swaying while breastfeeding

[atomic sagebrush]

Updated 12-16-17

Can you sway while breastfeeding? YES! With a few changes, you can have a great sway for pink or blue while breastfeeding (note - some other websites do not approve of swaying while breastfeeding.) PLEASE wait till your baby is at least 6-9 months old before starting to sway. DO NOT try to diet or take supplements till your baby is old enough to be eating some solid foods, drinking from a cup, etc.

First off, please read http://genderdreaming.com/forum/ttc-help-and-infertility-support/2194-getting-pregnant-while-breastfeeding-post17859.html?2194-getting-pregnant-while-breastfeeding=#post17859 This is basic info on how to get pregnant while breastfeeding!

:biggirl:Why might you want to sway while breastfeeding, anyway? Maybe you are hoping to nurse throughout pregnancy and tandem nurse. Or maybe you are planning on weaning if you get a BFP, but you don't want to do it until you absolutely have to. Swaying can take several months so if nursing as long as possible is important to you, there is no need to stop any sooner than you want to, even if you plan on stopping before TTC. You may even want to nurse as a swaying tactic - breastfeeding seems to sway slightly pink (although not enough to deter blue swayers) and it also ups your chances of conceiving twins, which doubles your odds of getting your desired gender!!

:biggirl: Why does breastfeeding sway slightly pink? By lowering fertility overall, helping with weight loss, and reducing blood sugar levels, breastfeeding does seem to sway slightly pink. However, many, many boys (including my own - I got one boy and one girl while breastfeeding) were conceived while breastfeeding. Breastfeeding seems to confer one major advantage for blue by increasing appetite and leading to more calories being burned off - if you eat much more than normal, you will def. be getting more nutrients, more protein, more fat and calories, than you do otherwise. It is also much easier to keep up your milk supply on a boy-friendly diet. Since some blue swayers have small appetites, every little bit may help!

:ttcgirl:Breastfeeding while swaying pink - The TTC pink diet is safe for breastfeeding, but you should relax your limits on sodium and potassium both for your own sake and that of your baby. We have found that neither sodium nor potassium even appear to sway and you NEED those electrolytes for you and your baby. Do try to lose at least a little weight and eat less calories (this may make it harder to conceive but that is GOOD for pink).
Skip breakfast only if it doesn't impact your milk supply. Your baby will get what he/she needs even if you are not eating massive amounts of protein and fat - aim for 50-60 g protein and fat. Do not drop below this.

The greatest challenge for swaying pink while breastfeeding is keeping your milk supply up. Cut back on what you can and take it a day at a time - eventually you will find a place where you are taking in less food but still have enough to provide milk for your baby. 1800-2000 calories is a good place to start - if you can't produce adequate milk at this level of caloric intake or if you find weight flies off, raise it to 2200 or even beyond. Do not drop below 1800 while nursing.

Exercise can be difficult while nursing a baby but if at all possible, try to do 60 minutes of intense cardio-heavy exercise 4-7 days a week while losing weight. If you have PCOS or tendencies that way, or have more than 30 lbs to lose, you should exercise even if you can only do moderate exercise. The benefits to your blood sugar and for weight loss are so huge it's still a good idea even if you can't do the full 60 minutes.

Vitex, calcium, magnesium, Vit. D, Vit C, and B vitamins are considered safe while breastfeeding in SANE amounts. You should probably even take a bit more folic acid than you would normally, minimum 1200 mcg, to ensure you have enough folic in your system for your new pregnancy - take it in 3 doses, morning noon and night, for best absorption. Folate is even better if you can afford it!

Vitex particularly can be very helpful to help you ovulate while breastfeeding. There are instructions on how to use vitex while breastfeeding in the link above about how to conceive while breastfeeding. NOTE - in the 7 years since we originally started experimenting with vitex to restore cycles, it has seemed to work for some people while seeming to make matters worse for others. I now think it's best to just have patience and wait for your cycle to resume normally without bothering with the vitex.

Clomid also sways pink and is believed to be safe while breastfeeding according to breastfeeding expert Hilary Flower and Thomas Hale, author of Medications and Mother's Milk, although doctors are not always willing to prescribe it to breastfeeding moms. (Warning bad advice coming! :oops:) You ~may~ want to keep your breastfeeding status to yourself when you see your doctor if you are trying to get some Clomid. Femara on the other hand has not been proven safe while nursing. Most doctors still advise against it. It's not proven harmful, either, just that there is a lack of data about its safety.

My recommendation would be NO cranberry other than via diet and avoid baby aspirin all together because both can come through your milk and make your baby prone to bleeding (I have a horror story about cranberry causing bleeding for anyone interested, it really DOES happen!!). Neither of these supplements has even worked anyway. You can use Vit. C while breastfeeding if you want to lower pH and there is a full explanation of that here http://genderdreaming.com/forum/ttc-girl-best-practices/7086-how-lower-ph-via-supps-cran-baby-aspirin-aspartame-other-techniques.html

Fiber - it is safe while nursing but I suggest not doing it till your baby is at least 9-12 months old and/or is eating many other solid foods. I would also add in a separate DHA and Vitamin D drop for your baby to be sure s/he is getting enough of those two fat soluble nutrients that may be absorbed by fiber supplements.

Hormonal supps like saw palmetto and licorice/white peony/Lydia Pinkham should be avoided. Aspartame and other artificial sweeteners should be avoided in excess (you can have a little artificial sweetener in SANE amounts). Also, avoid Sudafed if at all possible and reduce antihistamines to the day of your attempt only. Zyrtec (cetirizine) is believed safe during breastfeeding, but will dry your milk up for several hours. Benadryl (diphenhydramine) both dries up milk and seems to make a nursing baby drowsy - I strongly suggest skipping Benadryl totally when nursing. NEVER mix alcohol with antihistamine when nursing!

IF your milk does dry up a bit from diet, weight loss, or antihistamines, DON'T panic! Just nurse as much as your baby wants and your body will readjust and start producing more milk.

Coffee is fine in moderation provided it does not make your baby wakeful. You may want to nurse in the morning, then have your coffee afterwards, then waiting a while to nurse again.

Alcohol is also fine. Some people disapprove of alcohol while nursing but given the amount that it comes out in your milk (about the same as in your blood), you would have to drink yourself literally to death before you could possibly make your baby drunk via breastmilk! 1-2 drinks per day is fine. You may want to nurse before having your drink and then waiting a while to nurse again. Also, if alcohol makes you sleepy you should not nurse your baby in bed or in a cozy chair. No sleeping and nursing at the same time!

Other things like douching, gels, timing, ions, hot showers, and the like are ALL perfectly acceptible while you are swaying and of course anything that your DH does is also safe!

:ttcboy:Breastfeeding while swaying blue - Be sure to get as many nutrients, calories, and fat as possible. This is easy to do on the boy diet! If you have a lot of allergies in your family, you ~may~ want to avoid nuts and peanuts while breastfeeding. Some researchers believe that eating nuts while breastfeeding may predispose your child to nut allergies (other research indicates that it doesn't!)

While you can safely eat somewhat higher levels of sodium and potassium (remember, I would prefer you get potassium through diet rather than supps because it's safer) and lower levels of calcium and magnesium, please be SANE about this. Don't cut any nutrient out of your diet and don't overdose yourself on any nutrient.

Skip BSD, ASG, and COT but lemon water, gelatin, are fine. Avoid apple cider vinegar (we have dropped this from the blue sway anyway) because it lowers blood sugar levels. Fruit, veg, and coconut water are terrific both for breastfeeding and for swaying blue. So are the various yeast products although I am a bit wary about the kombucha. Green and black teas in moderation are safe while breastfeeding but just be aware that caffeine can come through in breastmilk.

I would avoid wheatgrass supplements and anything containing algaes like spirulina. Wheatgrass supps have seemed to sway pink for us anyway. Spirulina and other algae products have been linked to motor neuron diseases like ALS and I cannot recommend anyone take them as a supplement, occasionally in juice is ok.

Safe supps are any vitamins and minerals in SANE amounts (although I would prefer that you skip potassium in any but the very smallest amounts because it's so easy to get through food), 500 mg fish oil or DHA (NO MORE THAN THIS!!!) and SANE, dietary amounts of garlic. WARNING - even in small amounts, fish oil and garlic CAN come through your milk and since they are blood thinners, you need to make sure that your baby is not bruising more easily if you are taking them. Do NOT take EPO or flaxseed oil, or ingest more than occasional dietary amounts of flaxseed meal. EPO and flax oil are both blood thinners and when added to fish oil will come through your milk and cause bleeding and bruising (and I do have a horror story about this if anyone wants to hear it!) Additionally, EPO has caused opposites for us anyway and flax has been proven unsafe when trying to conceive and pregnant. PLEASE no flaxseed oil or flax in daily smoothies!

Robitussin and Mucinex (guaifenesin) are also considered safe for nursing moms although I would stick to taking it on the day of my attempt only.

None of the herbal formulas are safe because they have too many unknowns. Same with the antioxidants like lycopene, reservatrol, pycogenol and l-arginine and carnitine - we just don't know enough about these to know if they are safe to use while breastfeeding. Upping your intake of fruits and veg will sway safely by providing these nutrients. Avoid Fertile CM as it has l-arginine in it. Royal jelly and bee pollen should be avoided because it may come through your milk and predispose your baby to allergies. In fact RJBP should be avoided in blue sways anyway because it does nothing you aren't already getting from diet and other supplements, it messes up people's cycles terribly, and it can even make YOU more likely to develop a potentially fatal insect allergy!!

Other things like douching, gels, timing, ions, and the like are ALL perfectly acceptible while you are swaying and of course anything that your DH does is also safe!

[Out of the Blue]

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for this....Still BF DS#2 and no plans to stop anytime soon so this info is invaluable, Atomic...:agree:

[atomic sagebrush]

Here's a link to an interesting thread about one woman's diet while swaying pink and breastfeeding.
http://genderdreaming.com/forum/showthread.php?2201-My-Girl-Swaying-Diet-While-Breastfeeding!!!

[bodhi]

Thank you so much! I've been really torn about swaying because I'm not ready to give up breastfeeding. It would be terrible to stop breastfeeding before we're ready and then have it take ages to get pregnant anyway. This information has been extremely helpful in planning my sway

[DreamingPink]

Thank you for this! I'm in the process of planning my pink sway and I'll hopefully still be BFing DS2 for the first couple months of TTC!

[sixhappysons]

This is fantastic! I plan on ttc pink as soon as this baby arrives and this is just what I needed to see. xx

[indigoviolet]

This is great, didn't want to stop BF, DS2 is only 9 months but desperate to sway pink too. Thanks :heart:

[zanacal]

I was so happy to read this post, having seen on other sites recommendations not to sway and BF.

My DS3 is 18 months old and only has 1, max 2 feeds each day. I will stop before another child arrives but don't want to do that sooner than necessary.

The cranberry/baby asprin aspect has me a little uneasy. I know to avoid the baby asprin but what dosage of cranberry would be considered safe while BFing and how necessary is it at all?

Thank you
K x

[atomic sagebrush]

Cran isn't a must do for swaying at all. Most of the baby girls ever conceived were conceived without the benefit of cranberry! Cranberry also has nutrients in it and an excess of nutrients may sway blue. I would not lose any sleep over forgoing cranberry.

[zanacal]

Thank you x

[Mochagirl]

My ds3 is 22 months and only nurses once a day - mostly a comfort thing to help him go to sleep at bedtime. Should I take all the same precautions as moms who nurse more frequently regarding cranberry and baby aspirin?

[atomic sagebrush]

My ds3 is 22 months and only nurses once a day - mostly a comfort thing to help him go to sleep at bedtime. Should I take all the same precautions as moms who nurse more frequently regarding cranberry and baby aspirin?

No, but I would still be a little leery of when you take the supps - taking them in the morning would help minimize any potential amount of it coming out in your milk. You don't need to pump and dump, they will leave your milk as your body metabolizes them.

[Mochagirl]

Excellent - thanks. I've been taking one at lunch and one at bedtime, but maybe I'll move the lunch one to earlier in the day.

[zanacal]

I hadn't realised this. My DS3 is 18 months and only feeding once before bed most days (occasionally first thing in the morning). Would you say aspirin is ok in these circumstances?

K x

[atomic sagebrush]

I hadn't realised this. My DS3 is 18 months and only feeding once before bed most days (occasionally first thing in the morning). Would you say aspirin is ok in these circumstances?

K x

Probably. I myself have taken baby aspirin a few times while nursing for various reasons. However, aspirin is a little more concerning to me than cran is because in addition to the potential for bleeding, there's also Reye's Syndrome. 4-8% of the amount you take is excreted into your breastmilk (according to WHO) IF you breastfeed right away and it peaks 3 hours after you take it. So if your child is ill or even if you think he/she may be getting sick, stop taking the aspirin right away and don't take it until they are 100% better, because in children, taking aspirin when ill can cause Reye's Syndrome.

You also should not ever exceed the dosage of one baby aspirin a day, and feel free to take it less often - people are still getting good results for acidity taking the aspirin even as little as once or twice a week.

The very best strategy is probably to breastfeed and then IMMEDIATELY take your supps right afterwards, but I don't necessarily think that's the best idea for moms who nurse once before bed simply because if you do that, you rob yourself of the option of nursing a fussy baby back to sleep; it's prob. best for them to take supps first thing in the morning and then wait to nurse until nighttime. Zana, since you sometimes nurse first thing in the morning, I would just nurse and then take my supps right afterwards.

Just so we have it handy, here is the info from Dr. Hale's book regarding aspirin and breastfeeding.

the half life of aspirin is 2.5-7 hours. so in less than 7 hours half of your dose is in your system, and in less than 14 hours, half of half of your dose is in your system.

It peaks in your system in 1-2 hours. So it doesn't enter your system immediately, so take it, breastfeed, and try to wait > 2 hours before breastfeeding again to avoid the peak amount in your system. although in the table it says 1-2 hours for peak, and in the description it says 3 hours til peak. so your mileage may vary.

it is 80-100% bioavailable, which means most of what you take is absorbed by your system, and which means most of what enters breastmilk is absorbed by baby's system as well.

molecular weight is 180, which is low, which means it passes thru the blood/breast barrier pretty easily. (ETA - atomic here. My understanding is that things which pass the blood/breast barrier easily also pass OUT of breastmilk easily too so as your level of aspirin in your blood drops, the level in your milk will drop as well.)

volume of distribution is .015. volume of distribution describes how widely the medication is distributed in the body. Drugs with high volumes of distribution (1-20 liter/kg) are distributed in higher concentrations in remote comparments of the body, and may not stay in the blood. Drugs with high volumes of distribution generally require much longer to clear from the body than drugs with smaller volumes because the medicine is stores elsewhere in the body.

pB is the % of protein binding. If a drug is highly protein bound it cannot exist the plasma compartment. higher % is less likely to enter maternal milk. good protein binding is >90. apirin is 88-93%

adult doseage is listed as 325-900 mg 4 x daily.
Theoretic infant dose is .3 mg/kg/day.

[zanacal]

Hmm, I'm not sure I like the sound of that (but appreciate all the information - thank you!). Am I losing much from my sway by taking neither cranberry or aspirin - is it simply for acidity? Would it help if DH took aspirin?

Thank you!

[atomic sagebrush]

It's only for acidity. I don't think you are losing much by dropping it. The antihistamine + RepHresh combo will do much the same thing and of course there's always our trusty aspartame to fall back on. DH can take aspirin if he likes and that will help.

Just to make this clear, to my knowledge and after researching it, there has never been a case of Reye's due to aspirin coming through in breastmilk, it's a theoretical risk though and so we should be aware of it.

[rainbowflower]

antihistamines can make breastmilk dry up though, can't they?

[atomic sagebrush]

Yes, it dries up some for a few hours and then comes flooding right back again! o.O

[zanacal]

Thank you x

[zanacal]

Sorry, me again! Does the aspirin have to be taken long-term to have the desired effect or would it help at all to take it just a couple of times during the week of O? I'd be happier with that ...

[DreamingPink]

I'm probably going to be swaying when DS2 is 9/10 months old and will likely still be nursing several times a day. I'm not planning to take supplements other than vitex while I'm still BFing (I'll start them once we wean if it takes that long to TTC) but I can still take in cranberry through my diet correct? I know that Whole Foods sells dried unsweetened cranberries so could I eat a fair amount of those mixed with maybe yogurt and equal and it give the same benefits as taking cranberry pills? Clearly I wouldn't be taking in quite as much compared with the supplements, but couldn't hurt a pink sway, right?

[atomic sagebrush]

Sorry, me again! Does the aspirin have to be taken long-term to have the desired effect or would it help at all to take it just a couple of times during the week of O? I'd be happier with that ...

It can still help even at that point. pH can change pretty quickly.

[atomic sagebrush]

I'm probably going to be swaying when DS2 is 9/10 months old and will likely still be nursing several times a day. I'm not planning to take supplements other than vitex while I'm still BFing (I'll start them once we wean if it takes that long to TTC) but I can still take in cranberry through my diet correct? I know that Whole Foods sells dried unsweetened cranberries so could I eat a fair amount of those mixed with maybe yogurt and equal and it give the same benefits as taking cranberry pills? Clearly I wouldn't be taking in quite as much compared with the supplements, but couldn't hurt a pink sway, right? Cran via diet is fine, although do be aware that cranberries are a source of nutrients, and high nutrient intake may help sway pink.

[DreamingPink]

Cran via diet is fine, although do be aware that cranberries are a source of nutrients, and high nutrient intake may help sway pink.

Gotcha, so maybe just have one serving of them and take one pill? That wouldnt be too many nutrients so long as i keep everything else through the day low right? I was using the spring valley brand 500mg super strength pills (but taking like 3 daily) during my weak sway with DS2 (current pregnancy) which on the bottle it says one pill equals 25000mg of cranberry fruit. I don't want to take in TOO much but I don't really know what too much really is lol

[Mochagirl]

I was thinking of trying saw palmetto because I keep forgotting to drink my peppermint tea and am really starting to dislike the stuff, but I noticed you don't advice it while BF. If I were to take it right after my once-a-day nursing 22 month old goes to sleep, when I'm guaranteed not to nurse him for 24 hours, would it be safe then?

[atomic sagebrush]

Gotcha, so maybe just have one serving of them and take one pill? That wouldnt be too many nutrients so long as i keep everything else through the day low right? I was using the spring valley brand 500mg super strength pills (but taking like 3 daily) during my weak sway with DS2 (current pregnancy) which on the bottle it says one pill equals 25000mg of cranberry fruit. I don't want to take in TOO much but I don't really know what too much really is lol

Well, there is a heck of a lot more nutrition (the phytochemicals in cranberry and also the Vitamin C) in one cranberry pill than in several servings of cranberry, so you're def. getting nutrients via the pills. I do believe that overall caloric intake, fat, and especially protein, sway much harder than nutrients themselves do, I just want you to be aware of the potential risk.

If I were swaying pink, I would NOT take cran.

[atomic sagebrush]

I was thinking of trying saw palmetto because I keep forgotting to drink my peppermint tea and am really starting to dislike the stuff, but I noticed you don't advice it while BF. If I were to take it right after my once-a-day nursing 22 month old goes to sleep, when I'm guaranteed not to nurse him for 24 hours, would it be safe then?

I don't believe saw palmetto to be safe when nursing, especially when nursing a baby boy. Just not a good idea.

[Mochagirl]

Ok - thanks. I'll just have to force myself to continue with the peppermint tea. If I only manage one cup of strong tea a day will that still do any good? Is it most important to do it during O-week? Also, ds3 is on the brink of weaning himself, only nursing for a few minutes and fooling around most of the time he's supposed to be nursing. If by some miracle he does that within the next couple of weeks, could I start Saw Palmetto then and have it still do any good? I'm planning my attempt for around June 20th.

[atomic sagebrush]

Ok - thanks. I'll just have to force myself to continue with the peppermint tea. If I only manage one cup of strong tea a day will that still do any good? Is it most important to do it during O-week? Also, ds3 is on the brink of weaning himself, only nursing for a few minutes and fooling around most of the time he's supposed to be nursing. If by some miracle he does that within the next couple of weeks, could I start Saw Palmetto then and have it still do any good? I'm planning my attempt for around June 20th.

It can't hurt and may help (on both questions!!)

[zanacal]

I started taking Chitosan today and it only occured to me just now to check whether it was ok when breastfeeding (while I was feeding him at bedtime - felt terrible!). I read a few articles and have decided not to bother with it.

So, I'm now taking just Folic Acid, Calcium, Magnesium and Vitex and will take Antihistimines around our attempt. What are your feelings on this Atomic? I'm following your low-everything diet and the 2 things you especially recommended were Chitosan and Aspirin ....

[zanacal]

Hi jjc - I'm repeating what I've read in Atomic's posts so I hope I get it right! I think the issue with Cranberry (or Vitamin C) when used to lower pH is that they're both too healthy and nutrient rich - I believe aspirin gives the same benefits without any of the good stuff, but I'm not comfortable taking it while breastfeeding. That's why I'm taking neither and hoping my diet and exercise regime along with gels and antihistimes will be enough :D

[Mochagirl]

What was the verdict on Chitosan and breastfeeding?

[zanacal]

It doesn't say anything on the bottle but everything I read on line said it wasn't recommended - and doubted that it works as claimed anyway ... Also, my Chitosan has Vitamin C and all sorts of good sounding stuff added to it!

[Mochagirl]

Yeah - I noticed when I did a search online that it hasn't been tested with BF women. You decided not to take yours, right? I guess I'll take a pass. Thanks, zanacal!

[zanacal]

Yes, I'm giving it a miss too.

[atomic sagebrush]

I started taking Chitosan today and it only occured to me just now to check whether it was ok when breastfeeding (while I was feeding him at bedtime - felt terrible!). I read a few articles and have decided not to bother with it.

So, I'm now taking just Folic Acid, Calcium, Magnesium and Vitex and will take Antihistimines around our attempt. What are your feelings on this Atomic? I'm following your low-everything diet and the 2 things you especially recommended were Chitosan and Aspirin ....

I don't think the Chitosan is terrible if you are bfing an older child. It will absorb some healthy fats from your diet but your body is quite skilled at using your own fats to provide nutrients for your baby, so your milk should still have plenty of fats in it. People eat lowfat diets while bfing all the time, their bodies just take what they need from their own fat stores.

[atomic sagebrush]

Hi jjc - I'm repeating what I've read in Atomic's posts so I hope I get it right! I think the issue with Cranberry (or Vitamin C) when used to lower pH is that they're both too healthy and nutrient rich - I believe aspirin gives the same benefits without any of the good stuff, but I'm not comfortable taking it while breastfeeding. That's why I'm taking neither and hoping my diet and exercise regime along with gels and antihistimes will be enough :D

That is exactly right. Aspirin and the fake sugars are acidifying while not adding additional nutrients. It's my way of assisting the people who believe strongly in pH without going against what I believe about the Trivers Willard hypothesis.

[atomic sagebrush]

It doesn't say anything on the bottle but everything I read on line said it wasn't recommended - and doubted that it works as claimed anyway ... Also, my Chitosan has Vitamin C and all sorts of good sounding stuff added to it!

They say that about everything though. Nothing gets tested with breastfeeding women and the companies are just trying to protect themselves legally. I would take it in a heartbeat. All it is, is the shells of shellfish - it absorbs fat.

And I actually found it to work quite well both as a fiber supplement (the girl diet is very constipating) and as a weight loss aid. I lost quite a few pounds when I took it several years ago. :agree:

[Mochagirl]

I have another breastfeeding question! My 23 month old ds is right on the verge of weaning, so I face a choice. Should I let him wean himself and continue with my attempt in a few weeks using Saw Palmetto and baby aspirin, or should I continue with my once a day nurse and take cranberry and peppermint tea instead as I'm doing right now, in hopes that the swaying benefits of BFing will outweigh those of the Saw Palmetto and baby aspirin? Which combination offers the better sway?

I'm also concerned that the peppermint tea may not be working as I'm finding I have a hot temper lately that I've never had before and worry it's a signal that my testosterone levels might be high.

[zanacal]

I'll think on it some more - the shellfish actually worried me because I can't think that my LO has ever had any before and I was worried about allergies.

[atomic sagebrush]

I have another breastfeeding question! My 23 month old ds is right on the verge of weaning, so I face a choice. Should I let him wean himself and continue with my attempt in a few weeks using Saw Palmetto and baby aspirin, or should I continue with my once a day nurse and take cranberry and peppermint tea instead as I'm doing right now, in hopes that the swaying benefits of BFing will outweigh those of the Saw Palmetto and baby aspirin? Which combination offers the better sway?

I'm also concerned that the peppermint tea may not be working as I'm finding I have a hot temper lately that I've never had before and worry it's a signal that my testosterone levels might be high.

I personally think the saw palmetto is WAY more effective than the pep tea. And I like aspirin much better than cran. So I would say wait until you're done nursing and go the whole hog.

Just so you know, a change in demeanor can def. mean that your hormones are changing but it DOESN'T mean that your T is going up. You're accustomed to your T levels being a certain way, and whenever those things change, it can throw your emotions into flux. So a hot temper is just as likely to come from lower T levels (you don't have the same amount of self-control that you normally do) than it is from higher T levels (you are more competitive and driven to be "right").

Note - these are just general tendencies with plenty of exceptions and no one should freak out after reading them.

[atomic sagebrush]

should my husband and I be taking aspirin you think instead of cranberry? What dosage should I buy? Does it lower you pH as much as cranberry?

I vastly prefer the aspirin over the cranberry and if cranberry wasn't so entrenched in swaying lore, I would get rid of it all together. But people love their cranberry!! I honestly think it's better than cranberry for pH but do test yourself to make 100% certain that it works the same way for you. Also, it can help babies implant in the uterus.

Some people actually take both but I don't think that's safe because of the risk of bleeding.

You can also try taking cran for most of your sway and then taking an aspirin a day the week of your attempt only.

If you do want to switch over to aspirin, you can start off taking one baby aspirin a day. If that is too much for you, if you start bruising easier, bleeding after cuts, or having heavier periods, you can cut back to one every other day or even once or twice a week. The same advice applies to cran as well because it can cause bleeding too.

[atomic sagebrush]

I'll think on it some more - the shellfish actually worried me because I can't think that my LO has ever had any before and I was worried about allergies.

I completely understand!! (BOY do I! Ugh. Life with an Epipen. :()

FWIW my son's allergist does not believe the breastfeeding/eating foods/allergy link. He says it's not supported by the data (I have not looked into this data, just reporting what the allergist told me!) He says the reason why more people seem to have allergies is because of the hygeine hypothesis, plus we're eating more and more foods so it's more likely that people are exposed to things they are just naturally allergic to.

[atomic sagebrush]

I will give it a try for sure. Can you still take like 400 mg of advil a day with this though? I sometimes take it 3-5 times a week because of all this cardio we are doing. It has been hard on my hips and knees.

No, you aren't supposed to mix the two because of the risk of bleeding (and you probably shouldn't mix cran with it either for the same reason!)

I did read that it is ok to do if you spread out the two dosages by several hours, so you could def. change it up and only take the Advil. Advil is also somewhat acidifying itself so you may just want to roll with the Advil for a couple weeks and see what your pH does during your next ovulation.

[rainbowflower]

I found this about decongestents/sudafed when BF: http://www.kellymom.com/health/meds/cold-remedy.html#decongestants

[atomic sagebrush]

Thank you Rainbow, that is a great link!!! :agree:

[mumma 2 boys]

its so nice to know i can sway while breastfeeding.
and to know it sways pink even better!!!

now just have to start ovulating again. trying to find info on how to bring it on

[atomic sagebrush]

try the vitex thread, think it's in there

[Fiorefleur]

There's so much info on this site, especially in this thread. I think it's going to take me a long while to get through all this info !! :-)

[atomic sagebrush]

if you have a specific question please just ask and I can often direct you to the answer

[Fiorefleur]

Thanks !!

Ok. I have a question. I may have over looked it, but what would be considered too large of a dose of supplements ?

Right now I'm on a non-mercury fish oil, folic acid - 800 in my prenatal plus three of the 800 mcg on the side, vitamin E . Is this safe for breast feeding ?

My husband is taking the vitamin B 12, E, fish oil, folic acid..need to get him on a multivite again.

Do I need to be touching the B12 or just give it to him ?

I'm trying not to take too many of the herbs and such, I get paranoid . I'm herb sensitive, fenugreek and blessed thistle really drop my supply.

We're swaying for a boy in May.

[atomic sagebrush]

I don't recommend many herbs for TTC a boy anyway so that is fine by me.

you don't need extra B12 if you're taking a prenatal.

That level of folic should be fine. I took it twice while BF.

how much fish oil? I'd stick with 500-1000 and no more

I am not a fan of excess Vit. E and I'd have you wean off it for both you and DH. No more than 100% RDA.

I would add in extra Vit. D up to 1000, I believe this to be safe when BF (and have done this 3x while nursing)

[Fiorefleur]

THanks !

Have to love it when the internet eats my post up. FUn..ha. Anyway.

Ok, we'll drop the vit e, dh should be ok without it until he's back on a multivite, right ? We've only been taking about a week. It is 400 iu.

I'm using the Rainbow Light brand of prenatals, they tend to add random herbs and such I think. Is this still ok for blue sway ?

We'll hope on the vit D soon, then.

Is the 2,000-2,500 calories still ok for blue sway and breast feeding ?

[atomic sagebrush]

Boy I'm not sure I'd take those. Rasp. leaf can cause pretty strong Braxton Hicks contractions, ginger can cause bleeding and aggravate gall bladder issues which many of us are plagued with in pregnancy, and I'm not convinced spirulina is safe. It's probably fine, I am just real cautious when it comes to herbs in pregnancy.

[atomic sagebrush]

Also, we have the "autosave" feature so if you write a post and it disappears, refresh the page and you should see a little thingy pop up at the lower left of the box where you write and if you click it, your post should reappear.

[Fiorefleur]

Thanks Atomic !

Another question . I typically pump milk at least once a day . Our daughter will be 9 months this month .

Is it ttc or boy sway safe to be pumping a little bit ?

She eats 4-5 times between midnight and 7 am at night still. And pretty frequently by day, she doesn't really get much outside of milk and sometimes puffs.

Do I need to pull the plug on pumping while ttc ?



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[atomic sagebrush]

I think pumping is fine too!! :) I would just be extra cautious to get a lot of good nutrients and as much rest as you can.