I’m obese and I’m not concerned. I just don’t think you can separate all the socioeconomic factors plus the stigma plus the mistreatment and undertreatment of higher weight people by the medical establishment. I’m not going to tell you not to lose weight if that feels right to you! It doesn’t to me and my RE hasn’t said a word.
ETA I’m not sure what kind of assurance you are in the market for?
That kind of assurance is good! I think one thing I’m trying to frame properly is that there are things such as proper nutrition, hydration, sleep, stress reduction and exercise which contribute to conception and the lack thereof tends to be the driver of my higher weight. Like I have periods of time where I don’t do any of these things (like now!) that drive my weight higher and aren’t optimal conditions for conception. It’s a good reminder too that a better goal than “less calories so weight loss will happen” is just “better nutritional balance and healthy habits and weight loss may follow.”
All that makes sense! At the age I am, it seem that no amount of healthier habits is going to shake loose the quarantine 15 and the fertility 15 - the body really likes to hold on to weight, and that becomes more true with the onset of middle age.
I’m not sure how much good habits REALLY move the needle on conception, but then I am jaded by 2 years plus in the infertility world. Most people who have had 4 transfers (as I have) have already had success. But, you know, good habits feel good and all that and can’t hurt and if I am spending tens of thousands* of dollars of family money, I should probably make time for some yoga now and then… Plus it puts one in a better position for pregnancy if one does have success, but at a certain point one stops expecting to.
*What I am doing now is “only” four figures per try but the egg retrieval cycles were $$$.
Lining check looked good so I am on track for transfer next week! Woo hoo.
I have been doing this long enough that I can now eyeball what the ultrasound is showing. I can recognize a nice ripened uterine lining and can tell large follicles (cysts and/or getting-ready-to-make egg) from regular little ones.
This fits with what I’ve read.
I wouldn’t necessarily focus on losing weight before ttc, but I would try when things weren’t working. Both times things have stuck past 7 weeks, I had been working on healthier eating according to my research preconception. But I have also done a lot of things in the “might help” camp.
PLOT TWIST my bloodwork showed Issues so now I have do shift it a day earlier, causing, of course, a major disruption to the whole week because of other things going on…
Noooo
Dear fertility friend, why do you think I’m going to ovulate on CD 14? The last few months have been 15, 16, 17, 16. Why would you not assume the number that is the mean AND median AND mode rather than a number totally outside of the observed range?
My period was very short and light the last few months and I am trying very hard to do the mental gymnastics not to freak out about it.
Can we talk “woo”? Like shit that isn’t scientifically proven to help but people seem to think helps?
I’m doing fertility yoga, because basically light exercise can probably only be of benefit, seed cycling, because turns out pumpkin seeds are delicious anyway and flax seeds are okay, eating pineapple because I fucking love pineapple, drinking raspberry leaf tea because tea is great, and wearing fuzzy socks because my feet are always cold anyway.
I’m considering acupuncture but don’t see an acupuncturist in my area that specifically does fertility acupuncture.
I would say either get an acupuncturist that specializes in something else you have concerns with, like anxiety or digestive issues or what have you, rather than have somebody that doesn’t specialize in fertility try to do fertility acupuncture. It really is a very specialized thing. That being said, acupuncture does help with lots of things, so there’s no harm in using the acupuncture to help something else with health, because fertility is all holistic and all that stuff. So it will still ultimately benefit fertility. 
I stay in bed for a bit after insemination. I’ve tried telling my husband the whole putting your legs up thing doesn’t make a difference but he feels like it should make a difference, so it’s a nice excuse for me to ask him to bring me some sort of entertainment and I get to just chill out for a bit.
ETA I spend about 98% of my life wearing socks so I guess I’ve been preparing for that particular bit of woo my whole life.
I’m sure it was a total coincidence, but a midwife friend totally swears by putting in a menstrual cup right away afterward. After 6 months trying with no luck I did that one cycle and we had Bella
Yeah, I may go up to Denver for a fertility focused one, but they seem to focus much more on people with like, defined problems. So maybe I’ll find one in the area near me for anxiety acupuncture, which is my biggest actual problem obviously!
Some people swear by belly dancing!
Ooh, my MIL gave me a belly dancing DVD a few years ago!
I’m sure it also doesn’t hurt in encouraging the uh… Insemination process if done correctly.
So, uh, funny story… I got referred to a surgeon to consult on gallstones vs endometriosis. She sent me for an MRI. But since it came up in my medical history that we were trying, she shared that she had had some trouble conceiving and found good evidence for acupuncture in the literature she then had luck with it. It seemed a bit outside her professional scope, but she sounded like an awesome lady I would have a glass of wine with, so I took it as a personal rec with professional backing (much like I take @Bracken_Joy’s advice 
)
In other news my temping app conceded that I ovulated and also progesterone is definitely kicking in with cramps and soreness. While I’m traveling. Guhhhhh. 
I’m debating on the acupuncture because it’s expensive and lol no my insurance won’t cover it. Plus I’m not in a place where I would be remotely defined as struggling to conceive or having known problems that would cause me to have trouble. Third it seems for such a thing they want you to do multiple sessions, and fourth I will have to drive to Denver for fertility specific.
But I’ve been curious about acupuncture for a while, and I just… Kinda wanna try it? And if I’m gonna spend over $100 trying it, why not try it for the thing I currently really really want?
But I could go to a place nearby me and get acupuncture focused on my anxiety and it would be $40 less and like 60 miles closer.
Yea, it’s def outside my insurance, too. There are a couple fertility based practices in the area, but I agree it’s expensive. Also reviews say most practices give you a whole regimen with herbs and stuff… I’m keeping it for after I’ve sorted out more conventional approaches, if I have evidence we’re having trouble. 5 cycles is only a 50% chance for a average couple, assuming 15% conception chance each month. And I think we only got the timing/GOF right once.