Fertility Part 10

We have come through a full cycle from when we started The IVF Diet. We have done the two week cleanse entirely twice. I have had my second period after egg retrieval. Last weekend we attended a wedding in Marin County, north of San Francisco, on the coast. I thought it would be challenging to stick to the diet, but it was actually okay.

Sausalito, CA with Sister and Husband

Our hotel, the Fairfax Inn, was near a coffee shop, Coffee Roastery, which offered terrific smells as well as smoothies with an available protein boost. This was our breakfast on Saturday and Sunday. I felt that this was a good sign and that it would be good to trust the universe that the rest of the trip would be just as easy. Through this process, I am learning to let go, trust more, and worry less.

I brought with us some gluten-free baked goods, Nutella protein cookies (which we baked accidentally), sun-dried tomato oat crackers, turmeric seeded bread, and granola. On the drive up (6.5 hours) we had a super green flapjack bar, dried peas, almonds, hard boiled eggs, and beef jerky. I packed at least 3 liters of water, so we did stop about three times for bathroom breaks.

The first night was a BBQ, and I had a (bunless) turkey burger and a bratwurst. The second day, I had an open turkey sandwich on oat crackers. The second evening, I had a salmon salad with asparagus. I did eat a slice of wedding cake, but even doing so, my calories did not exceed 40% carbs. That day was very adventurous with lots of activity (wakeboarding, hiking, and dancing) which burned 3000 calories over 7.8 miles and 20,000 steps.

I read that the first period after egg retrieval is very painful, which it was for me, and the second period after egg retrieval comes very late. This was true for me also. My typical cycle length is 27 days but this past cycle (between the first and second period after egg retrieval) was 35 days. I had read that this is normal, not from my doctor, but probably on reddit, so I wasn't worried.

This post is for me to check in with myself. I feel sad because I have lost a bit of weight, but I am worried it will not be enough. A goal would be to get down to 191 pounds, to have a BMI less than 35. Hopefully, my sister will kick my butt into gear with her hiking adventures IN LESS THAN TWO WEEKS and I can drop a few more pounds. Okay, 10 pounds is the goal.

We had a great tour of the Marin Museum of Bicycling and Mountain Bike Hall of Fame. It was a fun and educational way to celebrate bike month. We also had a good time on the Blumenfield bike ride, which was on April 28th.

From what I read, again on reddit, the third period after egg retrieval is also late. So that may push things back a bit further. I am not really looking forward to hormone injections again. I am definitely afraid about the embryo transfer not working. But fear does not solve anything, so I am trying to stay focused on what I can do in the meantime (diet, exercise, weight loss) to create the best possible environment for success.