Where do I start with supplements?

[Maycat]

Hello!

I am totally lost with this subject. My husband is getting a vasectomy reversal in May, and I am preparing my body to become pregnant. I am 42, and my dream has been to have a baby with my husband. He has 3 teenage girls, and we have been married for 5 years. Each year we have planned to have the VR, but finances got in the way, and now I am scared! I look young for my age, but am overweight by 100 lbs if you try to compare me to the charts. I am pretty tall and muscular, but still!

Accept for hashimotos and the weight thing, I am pretty healthy and strong in general. I have acupuncture every week to prepare. I usually exercise (this semester has been tough, but I am starting again, walking, swimming, maybe weights and yoga?). I hate supplements, they usually make me puke. I am reading about multivitamins and they scare me. I am almost done with my 2nd Whole30 now, and plan on doing a whole-infinity at this point, I don't plan on going back to SAD.

That being said, I know I am supposed to take folic acid, and a pre-natal vitamin, but not very excited about the ingredients in them.

What should I take to prepare to be pregnant? After that, what supplements are best for being pregnant?

Thank you!

P.S. And by the way, I can't afford Chris Kressler's program at this point. All my money is going toward this vasectomy reversal.

[angifi]

Hi Tanya,

Just wanted to say hello,and share my post-vasectomy reversal success story. My DH had a reversal when I was 41. We got pregnant 7 months after the reversal. My little boy is now 4 and a half.

Like you,I had acupuncture in preparation for pregnancy, and I think that helped. My TCM person also put me on some Chinese herbs, and some for DH to improve his sperm health.

I think it is really important to have your DH on some supplements before the reversal,which will help him heal and prevent scarring (scarring is the number one reason that some reversals don't work). Taking vitamin E and fish oil (Fermented cod liver oil is the best) before the surgery,along with zinc and selenium will help sperm health. He should stop the vitamin E two weeks before surgery,as it can cause excess bleeding.

As for yourself, have you read some of the articles on Chris Kressler's site? I too would like to buy the baby code (but also cannot afford it), but I have read some articles and one of them is about folic acid. I can't remember the details, but it seems folate is better that folic acid. You would have to read the article,as my memory isn't serving me too well. Also, it seems that fermented fish oil is really important when ttc, as it is high in omega threes, but also vitamin e and d which are really important for ttc.

I am still ttc a younger sibling for my reversal baby, and have been pregnant three more times, but I have miscarried, twice at 44 and once at 45, I am now 46. My losses are all due to older eggs, but I am still hopeful there's one good one left.

The supplements I am taking are: CO Q 10, Green Pastures fermented cod liver oil, magnesium,folic acid ( I only read that article recently,and will switch to folate once I have finished the bottle) and baby aspirin in the tww. If you find it difficult to take supplements, perhaps taking them with a meal will help?

I believe the Healthy Baby Code advocates having pasture fed dairy, but since doing the Whole 30 I have discovered that dairy, even fermented, doesn't suit me. Also, my acupuncturist suggested I shouldn't have dairy as it can cause a "cold uterus".

I wish you all the best, I hope the reversal goes smoothly and you get pregnant easily.

[Maycat]

Thank you so much for your response. You truly give me hope! Luckily my husband already takes those supplements. I will tell him about stopping the vitamin E right before the surgery. I just ordered some folate after finding that article on Chris Kessler's website. His site is so vast! I also found Melissa's post about Pure Encapsulations Nutrient 950 w/ Vitamin K, so I will try that as soon as I get more money together.

I have decided to do the Whole30 until I have the baby, so I am on day 31. I will try to get that fish oil, but I struggle taking supplements as they tend to make me ill.

Again, thank you for sharing your story! ;-)

[dncr4180]

I found a prenatal vitamin that is made from purely whole foods & I noticed a big difference in how I feel. If you are considering supplements I think this is the way to go