Complete guide to taking supplements!

[atomic sagebrush]

I don't necessarily advise taking all these supps (esp. for a pink sway) but this is meant to be directions of HOW to take them for those who WANT to take them.

There is no hard and fast rule about the best time of day to take supplements. First and foremost, take them when it makes sense for you...if they make you sick in the morning, don't take them in the morning. If it's too much to remember the optimal times to take them, take them whenever it works for you. Many people find taking pills of any kind as part of a routine makes it easier to remember. If you always do the same things at the same time every day (like taking your child to preschool or the office coffee break) that's the perfect time for taking your supplements.

Supplements can cause stomach upset or a jittery feeling, especially when taken on an empty stomach. They're not always absorbed best when taken on an empty stomach anyway. For best results, take vitamins after eating a meal containing fat. (If you just ate a huge meal, sometimes it is really difficult to choke down a bunch of pills and water on top of that as I learned to my very great dismay :sigh:)

Take supplements one at a time with a LOT of water. Resist the temptation to swallow a big handful of pills at once and if you ever have the feeling that they are lodged in your throat, try eating a piece of bread and butter to wash it down with. DON'T ignore this feeling, if it doesn't get better right away consult a doctor. On another website, a man gave himself a perforated esophagus by swallowing a bunch of vitamins dry - they got stuck and dissolved in his throat and ate through his esophagus.

Just to complicate matters, some foods can also interfere with/encourage absorption of some vitamins and mineral supplements. We'll take these special cases one at a time.

CALCIUMCalcium is best absorbed with acid. Either stomach acid (so take it after a meal, when your stomach is producing extra acid) or the acids in fruit juice. You also need to take magnesium (do not take more than 300 mg Magnesium in supplement form) and Vit. D for your body to best utilize calcium (This is for general health - for swaying, it's not entirely clear whether we want calcium to be absorbed into our bones or floating around in our system.)

Things that block the absorbtion of calcium include caffeine in coffee, tea, soft drinks; excessive protein, especially animal-based proteins; refined sugar and corn syrup; recreational drugs such as alcohol and cigarettes, too little or too much exercise; high salt diet; the Solanum genus of vegetables – tomatoes, potatoes, aubergines/eggplants, peppers - a chemical in them blocks calcium absorption.

FOLIC ACID and other B vitamins Of course, everyone swaying should take at minimum 400 mcg of folic acid. The B vitamins are water soluble vitamins and your body uses what it needs at the moment and excretes the rest. To get the most out of them, you should take smaller doses at several times during the day.

To best absorb B vitamins, you should take them along with Vit. C (see below) and with other B vitamins. Excess alcohol consumption and birth control pills can interfere with folic acid absorption, as can green tea and high salt intake. The TTC boy diet and baking soda drinks are particularly hard on your folic acid levels and ALL blue swayers should be taking extra folic acid - minimum of 2000 mcg.

VITAMIN C Another water-soluble vitamin that is excreted when taken in excess. For best results take smaller doses several times a day. Treat cranberry like Vitamin C.

POTASSIUMSince having too much (or too little) potassium can KILL you, it's probably best to get potassium primarily through diet. (potassium is in practially EVERYTHING but esp. fruits and vegetables) If you do want to take a little potassium, start very small (it is sold in dosages that are only 1-3% of the DMV for potassium. Take one with each meal and watch for any weird symptoms like diarrhea or arrhythmia. Salt, caffeine, antibiotics, and licorice can deplete your body of potassium, but still, it's best to just eat more fruits and vegetables rather than load up on potassium supplements.

IRONThis is not something we talk about a lot in swaying, but iron is a good part of a blue sway. You don't need to take extra iron, you can absorb it better through diet anyway and you will be eating extra red meat and fortified breakfast cereal Tannins in tea can block absorption of iron, as does caffeine, eggs, milk, and large amounts of fiber. Vitamin C enhances iron absorption, as do fermented foods. And of course the trusty ACV drink!!

HERBS I have no evidence to support this but I think the delicate compounds in herbs are probably more effective when taken on an empty
stomach if you can stand it.

This advice doesn't work as well for blue swayers because they need to be eating a lot all day long, but if you take the herbs with a snack rather than a meal, it may help.

FAT SOLUBLE VITAMINS Vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat soluble - they can be stored in your fat and used whenever your body needs them, and are best absorbed with a meal that contains some fat in it. Vitamin A can actually be quite dangerous to take in supplement form, so it's much better to get Vit. A through diet (it's safe when eaten in food form). All yellow-orange fruits and vegetables contain some Vitamin A.

Vitamin D, most of us probably do not get anywhere near enough of, so it should be taken in supplement form. Research indicates you cannot OD on Vitamin D in anything less than 10,000 IU (which is a LOT of Vit. D). You should take your Vit. D with your biggest meal (with the most fat in it) for best absorption. For best results, also eat something with a lot of Vit. A in it, like carrots or V-8 juice.

Vit. E should be taken at the same time as Vit. D and also with a food that contains Vit. A like carrots or V-8 juice. You can get too much Vit. E, so stick to the government recommendations on that. If you are taking anything that thins your blood, such as aspirin, cranberry, garlic, fish oil, or prescription drug thinners, you should probably avoid Vit. E as it may cause bleeding.

Vit. K is actually manufactured by good bacteria that live in your intestines, so no need to take it. If you have recently taken antibiotics or even if you haven't, taking probiotics can help restore/maintain these helpful organisms. Take probiotics after eating because otherwise the acids in your stomach will kill most of them off.

Iron and fiber can block absorption of fat-soluble vitamins so be sure to take them at a different times of day.

OIL BASED SUPPLEMENTSFish oil, flaxseed, evening primrose oil, should be treated as fat soluble vitamins.

FIBER Blue swayers, if you choose to take fiber, do it first thing in the morning with a big glass of water and don't take it when you take any vitamins. Fiber doesn't seem to upset the stomach like other vitamins/minerals do. But you do not NEED to take fiber for your sway and you should be eating lots of fruits and vegetables and ample whole grains that will give you plenty of fiber anyway. You may want to time your intake of fat-soluble supplements at a time of day when you haven't eaten a large amount of fiber.

Pink swayers, you WANT the fiber to absorb and remove fat, so you should take a fiber supplement with every meal.

GRAPEFRUIT Grapefruit can interfere with the absorption of certain nutrients. So if you (blue swayers) are drinking grapefruit juice to increase CM, make sure you take it by itself.

PROTEINThis is not a supplement per se, but for blue swayers remember you are trying to up your protein intake. Protein is digested best when eaten in smallish amounts several times a day, because your body can only digest 30 grams or so at one meal. Break up your protein intake into several chunks and try to get as much in as you can.

Pink swayers should avoid protein and try to only eat about 40 grams a day.

[atomic sagebrush]

:ttcgirl:Sample schedule for pink swayers - SKIP breakfast. Take 2-400 mcg of folic acid with or without other B vitamins. Take your herbs if you can stomach them without food. This is a good time of day to have some delectable Crystal Light as well.

With lunch, take cranberry/Vit C, 2-400 mcg folic acid, B complex, calcium/magnesium, Vit D (not saying you SHOULD take all these, just what the timing would be if you wanted to.). Probiotic after eating.

Midafternoon - more folic acid, B-complex, cran/Vit. C with snack if you absolutely must and fiber (taking the fiber at this point gives the Vit D. time to be digested without being absorbed by the fiber.)

With dinner, take FA, B, cranberry/Vit C, cal/mag and fiber.

Before bed, take another round of cranberry/vit C, FA/B, and then more herbs, then go to bed and sleep in case your stomach gets upset. The downside to this is that Vit C and B vitamins can make you a little wigged out and may make it hard to sleep - if this is true you will have to adjust to see what works best for you.

:ttcboy:Sample schedule for blue swayers - With your hearty breakfast containing at least 30 grams of protein and some fat, you should take 400 mcg Folic Acid, a Vitamin D if desired, a tiny amount of potassium, and eat some fruits/vegetables that contain Vit. A. You can take Vit. C and B complex as well and ~I~ think blue swayers should take these, but some people think they sway pink.

Midmorning snack - 400 mcg FA and as much protein as you can. Eat another Vit. A rich fruit/vegetable or two. Vit C and B if desired. Take herbs here. This is also a great opportunity to try a brewer's yeast drink (brewer's yeast has protein and B vitamins and you can count this in your daily total)

Lunch - 30 grams protein, 400 mcg FA, and half your oily supplements. Vit. C and B if desired. Probiotic after eating. Tiny amount of potassium.

Midafternoon snack - as much protein as you can, 400 mcg Folic Acid, Vit. C and B if desired. Take herbs here. Brewer's yeast drink if you want.

Dinner - 30 grams protein, 400 mcg FA, the other half of the oily supplements. Vit. B and C if desired. Tiny amount of potassium.

These are just examples of plans that you can come up with, I hope everyone shares what has worked best for them!!!

ETA - When I mentioned above to eat "as much protein as you can" with your snacks, I don't mean eat unlimited protein, stick with the 30 grams or less. My point is that you don't HAVE to eat as much protein with snacks as you do with meals, you can eat less protein if you are not very hungry, just eat as much as you can within reason, without stuffing yourself, so if you ate 7 or 10 grams of protein, that's fine for a snack.

LINKS - http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance_nutrition/vitamins
http://genderdreaming.com/forum/showthread.php?1879-B12-Girl-Friendly&p=13420#post13420

[crystal-light]

Thank you :HH:

[TTC5]

Thankyou!!!!
My hubbie swallows his pills DRY I will show him this!
Also, he takes fish oil with his Vit E.. should he not be doing this, you mentioned it is dangerous?

[atomic sagebrush]

As long as he's not having any issues with bleeding it's probably just fine. If he's bruising or having nosebleeds he may want to lay off the E and keep the fish oil.

[TTC5]

Thanks for that, so far so good!

[luvmyluvbug]

So if I am reading this correctly I should
Be taking about 6-8 400mg tablets of folic acid? Is this correct? I believe I am only taking 2 currently and my attempts in a few Weeks. Thanks for the info

[atomic sagebrush]

So if I am reading this correctly I should
Be taking about 6-8 400mg tablets of folic acid? Is this correct? I believe I am only taking 2 currently and my attempts in a few Weeks. Thanks for the info

Are you swaying pink or blue?? Pink swayers can get by with a bit less folic, 3-6 400 mg spaced out throughout the day (if you want to, or you can take the larger amount) but blue swayers should DEF. take 6-8 400mg throughout the day because a lot of what the blue swayers do causes FA to be excreted from the body.

[skrimpy]

Are there any recommended brands of supplements or just what we can find in the right measure at the drug store?

[skrimpy]

:awe: and thanks Atomic for putting the recommended schedules together - it's super helpful for planning :D

[TTC5]

Atomic can not find the post where we discusses this before, sorry, but you can refresh me please. My bottle says folic acid 0.5mg .. we have been taking 4 of these a day??

[luvmyluvbug]

Atomic I am Swaying l so 3-6 it is. Yes this is great to have. Make it so much easier.

[atomic sagebrush]

Atomic can not find the post where we discusses this before, sorry, but you can refresh me please. My bottle says folic acid 0.5mg .. we have been taking 4 of these a day??

0.5 mg is the same as 500 mcg, so if you're taking 4 that would give you 2000 mcg. That is just fine and the minimum for blue. Blue swayers may want to bump that up just a bit if they are taking a lot of baking soda drinks, green tea, and aren't eating a lot of fruits and veg OR if you have a history of neural tube defects. Anywhere from 2000-4000 mcg is good for blue. If you get more than your body needs, you just pee out the excess.

[lightofmylife]

Woww...thank you :)

[Zivic-Bubac]

Vitamin B complex is a big no-no on IG boy diet, I can't remember the reason behind it. Do you think it is good for both sways?

[Zivic-Bubac]

If I understood well, vit E is a blood thiner? And so is Fish Oil?
Is it safe to take them during 2ww? ( can they cause bleeding if the women is already prone to that?)

[atomic sagebrush]

Vitamin B complex is a big no-no on IG boy diet, I can't remember the reason behind it. Do you think it is good for both sways?

I tend to think it's better for blue because I believe that a nutrient rich diet sways blue. The B's are on the IG diet because of progesterone. (however as they raise progesterone they also raise testosterone!) But everyone needs to take their folic acid regardless of how it sways.

[atomic sagebrush]

If I understood well, vit E is a blood thiner? And so is Fish Oil?
Is it safe to take them during 2ww? ( can they cause bleeding if the women is already prone to that?)

They CAN cause bleeding (more the fish oil than the Vit. E) but they are both safe in the 2WW. Blood thinners may actually help a bit with implantation. If you notice any bleeding that is unusual for you, cut back. Garlic is another one that is a blood thinner and can cause bleeding.

[gizmo77]

:ttcgirl:
:ttcboy:Sample schedule for blue swayers - With your hearty breakfast containing at least 30 grams of protein and some fat, you should take 400 mcg Folic Acid, a Vitamin D if desired, a tiny amount of potassium, and eat some fruits/vegetables that contain Vit. A. You can take Vit. C and B complex as well and ~I~ think blue swayers should take these, but some people think they sway pink.

Midmorning snack - 400 mcg FA and as much protein as you can. Eat another Vit. A rich fruit/vegetable or two. Vit C and B if desired. Take herbs here. This is also a great opportunity to try a brewer's yeast drink (brewer's yeast has protein and B vitamins and you can count this in your daily total)

Lunch - 30 grams protein, 400 mcg FA, and half your oily supplements. Vit. C and B if desired. Probiotic after eating. Tiny amount of potassium.

Midafternoon snack - as much protein as you can, 400 mcg Folic Acid, Vit. C and B if desired. Take herbs here. Brewer's yeast drink if you want.

Dinner - 30 grams protein, 400 mcg FA, the other half of the oily supplements. Vit. B and C if desired. Tiny amount of potassium.

These are just examples of plans that you can come up with, I hope everyone shares what has worked best for them!!!

LINKS - http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance_nutrition/vitamins
http://genderdreaming.com/forum/showthread.php?1879-B12-Girl-Friendly&p=13420#post13420



here it is:
question on the sample of how to eat meals. it said that for meals to eat 1oz of protein (30grams), and for snacks to eat as much protein as you can. why? i would think to eat more protein at meals like a 6oz steak...? or is it AT least 30g protein if youre taking supplements?

[atomic sagebrush]

I answered this also on your other thread but I'll reanswer it for anyone reading this thread.

First off, 30 grams of protein is not just one ounce, it says in this link that one ounce of meat has about 7 grams of protein and lists several options for protein and how many grams of protein are in them. http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/whattoeat/a/highproteinfood.htm

The reason why I say 30 grams of protein is because your body can only digest a certain amount of protein at any one sitting. There is some debate about this but most sources believe it's somewhere between 30-40 grams of protein, and you just excrete the rest of it undigested. Since the TTC blue diet is SO heavy on the cals and filling anyway, it seems to me that eating only the amount of protein you can actually digest makes more sense than "wasting" cals on food that you won't even get any benefit from. Better to eat the smaller amount of protein and save your other cals for fruits, veg, and healthy whole grains.

The reason I say "eat as much protein as you can" for snacks is because NO ONE is going to eat a 6 ounce steak for a snack! They're going to eat a few nuts or a hard boiled egg with their carbs, and that is fine. There's no need to eat a full meal at snacktime, just eat SOME protein.

[atomic sagebrush]

PS - it actually explained this right in the essay itself.

"PROTEINThis is not a supplement per se, but for blue swayers remember you are trying to up your protein intake. Protein is digested best when eaten in smallish amounts several times a day, because your body can only digest 30 grams or so at one meal. Break up your protein intake into several chunks and try to get as much in as you can."

[gizmo77]

PS - it actually explained this right in the essay itself.

"PROTEINThis is not a supplement per se, but for blue swayers remember you are trying to up your protein intake. Protein is digested best when eaten in smallish amounts several times a day, because your body can only digest 30 grams or so at one meal. Break up your protein intake into several chunks and try to get as much in as you can."

yes i saw this. but then thought, i can eat more than an OUNCE of protein and you know what. i converted ounces to grams (1oz = about 28grams). i just did weights. my bad, meat doesnt equal pure protein, there is a certain AMOUNT of protein in meat. i must have had on dumb jeans that day..sorry! but still your answer helped break things down more for me!!! sorry and thank you atomic!!! ;-)

[atomic sagebrush]

No, there are no dumb questions, there are only things that weren't explained clearly enough the first time. Every Q you guys ask is an opportunity for me to clarify! Thanks for your question!!!

[shamid]

Hi Atomic,
Sorry could not find thread on when to eat some of the supplements, I am taking a break at present as had chemical in April. i am taking FA, fish oil, zinc L-arginine everyday and EPO few days before ovulation and the BSD and COT drinks from AF to ovulation. Do I need to take a break with the fish oil, zinc, Larginine, after ovulation, as I am not attempting for a little while? or can I have them whole month through. Thanks.

[atomic sagebrush]

No, they are believed to be safe during pg altho I would ease off of the L-arg once I got a BFP.

NEVER quit taking any vitamins cold turkey esp. when you're pregnant, just gradually reduce them over the course of a few weeks.

[squamgirl]

Is there a certain fiber supplement that you recommend?
I've kind of stalled on my weight loss and wonder if some fiber might help (plus, I'm getting clogged up and would like to rectify that situation!).

Thanks!

[zanacal]

I used Chitosan - however I'm afraid it didn't help with the bunged up situation!

[squamgirl]

I used Chitosan - however I'm afraid it didn't help with the bunged up situation!

Bummer :(

[zanacal]

Atomic said she'd used it very successfully as part of a weight loss plan in the past - but on the LE diet we're just not eating enough fat in the first place I don't think! However, still good for reducing nutrients even further.

[atomic sagebrush]

Is there a certain fiber supplement that you recommend?
I've kind of stalled on my weight loss and wonder if some fiber might help (plus, I'm getting clogged up and would like to rectify that situation!).

Thanks!

I did like the chitosan a lot and it DID help with being "bunged up". :)

my thinking is, even tho we don't eat a lot of fat when TTC pink, we will be eating at least a bit here and there and plus it will help get rid of some of the fat soluble vitamins that are present in the fruits and veg we eat (the fat soluble vitamins are proven to raise testosterone)

[Belle]

Could we drink metamucil instead? Tia

[atomic sagebrush]

Yes as long as it's not vitamin fortified...I don't know if they are or not.

[carmella_marie]

what about baby aspirin? Does it really work as well as cranberry? Would you just take one pill a day at say, Lunch time?

[atomic sagebrush]

Carmella, you have to test it and see for yourself if it works as well for you. People have been reporting that it has worked for them.

The reason I prefer baby aspirin is because it has no nutrients, less side effects than the cran, and you can take it throughout your cycle and into the first trimester and it actually may help with conception, rather than cran which can cause miscarriage.

Start off taking one baby aspirin 2 times a week and see if it works for you at that dosage. If it keeps your pH down, there is no need to take more than that. Some people experience bleeding/bruising (cran causes this too BTW) and so it's best - as it's best with ALL supplements - to take the minimum amount that works for you without going overboard. If you find your pH is staying higher than you would like, bump it up to 3 per week. You're looking for the sweet spot where your pH is staying low, but you're not experiencing bleeding/bruising.

It's prob. safe to take it every day and of course people's doctors tell them to do that in case of heart disease, but the prob is that aspirin can thin the blood too much in some people (the younger you are, the more likely that your blood is already "thin") and they get huge bruises and bleeding from cuts and during AF. I could NEVER EVER take either a baby aspirin or cran every day because I bruise very easily and I turned black and blue from taking 2 cranberry pills when I had a UTI - for me the cranberry is WAY worse for bleeding than the aspirin was. These are just nuisances, but at the same time, aspirin can trigger bleeding in the stomach or brain and this can kill you. It prob. would not happen taking one aspirin a day, but then again, better to play it safe and stick with the minimal dose to lower pH without causing the bleeding.

And for anyone reading this who is taking those super-ultra-mega doses of cranberry they advise on IG, PLEASE be very very very careful because I personally believe those doses are not safe for people.

[Mum23boys]

is there a new supps list thing as dont you know say not to take calc / mag ? I was thinking just vitex folic and then baby aspirin if i ever find out where i can get it ? I have cran / mag / calc but keep reading i shouldnt take them for a girl sway ?

[atomic sagebrush]

Well, this site is not like the other sites in that there is no right and wrong way to sway, so I have not written such a post because I want people to feel free to take whatever supps THEY want to take rather than whan ~I~ personally think is best. I present the info that I find and of course the info in favor of some of the other supps is everywhere on the other swaying websites.

It's totally up to you what you take. Vitex, folic, and aspirin are all good for a pink sway :agree: I ~personally~ think cal-mag sway blue and I don't think cranberry is safe.

Why are you having trouble finding aspirin?? It's just low dose aspirin and available in most grocery stores. It won't say "baby aspirin" on the box.

[Mum23boys]

Thank u very much. Ive also now thought of adding saw palmetto and chitosan into the mix with the vitex aspirin and folic - is this all good for pink ? sorry to sound so dim !!!

[atomic sagebrush]

Yep! :agree:

[Mommyof3boys]

This is very helpful. I am going to try the same thing.

[Mommyof3boys]

I am going to take vitex and saw palmetto from AF to O, folic acid and fiber daily and baby aspirin 3 to 4 times a week. Is there a certain way that I should take these or certain pills I should not take at the same time as the others. My plan was to take one vitex, 160 mg of saw palmetto, 800 mg of folic acid and baby aspirin in the morning and the same pills minus the aspirin in the evening and the fiber whenever I eat and a folic acid in the middle if the day. Sometimes I forget about taking the first pills in the morning until I eat lunch. Is it ok to take them at the same time as the fiber? Thank you. For any advice I can get!

[atomic sagebrush]

The rest of it is ok taken together (altho you may want to break it up if you get a sick tummy) with two exceptions:

Fiber should just be taken with any meal or snack containing fat and not at a particular time of day. I don't know this for a fact but it seems like it could even absorb some of the delicate compounds in the herbs if taken at the same time, plus the fiber can't absorb any fat from your meal if you take it when you're not eating.

Folic should be broken up into smaller doses and taken throughout the day. I would have you take 1200-1600 mcg in 3 or 4 doses, and if you prefer to stick to 800 mcg, then take 2 doses, 400 mcg each.

[Niva]

What is your take on prenatal vitamins affecting a pink sway, Atomic? With my first child I took prenatals for six months before ttc because I read some studies that said that your body needs time to build up optimum levels of vitamins/nutrients that the fetus will need. I'm a bit nervous about starting a low-nutrient pink diet with no prenatal preparation. Or would you suggest taking the components separately as individual supplements, and leaving out any that aren't necessary (or don't sway pink), and if so, which?

[atomic sagebrush]

I believe prenatals sway blue. Your body actually stores many nutrients for months/years in advance, and then the others are almost all available in adequate amounts on the LE Diet. The LE Diet is LOW everything, not NO everything - healthy foods are definitely allowed and in fact low carb veg like broccoli, spinach, etc are FREE and you can have as much as you want without even counting them.

Folic acid, should be taken by everyone of course and I advise 1200-1600 mcg a day while on LE Diet.

The exceptions, nutrients that are difficult to get quite enough of on LE without being careful, are potassium (so take care to get 2500-3500 mg a day via diet), iodine (use iodized salt and be sure to get the 700-1000 mg minimum sodium a day), and zinc (after 3-6 months on diet, you may want to add in 8-15 mg zinc supplement 3 times a week.) If you have heavy periods or tend to be anemic, you may also want to add in a 18-30 mg heme iron supp 3 times a week.

I understand the concern but you have to keep in perspective that prenatals were not taken at all EVER until very recently and even as recently as my oldest son was born, they did not have you taking them until you were confirmed pregnant and that was often after the first trimester. At that time, my doctor was like, "Well, you're young, you probably don't even need them" LOL. Plus, our diets are so much better than they've ever been - humans had healthy babies with no prenatals eating a diet so terrible that it's cringeworthy, for thousands if not millions of years. Shakespeare, Socrates, Mozart were all conceived without benefit of prenatals.

[Niva]

Thanks for your thoughtful reply, AS. The specifics you give are very good to have at hand. I think I need to get the membership and take a look at the LE diet! I'm glad to hear it does have the essentials covered.

Using history as an example, though, doesn't quite give the perspective I think you mean to reassure me with. Sure, people on atrocious diets had exceptional babies. But what percentage were NOT exceptional, or even healthy, compared to the current day? Far higher, I suspect, although the issue is certainly complicated by the high rate of infant death from any number of factors. As much as I want to do all I can to raise my chances of having a girl, I also want to do all I can possibly do to raise the chances of optimal health for my baby. But from your very well-researched posts it sounds like you have that goal firmly in mind, too, so you've put my mind at ease on that front. :)

[atomic sagebrush]

http://genderdreaming.com/forum/trying-conceive-girl/16780-low-everything-diet-nutshell-version.html

Yes, I agree about historical perspective, but at the same time people were eating those horrific diets their entire lives and living in filthy conditions so we can't really tease out cause and effect.

My point is not really "well people ate badly back in the day so it's all good" but more to demonstrate that the present mentality of "OMG if I don't do everything exactly perfectly for months on end before I conceive then my baby will have something terribly wrong with it" because these megadoses of vitamins were not available until very recently. :)

[EODwife363]

Right now I have FA with DHA. How much DHA can you take for it to be okay? Or should I go to the store and get just straight FA. By the way I'm swaying for a boy.

[atomic sagebrush]

DHA with folic is great for a boy!!! Guidelines for DHA run between 200-500 mg and so if you need more folic, it may be best to use just the folic alone. I've never heard anything about taking too much DHA, but just that it's an unknown and so better to stick to proven doses.

[fknonl1ne]

Hi, does swaying methods help at all when going HT or just focus on improving EQ (egg quality)? I am TTC blue and currently doing:

DHEA - 25mg am, pm, night
CoQ10 - 100mg am pm night
Iron and B12 prenatal complex - once a day
Vitamin D 10000 twice a week (Rx for deficiency issues)
Vitamin C - 1000mg at night
Fish oil - 1000mg at night (omega 3: 350mg, EPA: 180mg, EPA: 120mg)

DH is doing his standard blend of daily vitamins and just now added FertilityBlend.

thanks!

[atomic sagebrush]

If you're TTC a boy and going HT, improving egg quality will only help. Pretty much everything on HE Diet and the TTC a boy supps that we recommend most will only help with HT.

Have you had your DHEA tested?? It is not something to just take without a doctor's input. It can really mess things up for you to take DHEA if you don't need it.

If you're going HT then you have to totally avoid hte Fertility Blend we were talking about in another thread - it's incompatible with HT meds

[fknonl1ne]

Please pardon me if this is ignorance par excellence.
What is the test name for DHEA levels? Google links have only confused me. Lori at Dr. P said I should hand-write the test on the orders she sent for labs.

Thank you all in advance.

[atomic sagebrush]

I am not sure so please reask this question in the HT forum as someone will know over there.