommended. My clinic told me it was to help your body reabsorb fluid from where the eggs were taken. I just trusted them and went with it. I was too sick to do any research.
Colace is your friend! I agree with that statement!
Good luck! Hope you feel better! The embryos are doing well so that is GREAT news!!
Somehow I missed any dietary advice about my current IVF cycle. I wish I could help. What is the gatorade for?
ReplyDeleteHey - so the Gatorade is just because it tends to be my go-to drink when I have tummy troubles, you know, electrolytes and all that. But I've seen several IVF message boards give advice about increasing sodium and protein intake to prevent or control OHSS (see http://www.fertilethoughts.com/forums/ivf-high-tech/489153-help-i-need-suggestions-how-avoid-ohss.html for an example.) I'm a wee bit skeptical but if this is an excuse to eat a steak then I'll take it!
Deletetrue dat. I'll check out the link. Thanks!
DeleteI don't have advice but I just wanted to wish you well for the rest of the cycle. Hope you get a BFP!
ReplyDelete