TTC a BOY LIBRARY

[atomic sagebrush]

UPDATED 12-14-17 I'm going to unsticky these and let them sink into oblivion. It's just too much work for me to keep all these threads going and up to date and barely anyone reads them anyway. The links in the Complete Index here: http://genderdreaming.com/forum/gender-swaying-general-discussion/3305-complete-index.html is in the process of being completely updated and that is your go to spot for the most current swaying info.

Hi! Here's the TTC Boy Library. Be sure to check out the two general swaying library threads too - a lot of the basic posts on things like timing, frequency, exercise, pH are in there. This thread is essays that are specifically for swaying blue.

http://genderdreaming.com/forum/gender-swaying-discussion-ttc-boy-girl-home-swaying-info/23533-intro-swaying-library-general-swaying-info-found-here.html

http://genderdreaming.com/forum/gender-swaying-discussion-ttc-boy-girl-home-swaying-info/23540-nuts-bolts-swaying-library-basic-how-pink-blue.html

These are JUST the swaying essays. If you have a comment, question, or would like to read the discussion posted with the essays, the links to the original are at the top of the post.

READ ME FIRST - Planning your blue sway! (these links are in the thread below, but just for ease of use)

There is a lot of info here and more coming every day, so daisynyc suggested that I make a kind of "menu" for getting started with planning a sway. (THANK YOU)

Any and all suggestions are very welcome...it is hard for me to keep track of what I've covered adequately and what needs a little more attention, please let me know about anything that you would like to see more of or that I maybe mentioned in passing and then forgot to go back to.

EVERYONE planning a sway needs to stop to think what their swaying strategy should be so please start by reading:

http://genderdreaming.com/forum/showthread.php?1382-The-Kitchen-Sink-the-Mellow-Yellow-the-Do-Nothing-and-the-80-20-rule-of-swaying!!

http://genderdreaming.com/forum/showthread.php?3147-Beyond-the-cookie-cutter-Personalizing-your-sway

:ttcboy: DIET

http://genderdreaming.com/forum/showthread.php?466-The-myth-of-the-magic-foods

http://genderdreaming.com/forum/showthread.php?788-TTC-Blue-diet-suggestions-Part-1

http://genderdreaming.com/forum/showthread.php?1397-recipes-and-meal-suggestions-for-TTC-Blue

http://genderdreaming.com/forum/showthread.php?1515-Boy-friendly-beverages

http://genderdreaming.com/forum/showthread.php?1513-Yeast!

http://genderdreaming.com/forum/showthread.php?1829-Many-Marvelous-Milks!-For-Pink-and-Blue.

Also, if you are a Dream Member, the complete High Everything Diet and some meal tips and recipes are stickied at the top of the TTC Boy Dream Members section.

:ttcboy:DOUCHES/LUBES

http://genderdreaming.com/forum/showthread.php?1444-Baking-Soda-basics!

http://genderdreaming.com/forum/showthread.php?1111-Pre-Seed

http://genderdreaming.com/forum/showthread.php?1134-The-lure-of-Lubes

http://genderdreaming.com/forum/ttc-a-boy-best-practices/1037-using-real-ew-post10227.html?1037-Using-real-EW=#post10227

:ttcboy:HORMONES

http://genderdreaming.com/forum/showthread.php?1113-Boosting-Testosterone-for-TTC-Boy!

http://genderdreaming.com/forum/showthread.php?1411-The-Exercise-Enigma-both-genders

:ttcboy:TIMING and FREQUENCY

http://genderdreaming.com/forum/showthread.php?1381-Shettles-method-of-timing

http://genderdreaming.com/forum/showthread.php?5636-frequency-of-BD-for-pink-and-blue

http://genderdreaming.com/forum/gender-swaying-discussion/9736-how-many-attempts-should-i-do-when-pink-blue.html

:ttcboy:SUPPLEMENTS

http://genderdreaming.com/forum/showthread.php?311-Supplements

http://genderdreaming.com/forum/showthread.php?803-Boosting-egg-quality (this is good for everyone but ESP. good for blue swayers)

http://genderdreaming.com/forum/showthread.php?3486-Helpful-Herbs-for-blue!!

http://genderdreaming.com/forum/showthread.php?504-USING-ROBITUSSIN-TO-TTC-A-BOY

http://genderdreaming.com/forum/showthread.php?1628-Complete-guide-to-taking-supplements!

:ttcboy:RAISING SPERM COUNT

http://genderdreaming.com/forum/sperm-qualities/552-guess-what-men-make-50-50-x-y-sperm-post3001.html?552-GUESS-WHAT-MEN-MAKE-50-50-X-AND-Y-SPERM!!!=#post3001

http://genderdreaming.com/forum/showthread.php?1171-How-to-raise-sperm-count-and-sway-blue!!

http://genderdreaming.com/forum/showthread.php?1138-How-to-raise-sperm-count-around-the-cervix-AFTER-intercourse

http://genderdreaming.com/forum/showthread.php?1143-Best-sex-positions-for-babies-of-a-particular-gender-or-just-getting-pregnant

http://genderdreaming.com/forum/showthread.php?5636-frequency-of-BD-for-pink-and-blue

:ttcboy:RAISING Ph and Checking pH

http://genderdreaming.com/forum/showthread.php?2065-How-to-check-pH-for-DH-and-DW

http://genderdreaming.com/forum/showthread.php?401-Ways-to-Raise-pH

[atomic sagebrush]

http://genderdreaming.com/forum/trying-conceive-boy/16806-high-everything-diet-nutshell-version.html

HIGH EVERYTHING DIET NUTSHELL VERSION

The full High Everything Diet is found in the Dream Members section along with a lot of other good stuff and more to come!! http://genderdreaming.com/forum/ttc-...-ttc-blue.html Plus, atomic always answers questions in that section first.

If you want to understand the scientific reasoning underlying the LE Diet, read this: Understanding the Trivers Willard Hypothesis

Before you do the HE Diet, take a sec to revise your thinking when it comes to sway diets. The HE Diet does not involve mineral balancing, pH of foods you eat, and there ARE NO forbidden foods on this diet (there are a few foods that you may want to avoid which I’ll talk about below, but even those are not make-or-break) It’s the overall totals of the day that count, not any magical food The myth of the magic foods

If you can’t let go of those ideas, please follow the link for a thread that will describe how to tweak the existing sway diets to be more in line with HE principles. TTC Blue diet suggestions Part 1

In short, the HE Diet is a high calorie, high protein, high fat diet, with high nutrient intake and eating in patterns that are more likely to help keep blood sugar steady (not high, high blood sugar is not healthy).

Basic guidelines:

2200-2500 calories a day

This will help you gain some weight. Don’t go overboard on weight gain, 3-5 pounds up to 10-15 lbs is plenty.

If you are already heavy, aim for 2000-2200 cals instead and try to hold steady with your weight rather than gaining anything. If you are thin, but super concerned about excess weight gain, stick with this lower limit of calorie intake to start with and see how you do.

If you have a lot of weight you’d like to lose before conceiving, I advise taking a break, losing the weight in a healthy way, and then resuming swaying at that point. I strongly advise against TTC a boy while actively losing weight.

Be sure to be lifting weights while you sway, to make sure you are gaining muscle rather than just fat. Moderate cardio is also allowed while swaying blue The Exercise Enigma - both genders

Adequate intake of nutrients sways blue.

Both you and your DH need to take a good quality multivitamin and get a wide array of nutrients via diet. I like Women’s One a Day for gals, and the Men’s One a Day 50+ for men – they’re cheap, widely available, and have a good amount of many different nutrients in them. I conceived 2 of my 4 boys while taking Women’s One a Day.

Also, all blue swayers should take a minimum of 2000 mcg folic acid a day, and if you have a history of unexplained miscarriages, are over 35, or have a child with a neural tube defect, increase this up to 4000 mcg.

There is such a thing as too much of a good thing, however. Avoid megadoses of nutrients because these things can make you ill and inadvertently sway pink. More is not better, enough is better. The levels of zinc in particular, that other sites advise are dangerous. 8-15 mg zinc for DW, no more than 25 mg for DH - do not exceed this.



90 g of protein a day up to 120 max – no need to eat massive amounts of protein (and it may not be good for your health anyway.) Only people who are very tall, breastfeeding, or working out a lot need the upper limit of protein, everyone else stick with more like 90-100 g.

More is more though – if you were eating 50 g protein and can only make it up to 70 g, don’t worry, you haven’t failed at the diet, it will still sway blue for you

Do not go onto the Atkins Diet when TTC a boy. Protein alone is NOT enough. (see below)

Eat 3 solid meals a day and 2-5 snacks (one of which should be at bedtime.)
Don’t skip breakfast. Protein and carbs at every meal, if at all possible. The traditional “Rice Krispies and non-dairy creamer” that some other sites advise you to eat for breakfast is 100% pure quick burning carbs and about the worst thing you can eat for a boy and should be avoided.

The amount you eat should represent the amount of weight you need to gain if any, and the amount of food your stomach can hold. Some people might do best eating small amounts more frequently, while others may be satisfied eating larger meals less often. It’s all about what works for you and what you need from your sway diet.

So a person could eat a small snack upon rising, then breakfast, a midmorning snack, lunch, an afternoon snack, dinner, and a bedtime snack if they had a lot of weight to gain, and/or if they were eating small, light meals. Another person might eat a big breakfast, lunch, an afternoon snack, dinner, and then a bedtime snack.

If you are trying to include a lot of things like bananas and avocados that are low in protein, but still are kinda filling, you can eat them alone, just be sure to eat again very soon afterwards. (example, a banana at 11:30 and then lunch at noon, or lunch, then avocado at 2, more substantial snack at 4, then dinner at 6:30.)

9-11 servings of fruits and vegetables a day.

The more colorful, the better. The more nutrient-dense, the better. Always pick the most nutritious fruit/veg that you can regardless of whether it’s “approved” on other diets. Eating iceberg lettuce is POINTLESS, eat dark leafy lettuces or spinach instead. If this sounds like a lot of fruits and veg, don't panic, serving sizes are actually a lot smaller than you might think and this is entirely doable for the average person.

Juice counts for your fruit/veg requirement. Drink 100% fruit juice without added sugar or corn syrup and avoid artificial sweeteners! Tomato, pineapple, grape, apple, pomegranate, blueberry, V-8, and orange juice are all great choices for blue. Grapefruit juice may even help to increase CM. I like Fruit2Day juices (available in the produce section) which are the equivalent of two fruits and have actual little bits of fruit in them. V-8 Fusion juices are blends of fruit and vegetable (AVOID V8 Splash which has been reformulated and now contains Splenda.) Minute Maid makes a brand of pomegranate/blueberry juice that is fortified with Omega-3 fats and is a great choice for blue. Bolthouse Farms brand makes a line of vegetable juice blends that are highly nutritious.

Coconut water and wheatgrass juice can be counted as fruit/veg.

Also, your fruit/vegetable intake can be used as the carbs in the protein + carb suggestion above. On the HE Diet, you need to eat smarter, not harder, to avoid gaining too much weight. So rather than eating meat + potato + salad + juice + banana at every meal, eat just meat + banana, or meat + juice. You’ll be a lot happier and you won’t overdo it on the weight gain, either.

Whole grains are best.

You may not have much room in your diet for grains (except for vegetarian blue swayers), but if you do, make them whole grains.

If at all possible, try to fit in a serving or two of oats daily. Oats contain a compound that may help raise testosterone levels.

Eat plenty of healthy and saturated fat

The natural fats, both the healthy fats in olive oil, nuts, and fish, and the saturated fats in meat, dairy, and eggs, are great for TTC a boy. Avoid “frankenfats” like margarine and transfats in baked goods.

Do not eat fish more than 2 times a week due to the risks of mercury ingestion.

Full fat dairy and calcium are MANDATORY.

If you’re not doing calcium/magnesium, you’re not doing HE Diet. You need calcium and magnesium for maximum fertility. I used to be more flexible on this but there have been too many failed sways among people who were avoiding calcium. There is NO EVIDENCE that cal-mag sways pink. It’s the diets themselves that sway, not the mineral levels.

Full fat dairy is great for fertility and chock full of nutrients, including potassium. If you must avoid dairy, go with oat, coconut, or almond milk as a replacement.

Get potassium from diet and not from supplements

It is totally possible to get ample potassium from diet. Taking supplementary potassium is not necessary and may even be dangerous. http://genderdreaming.com/forum/ttc-...ou-should.html

Don’t overdo it on sodium.

Humans around the world have a virtually limitless taste for salt yet the gender ratio stays right around 50-50. It is VERY unlikely that sky-high intake of sodium sways blue and it may even sway pink by harming overall health. If you’d like to increase sodium intake somewhat, that’s fine, but be SANE about this – no more than 5000 mg maximum and 3-4000 is better. If you’re eating a lot of sodium, please be sure to get plenty of potassium via diet

If you are of sub-Saharan African descent (black), you carry a gene that makes you retain higher than normal levels of sodium in your blood****** and you MUST NOT ingest high levels of sodium – it can KILL YOU to do so.

Foods that are probably best avoided

Soy for both DW and DH...DW can eat tofu, soy sauce, edamame, any less-processed, more natural soy food. Avoid the highly processed soy that is in veggie burgers, protein shakes, soy milk. DH should avoid soy all together.

Diet beverages...Aspartame, sucralose, saccarhin, and many other artificial sweeteners seem to sway pink. Allegedly stevia/Truvia are ok, but I’d still use them with some care because not a lot is known about them yet.

Excessive caff intake...Moderate caff intake is ok for blue, but keep it to a minimum. Green and black tea are better than coffee.

Sugar ALONE...It’s a misconception that you cannot have sweets while swaying blue. You can, just be sure to eat protein along with your sweets. Dark chocolate is great for blue. However, if you are gaining a lot of weight quickly, sugar may not be the best way to expend your calories for the day.

Nitrates and nitrites...Regardless of what you read on other sites, cured meats like lunch meat, ham, bacon, sausage are NOT great for blue. The chemistry in them may be harmful to your health, your fertility, and the health of your soon-to-be-conceived baby. Once in a while is fine, but the massive amounts advised on the other sites are dangerous. Stick with natural, uncured meats, organic if you can. Even “naturally cured” products contain nitrates from natural sources in them – they’re still probably better, but don’t eat them in excess thinking that you’re helping your sway by doing so.

Pesticides and medication residue...It’s best to buy organic produce, dairy, and meat if you can. It is expensive, so just do what you can do in that arena.

Shellfish...Shellfish are very prone to “sucking up” chemicals from agricultural runoff. I would avoid them all together for a blue sway. Also, be sure you are limiting all fish to no more than 2 times a week due to the risks of mercury ingestion and avoid shark, albacore tuna, mackerel, and the other predatory fish that you are supposed to avoid eating during pregnancy.

[atomic sagebrush]

NOTE - this was an earlier attempt at HE Diet principles - the actual HE Diet short version is the essay above this.

http://genderdreaming.com/forum/trying-conceive-boy/788-ttc-blue-diet-suggestions-part-1-a.html
TTC Blue diet suggestions Part 1

also there is a short recipe thread here: http://genderdreaming.com/forum/trying-conceive-boy/1397-recipes-meal-suggestions-ttc-blue.html and more recipes in the Dream Members section.

The “Bulk Up for a Boy” diet - This is the best diet choice if you are naturally on the slim side and you want a son.

Eat a lot, of everything - we‘re talking above 2200 calories a day and the more, the better. The "You Are What Your Mother Eats" (YAWYME) study found that moms with the highest caloric intake had 24% more sons than those with the lowest caloric intake. High carb, high protein, high fat. Whole grains, fruits, vegetables, dairy, meats, and as wide an array of nutrients as you can. Keep your blood sugar consistently elevated by eating three meals a day plus snacks, including protein at every meal.

Eggs and/or meat should be eaten every day, make sure they are well seasoned with salt. Not only is high salt intake part of the traditional ttc boy sway, but the YAWYME study did find a correlation between high salt and boy births. Remember that old wives tale about eating sweets for girls? Well, the second part of the tale is, “Eat sours for boys.” And what are sours, exactly? Pickles - which, back in the days before Heinz pickling vinegar, were made by fermenting vegetables in salty brine.

Another fascinating old wives tale is, “More boys are born in the year after a good nut harvest.” Nuts are known to raise testosterone and also have a great balance of protein, fat, and carbohydrate that will keep your blood sugar nice and perfect for a long time after you eat them. Have an afternoon snack of nuts every day. Fish twice a week without fail. I know this is not part of the traditional sway, but I believe you should eat full fat dairy and lots of it - enjoy whole milk, cheese on everything, and yogurt with berries for snacks. (I eat tons of dairy and I got three sons doing so, and got my 4th son from a failed IG sway where I was taking in massive amounts of calcium and Vit. D, and the YAWYME study found that higher calcium intake = more boys. )

If you are very thin, I would not do cardio at all. Focus on lifting weights instead. (see below)

The “Slim Down for a Boy” diet - If you are a bit on the heavy side to start with and you don’t want to gain weight but would still like to have a son, it makes sense to try a modified Atkins diet approach. Try to eat as many calories as you can without gaining weight - at least 2200 calories a day. Eat 3 meals a day, with lots and lots of fruits, vegetables, and lean animal proteins, (well-salted, of course) and fill in the gaps with small amounts of whole grains, nuts, and full fat dairy. Do NOT cut out carbs completely. Do NOT try and lose weight, because this will acidify you and shrink your muscle mass. If you really have a lot to lose, it would be best to lose the weight, take a break, and then regain a few pounds. I would stay on this diet for at least a month to give your blood sugar levels time to normalize before ttc. (While you are in the 2ww, you should be sure to keep your blood sugar level in the boy zone by eating frequent meals, and be sure to have carbs at every meal to keep your glucose levels high and ensure the development of your male blastocyst.)

Also, exercise is extremely important for you - more so than in the other two ttc boy diet groups. Cardio will really help you to burn off some of the extra calories you will be consuming in the boy diet, so even though your weight will stay the same, you are getting those additional nutrients. And do not forgo the weight training - if you are building muscle, even if your weight stays exactly the same, you will be reducing your body fat. And muscle will also help burn more calories than fat does, even when you’re not exercising. (see below)

The “I’m a Vegetarian but I Want a Boy” diet - Continue your vegetarian diet, with an emphasis on dairy, eggs, beans, and nuts. Eat as wide an array of fruits and vegetables as possible. Limit your soy intake to no more than twice a week (more about soy below). Aim for 2500 calories a day (yes, this is more than the other two diets). In the 2ww be sure to eat frequently and keep your blood sugar on the higher side. And don’t forget the salt!!

Again, if you are thin as many vegetarians are, do not do cardio. Be extra diligent about your weight training, however. (see below)

For all three TTC boy diets - The quality protein contained in nuts, eggs, dairy products, and meat should be eaten as often as you can. Fish is great but of course when we are ttc we should only eat it twice a week due to the mercury. Aim for 9 servings of fruits and vegetables daily, in a rainbow of different colors - one way to help you remember how many servings you’ve had is to buy 9 cheap rubber bracelets at the dollar store, put them on your left arm when you wake up, and then every time you eat a serving, move a bracelet to your right arm. By bedtime, you should have all your bracelets on your right arm. Bananas are cheap and an excellent source of potassium, and I would definitely eat them every day if I was ttc a boy. I am also a big fan of V8 juice and I drank tons of it before I conceived DS 2 and 3, you can buy it in big packs at Costco and drink at least one a day.

You should be gaining at least a little weight as you conceive - but you don’t have to gain tons of weight. I suspect that 3-5 pounds of muscle mass will make all the difference - however, vegetarians should gain more like 5-7 lbs of muscle before ttc, because they tend to have a bit less muscle mass to begin with. I don’t think you need to begin the weight gain until right before you ttc, but you should begin eating more quality protein and fruits and vegetables in the months before you begin to ttc.

In terms of supplements, take a prenatal vitamin, preferably one that includes minerals in the formulation, and of course your folic acid. I would also take extra Vitamin C, E, D, and calcium (though I know that many people may choose not to take the calcium and D). There are also pills out there that include micronutrients like lutein, beta carotene, lycopene, etc. Although it is far, far better to get these micronutrients through your food, if you can’t eat 9 servings of fruits and vegetables, these types of supplements might be worth looking into. If you are a vegetarian, you should take extra Vitamin B12.

I have heard good things about the herb red clover for ttc a boy. I would take the Enfamil Lipil DHA supplements, Evening Primrose oil, and fish oil supplements. But be very careful, because red clover and these essential fatty acids can cause your blood to thin. If you are taking baby aspirin or are at all prone to bleeding or heavy periods, I would skip the red clover and the EPO and take a smaller dose of fish oil.

About soy - many blue swayers are taking soy to increase their CM. I think this is a questionable practice. Not only does high intake of soy reduce testosterone levels (potentially swaying pink), but it may even cause birth defects in the genitals of baby boys. I think taking soy is so risky that I won’t even take soy to ttc pink. Soy is powerful stuff - I know we all think that they eat tons of it in Asia so it’s safe, but actually they don’t eat it every day. Soy is just one of many things included in the Asian diet, maybe with the frequency that we might eat hot dogs or tacos.

[atomic sagebrush]

http://genderdreaming.com/forum/ttc-boy-best-practices/1515-boy-friendly-beverages.html


Boy-friendly beverages

Drinks that will help you conceive your little prince!!

No need to drink ALL these things, just pick a couple that work best for you (although the more juice, the better!!) In fact, some, like the BSD or COT drink, can actually be dangerous when overused. It's best to choose the safest option that works for you and reserve the heavy-hitters if you really can't get your pH up any other way.

The following drinks are all 100% safe and are ok to use throughout your entire cycle.

FRUIT AND VEGETABLE JUICES - Drink 100% fruit juice without added sugar or corn syrup and avoid artificial sweeteners! Tomato, pineapple, grape, apple, pomegranate, blueberry, V-8, and orange juice are all great choices for blue. Grapefruit juice may even help to increase CM. I like Fruit2Day juices (available in the produce section) which are the equivalent of two fruits and have actual little bits of fruit in them. V-8 Splash juices are blends of fruit and vegetable. Minute Maid makes a brand of pomegranate/blueberry juice that is fortified with Omega-3 fats and is a great choice for blue. Bolthouse Farms brand makes a line of vegetable juice blends that are highly nutritious.

Wheatgrass juice is another great option for blue although it tastes like living death! You can buy little pots of wheatgrass in the produce section of your grocery store and juice it yourself if you have a juicer, sprout your own seeds for juicing, or they sell bottles of it.

The downside of some juices that are high in Vit. C is that Vit. C helps with calcium absorption. If you are sold on the idea that calcium = more girls, you may want to limit the amount of juice you drink. Also, watch your pH and see if too much juice lowers your pH - most juices are acidic, but become alkaline once digested and should raise your pH - still, it's always wise to make sure they are not affecting you.

When you are swaying for blue, you should try to eat/drink 9 servings of fruits and vegetables every day. An easy way to keep track is to buy some little rubber bracelets and put 9 of them on your left hand every morning, then as you eat each serving of fruit/vegetable, move one bracelet over to your right hand. By the end of the day, you should have all your bracelets on your right hand.

You can use your fruit juices as delicious ways to ingest gelatin (see below) and NYF/BY http://genderdreaming.com/forum/show...php?1513-Yeast!. And you can try mixing them with club soda for something a little lighter.

LEMON OR LIME WATER - Like other acidic fruit juices, lemons and limes become alkaline after digestion. Drinking water is extremely beneficial when TTC blue because it's a critical ingredient in EWCM and semen and throwing some lemon/lime in it just makes it even better. Use 1/4 c lemon juice (there is about 1/4 c of juice in one fresh lemon/lime or you can use the bottled juice) to 1 12 oz glass water (the size of a can of pop) - you should aim for 4-8 12 oz glasses of liquid daily when swaying blue, but you can count your fruit juice as part of that.

You can also make a highly tasty lemon/limeade with 1 cup sugar, 1 cup lemon or lime juice, and a quart of water. Simply Lemonade/Limeade is very very tasty too. Sugar can acidify you, so this should be more of a treat...stick with lemon/lime water for day to day drinking.

GELATIN DRINK: Gelatin is pretty much pure protein, although some of the amino acids present in it are not required by the human body and others are missing. However, it may help to boost testosterone. To make a gelatin drink, mix in 1 packet of gelatin to your juice 3 times a day (you can also put gelatin into capsules and swallow it, or mix it into soups and gravies). One packet of gelatin is equal to 1 tablespoon if you find gelatin in bulk. A great thread about gelatin with lots of info is here - http://genderdreaming.com/forum/show...latin-capsules and sources of pork-free gelatin if you do not eat pork, is here: http://genderdreaming.com/forum/show...on-pork-eaters If you live in Australia, here is a source for all beef gelatin. http://genderdreaming.com/forum/show...e-Gelatin-HERE

CLUB SODA - This is a kind of sparkling water WITH a little baking soda already in it. Makes a nice addition to fruit juice especially if you've given up pop.

APPLE CIDER VINEGAR - 2 Tablespoons of ACV (use the natural kind with the "mother" attached like Bragg brand) mixed into your fruit juice 3 times a day will help make you more alkaline and will also help with digestion.

These drinks are more risky and should be taken with caution, AF-O ONLY and you need to be taking 2000 mcg of Folic Acid if not more if you try them.

CAFFEINE -Caffeine is fine in moderation for DW, but take into consideration that coffee and soda pop are both acidic and should be drunk in moderation. Tea, especially green tea, is a great choice. 2-3 cups of green tea drunk from AF-O helps create EWCM and boosts fertility, but green tea may leach folic acid from your system so if you drink it, take extra folic acid to compensate.

For DH, caffeine once a day is fine but any more than that may lower sperm count. An hour before your attempt, he should drink caffeine as that may help boost sperm motility.

Caffeine has been linked with miscarriage, so it is best to stop drinking it in the 2WW, but as we all know only too well, it's very hard on your body to stop and start caffeine. As drugs go, it's a pretty safe one that we all probably have used during pregnancy on occasion. So I would wait until you get a BFP and then wean off of it slowly to avoid headaches.

CREAM OF TARTAR - is the everyday name for potassium hydrogen tartrate, an "acid salt" that is a byproduct of winemaking. It boosts your potassium and is easily absorbed by the body. Add 1 tsp. of Cream of Tartar to 1/2 tsp. baking soda and 4 oz. water. Drink when it stops fizzing.

In one teaspoon of Cream of Tartar, there are 495 mg of potassium. You cannot take more than 7 teaspoons a day (and you really shouldn't take that much even). To take that amount, you would need to build up very, very gradually - take one teaspoon the first week, then two the second, and so on. But it is completely unneccesary. There are SO many other, better ways to get potassium, it's one of the very easiest nutrients to get from diet, and too much potassium isn't good for you anyway. You can DIE from too much potassium (if it gets out of ratio with the other electrolytes in your body). Proceed with extreme caution and only during AF-O only. Also, you MUST TAKE extra folic acid if you use the COT drink.

BAKING SODA DRINK - This will raise pH and fast. However, when ingested at this quantity, baking soda is a DRUG and can KILL you. Take 1/4-1/2 tsp. of baking soda dissolved in a half glass of water on an empty stomach, once in the morning and again before bedtime. Make sure the baking soda is completely dissolved or you can give yourself an ulcer. Some websites will advise you to drink more than this but start with this small amount (or even just once a day) and see if it works. If you need to take more, add one dose at a time separated by several days (so, go from 2 doses to three and stay at three for 5 days or so before adding a 4th, etc) to see if it makes a difference, and wait at least 2 hours between doses.

The absolute MAXIMUM dosage is 7 one-half teaspoons in one day (NOT 7 and a half teaspoons, one-half teaspoon taken 7 times). But this is the absolute maximum and can only be taken for two weeks at the very most. And if you take baking soda baths, douche, or use the scrub you need to reduce that amount to 5 because some baking soda is absorbed through your skin. Taking in massive amounts of baking soda is not good for you and swaying isn't worth ruining your health over, especially since superhigh pH ISN'T EVEN SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN TO SWAY BLUE. You MUST TAKE high doses of folic acid if you choose to use the BSD.

[atomic sagebrush]

http://genderdreaming.com/forum/ttc-boy-best-practices/1513-yeast.html
Yeast!

There's a fungus among us, and it may sway blue!

Here are several yeast-based nutritional supplements available that may help conceive a baby boy. Both DH and DW can really benefit by adding these friendly fungi to a blue diet.

NUTRITIONAL YEAST FLAKES - Also called, "savory yeast flakes", "brufax" or "yeshi". NYF is extremely healthy, high in sodium and potassium, low in calcium, and is used as an ingredient in recipes or as a condiment. It is commercially available in the form of flakes, or as a yellow powder similar in texture to cornmeal, and can be found in the bulk aisle of most natural food stores.

The taste of NYF is described as nutty, cheesy, or creamy, which makes it popular as a cheese substitutes (great for blue swayers who are trying to avoid dairy). Often used on top of pasta in place of parmesan cheese, as a topping for popcorn, in mashed and fried potatoes.

NYF are high in protein and vitamins, especially B vitamins. Unlike most vegetable proteins, NYF is a complete protein. Some brands are also fortified with B12 and it's up to you whether you buy that kind or not - when eating a blue-friendly diet, you will be getting ample B12 through eggs and meats, but if you are a vegetarian/vegan swaying blue, you will def. want to seek out the fortified variety.

BREWER'S YEAST - Similar to NYF but with some additional nutrients, particularly chromium, which helps sway blue by reducing the ratio of body fat to muscle mass. Also may raise good cholesterol levels (your body uses that good cholesterol to manufacture estrogen and testosterone!) Brewer's yeast isn't tasty like NYF is and is best taken in teaspoonfuls stirred into fruit juices or mixed into other foods.

BY is low in calcium and is a good source of sodium and potassium, is a good source of nucleic acids (helps cells divide and grow), is a complete vegetarian source of protein, a good vegetarian source of iron, and has compounds in it that help regulate your blood sugar and keep it even, which XY beans prefer. If you don't use BY at any other time, during the 2 WW it is an excellent addition to your diet.

Some brands of brewer's yeast are debittered to make them more palatable, but the debittering process removes the chromium. Get the "bitter" kind!

Mixing BY into citrus juice, pineapple juice, or V-8 will help the iron to be absorbed. This is an excellent snack for blue because it's not a lot of calories (you have to eat SO MUCH when swaying blue anyway it's nice to be able to cut a corner here and there) and yet it has a lot of protein in it.

NOTE - both NYF and BY can be added to foods you are cooking to fortify them, but be aware that heat destroys some of the nutrients. Add at the end of cooking for best results.

VEGEMITE - A brown, yeast based paste commonly eaten in Australia, that is rich in B-vitamins and high in sodium. Has a bit of protein as well, about 3 grams per tablespoon. There are several versions available round the world and it's just a matter of finding the one you like the best and what is available in your area. Marmite (UK, NZ, and SA) and Cenovis (Continental Europe) are other brands you might see available or you can order it online for those who live in the US.

If you miss bagels and cream cheese but are avoiding dairy for your blue sway, give Vegemite a try instead. Vegemite sandwiches with vegetables on whole wheat bread are another delicious possibility.

APPLE CIDER VINEGAR - Apple juice fermented with yeast yields ACV. Drinking ACV (4 oz of water mixed with 2 Tablespoons of ACV and drunk 3 times a day) will react in your body to make you more alkaline and also may help improve general health and aid digestion. It's best to drink this later in the day, starting at lunchtime. You want the natural ACV with the "mother" attached, like Bragg's brand. Bragg Live Foods, Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar, Bragg Liquid Aminos, Bragg Live Organic Food Products, Patricia Bragg, Paul Bragg, Bragg Organic Olive Oil, Bragg Salad Dressings, Bragg Seasonings, Bragg Health Products, HEALTHY HEART, BACK FITNESS, HEAL (http://bragg.com/zencart/index.php?m...rv4tctvs2nibe2)

In some countries, finding ACV with the mother attached can be difficult or very expensive. In the UK, it can be found in the pet store sold as a dietary supplement for horses for much less cost.

OR, you can try making it yourself if you are very adventurous! http://www.earthclinic.com/Remedies/...r_vinegar.html

KOMBUCHA - A kind of tea fermented with yeast to create a mixture rich in vinegar and B-Vitamins along with a number of other acids that are supposed to be very healthy. It's basically ACV made out of tea instead of apple juice. Since this is a newer product and some concerns have been raised about how it is produced (you don't want a kind of Kombucha that has been brewed in a lead pot or in anything other than sanitary conditions), it's best to stick with reliable, made in the US/UK/AU brands rather than trying to make it yourself or purchasing brands that are of unknown origin. Start with 4 oz a day. You can find it at natural foods stores. It is very rich in B vitamins.

KEFIR - This is a bit more controversial a choice, because Kefir is yeast-fermented MILK. You may or may not want to avoid dairy products all together when swaying blue (please read "The Calcium Conundrum" for more about this http://genderdreaming.com/forum/show...cium+conundrum) but if you are really craving something milk-based, this is actually a fairly decent choice for a cheat. It has protein, good fat, sodium, cholesterol, and is fortified with Vit. D3 which raises testosterone. And of course it has the B vitamins that the yeast provides and probiotics that will set up shop in your digestive tract and help you digest your food and get the maximum benefit from the foods you eat.

I have read of some people experimenting by making kefir out of things like coconut or soy milks, but I don't know if you can actually buy those in the store or not. Anyway, kefir is available at most health food stores.

[atomic sagebrush]

http://genderdreaming.com/forum/ttc-boy-best-practices/1800-wheatgrass-juice.html


wheatgrass juice!

Wheatgrass is exactly what the name suggests! It's the juiced form of the leafy greens that grow into wheat. It's great for TTC blue because it's packed with nutrients and it is very alkalinizing. You only need to drink 1 ounce of wheatgrass juice to get its benefits - this is the amount of liquid in a shot glass.

You can buy it prejuiced in your grocery store, dried in powder form or in liquid concentrate online or in a health food store, OR you can make it yourself at home if you have a fruit/veg juicer. (we have the Omega Juicer and I have used it for 5 years and it's still going strong. Official Omega Site | Omega Juicers (http://www.omegajuicers.com/) but there are cheaper options available.) It is actually a super fun project to do with kids too.

To make your own wheatgrass juice, you will need either wheatgrass that has already been grown (some grocery stores sell wheatgrass in little pots in the produce section) or you will need to grow or sprout it yourself.

To grow wheatgrass, you'll need 6-12 pots (medium-large size because it takes quite a bit of wheatgrass to provide juice for every day) or a couple of plastic trays for starting seedlings (trays are easier but pots are more accessible for people, you probably have a few lying around the house right now), and some decent potting soil. And of course, wheatgrass seeds, which are available online. I ordered from these guys Wheatgrass Kits.com - Growing & Juicing Info, Kits & Wheat Grass Juicers (http://www.wheatgrasskits.com/index.html) and they also sell juicers and trays and other wheatgrass/sprouting stuff.

Fill up a tray (don't plant all your trays at once but you will prob. need to plant more than one pot, because they're smaller) with an inch of soil and put them somewhere where the temp is around 65-75 degrees and they'll be out of the way - they won't need sunlight yet. If you are in a big hurry you can soak the wheatgrass seeds overnight before planting them, but otherwise just spread a layer of seeds out (you can plant them quite thickly - one cup of wheatgrass seeds plants one 10x14 tray). Don't put any soil on top of them because that will give you dirty wheatgrass. Instead cover them with another tray to trick the seeds into thinking they're covered with soil.

After leaving them covered for 2 days if you soaked them or 3 days if you didn't, uncover the tray and put it where it will get indirect sun - too shady and the seeds won't grow, too bright and they get dried out and die because they don't have soil on top of them. The little seeds should be sprouting now and be very cute and healthy looking. IF you see any evidence of mold, throw the entire thing away and start over again with less water (or don't soak the seeds ahead of time.)

Keep the soil moist and in 6-12 days (faster in warm weather, slower in cool) it will be 7-10 inches tall and ready to juice. It's probably best to begin harvesting it when it's on the smaller side because at some point it will send up a seed stalk and become too fibrous to juice.

To harvest it, cut it off close to the soil. If you're going to juice it right away you can rinse it, but if you plan on storing it, you should not rinse it, just put in into a Ziploc and into the fridge, handling it as little as possible. You can store it for several days in the fridge, so if you're worried that your grass is getting too old to juice, just cut it all and juice it as you go. You CAN'T juice it ahead of time, though, because it spoils almost right away. Cutting it all at once is easier and it also may help you to get your next batch of grass started sooner, but of course it does cut down on some of the nutrients.

The 10x14 tray will provide enough wheatgrass for 7-10 ounces of juice, so it seems to work out to keep two trays in production at all times to provide a supply of daily grass to juice.

The grass will come right back up from the cut roots at least once and usually 2 or three times. At some point the plants begin to get kinda spindly and that's the point where you discard the mat, either in the trash or a worm bin or into a HOT compost pile. If you put it into your garden without composting or into a cold compost pile, it will come back to life and take over your garden!!

However, it can be really fun for your kids if you do let some of them complete their life cycle, even if you just plant a few extra seeds in a spare pot, because they grow into beautiful heads of wheat and your kids can see the entire wheat life cycle and learn where their bread comes from.

Sprouting is very easy to do. Rather than messing around with dirt and pots, you'll need several glass jars and some cheesecloth, or a sprouter. Put some seeds into the jar and rinse them well, then cover them with a double-thick square of cheesecloth and drain them and put them in a place where they'll get indirect sun (for the same reasons as above). Continue rinsing and draining them every day.

When they are about 3 inches tall, you can juice them. Any taller than that and it's hard to get them out of the jar!

The downside is, in order to get enough wheatgrass to juice, you really have to sprout quite a few jars full of seeds and you can't juice the second and third cuttings like you can with the planting method. So in the end it turns out it's really as much work as the planting method is. And sprouts always have the potential to got yucky/moldy - if they ever develop any strange odor, throw them away. (it's really obvious if they go bad.) But, if you only want to "enjoy" the delicious wheatgrass once or twice a week or if you are interested in giving it a try before launching into wheatgrass farming, this may be a good option.

You can also sprout OTHER seeds this way, for eating or to juice and mix them in with your wheatgrass juice if you like. Broccoli, cabbage, sunflower, barley, lentil, and onion are some other very nutritious sprouts that you may not think of.

How to juice wheatgrass -

Even though some sites will offer manual juicers or directions for juicing the grass with a meat grinder, DON'T BOTHER. Juicing is a lot of work as it is and I HIGHLY recommend going with an electric juicer ( "low speed juicer" or "wheatgrass" juicer are what are designed for wheatgrass, while "high speed" juicers are designed for fruits and veg. There are some juicers that are good at BOTH wheatgrass and fruits and vegetables and it is well worth the expense to get one). Yes, juicers are very expensive but the good ones (Omega is the one I have) will last a LONG time and you can juice about everything in them, plus make your own nut butters. Very good for blue!!

Anyway, basically you just follow the directions that came with your juicer, but I just want to give you a couple wheatgrass tips that I learned along the way - be SURE that your wheatgrass has not gotten too mature to juice. If it is sending up a seed stalk it is too tough and it will not go through your juicer. I actually broke part of my juicer trying to juice the stalks.

Also, you may want to save the pulp, you can use it to make vegetable broth or in the case of wheatgrass, iced tea. A lot of nutrients are left behind in the pulp and I always thought it was a shame to waste them. I will write a post on how to make your own broth but for wheatgrass pulp tea, just freeze the pulp until you have a few days worth, and then pour boiling water over it and let it steep for several minutes. Strain it, add lemon and sweeten with stevia and it's a great drink for blue.

IF you don't have a juicer and you want to give it a try before investing in one, you can try making WGJ in your blender or food processor. Blend a little water and cut wheatgrass (cut it into pieces about 2 in. long) until it is pulverized. If the grass is not mixing properly, just add a bit more water. Strain out the pulp and drink the juice. If you don't put enough water in, this can be hard on your blender.

WARNING - Wheatgrass tastes HORRIBLE. Seriously. Aside from an ill-advised experiment with sea-urchin sushi, it is the worst thing I have ever tasted. It can also upset your stomach and give you very loose stools. So start slow with wheatgrass (1 ounce), mix it with other juices, and even the most fanatic wheatgrass lovers only drink like 4 ounces a day.

heatgrass Recipes - these recipes are adapted from The Wheatgrass Book by Ann Wigmore, the Queen of Wheatgrass Juice.

Quantities - one good sized handful of wheatgrass (aka "a bunch"), usually will yield an ounce of wheatgrass juice.

A shot glass is equal to one ounce of juice.

Always juice the wheatgrass FIRST, because then the other ingredients will continue to push the nutrients from the wheatgrass pulp that has been left behind in the juicer, out into the juice.

If you have only a wheatgrass juicer, you will have to use storebought fruit/veg juice because wheatgrass juicers don't do a good job on fruits and vegetables (other than greens - parsley, spinach, celery, sprouts all juice well in a low speed/wheatgrass juicer). Or, buy a juicer designed to handle both.

GREEN DRINK WITH GRASS - 1 bunch (one oz) wheatgrass, 3 oz. of mixed greens/sprout juice (parsley, spinach, sprouts, etc) 3 medium carrots OR 3 oz. carrot juice

VEGETABLE GRASS DRINK - 1 or 2 bunches of wheatgrass (1-2 oz), 1 oz. parsley (about 1/2 a bunch) 3 oz. celery juice (two large stalks), 3 oz. carrot juice (three medium carrots)

WHEAT BEET JUICE - 1 or 2 bunches wheatgrass (1-2 oz), 1 medium beet (1-2 oz juice) 6 oz. cucumber juice (about 1/2 cuke).

WHEATGRASS COCKTAIL - 1 or 2 bunches wheatgrass (1-2 oz), 2 apples (6 oz apple juice)

WHEATGRASSHOPPER - 1-2 bunches wheatgrass (1-2 oz) 6 oz. pineapple juice, about 1/4 of a pineapple (Hint - when I buy a fresh pineapple, I save the peel and the inedible core and juice it in my juicer, thereby getting pineapple juice from things I normally throw out.) and 3 leaves mint. (yes, mint can sway pink but this is a very small amount of mint).

After you've made/mixed the juice, blend it in a blender with 2 ice ****s.

WHEATERMELON JUICE - 1-2 bunches wheatgrass (1-2 oz), 6 ounces watermelon rind juice - about 1 3x8 piece of rind (another way to salvage things that would ordinarily be thrown away!)

More recipes can be found here (thank you TTC5 for sharing this with us!!)Sprout Organic - Grow Your Own Wheatgrass, Sprouting, Cold-Press Juicers, Healthy Lifestyle Products and more! (http://www.sprout.net.au/wht_recipes.html)

[atomic sagebrush]

how to wash your fruits and veg to remove pesticidehttp://genderdreaming.com/forum/ttc-boy-best-practices/2703-how-wash-your-fruits-veg-remove-pesticide.html

Organic is best for blue BUT it can get expensive because you need to eat as many fruits and veggies as possible when TTC blue. The "Dirty Dozen" are the 12 fruits and vegetables that are the most likely to have pesticide residue. Peaches, nectarines, apples, bell peppers, celery, strawberries, cherries, kale, lettuce, grapes, carrots, and pears

1. Peel them. You will eliminate some fiber in the skin but that is made up for by eliminating the pesticide. Carrots, apples, and pears are easily peeled. Peaches, tomatoes (not on the list but great for blue and easy to peel this way), and nectarines can be easily peeled if you dip them for 15 seconds in a boiling water bath and then into cold water. Any fruit that has a waxy coating should be peeled, as it's almost impossible to wash it off.

2. Scrub veggies and fruit with a vegetable brush using cool water.

3. You can use a commercial fruit cleaner, but this is as expensive as organic and possibly just adds other contaminants to your fruit.

4. Make your own produce cleanser. A vinegar wash or a salt water soak is a choice for delicate fruit like grapes and cherries. Soak them for 20 minutes and occasionally swish them around. This also is great for vegetable like cauliflower and broccoli (again, not on the Dirty Dozen but still). Then run them under fresh water to rinse off. If you're washing very fragile fruits like berries or mushrooms, DO NOT soak them, just wash them quickly with one of the washes and rinse gently.

5. Eat only the inner layers of produce like lettuce, celery, and onions, discard the outer layers that would have more pesticide residue.

6. Always rinse the outside of your melons, pineapple, and apples before you cut them, to remove all toxins on the outside.

7. Grow your own! Lettuce is VERY easy to grow even in just a whiskey-barrel planter. 2 whiskey barrels planted with lettuce (divide the barrels into half and plant each half with lettuce, spaced a week apart so you have a constantly maturing supply) will provide you with plenty of salad for your family.

Here’s a couple recipes for homemade wash/spray:

Soak/wash: 50/50 dilution of white vinegar and water.

Salt Soak: 1 tsp salt to 1 cup of water. Rinse extra well.

Soda wash: 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice to 2 Tablespoons of baking soda with 1 cup of water. It will probably fizz so work fast! Rinse extra well!

Vegie spray: 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar,
and 1 cup cold tap water in a spray bottle. Use to spray and wipe.

[atomic sagebrush]

http://genderdreaming.com/forum/ttc-boy-best-practices/1802-how-make-your-own-ural.html

NOTE - in the Dream Members section there is a long essay about why it's best to get potassium via diet. Personally I would live a long and happy life if no one used baking soda drink, Ural, alka-seltzer gold, or COT for swaying blue. I don't think they're totally safe and would much rather y'all got potassium from diet.

How to make your own Ural!

Ural is a boy-friendly digestive aid (similar to Alka-Seltzer Gold only BETTER), that is sold in Australia and New Zealand. It is designed to alkalinize the body to help with UTI's and gout. What makes it so great is that it has baking soda and cream of Tartar all in one, plus some citric acid like in lemon, and sodium citrate, which are sodium salts of citric acid, also present in lemon juice...sodium citrate is produced from the reaction between citric acid and sodium bicarbonate, it is an alkalinising agent and according to drugs.com it actually is metabolized in your liver INTO baking soda.

So Ural is basicaly like one stop shopping for TTC a boy. Rather than drinking 3 different drinks (BSD, lemon water, and COT), you can roll it all into one.

If you don't live Down Under but are interested in Ural, you can order it online Online Pharmacy | NZ Online Pharmacy | New Zealand Online Chemist store with Rewards for you Home page (http://www.pharmacyonweb.co.nz/Const...ypage.tpl.html) (this also has a list of ingredients so you can doublecheck my numbers below)
OR you can try making your own. Here's how. (thanks to the pH Kills Cancer website for the original recipe)

The ingredients of a sachet of Ural has:

Sodium Bicarbonate - 1.76 grams which is 3/8 of a teaspoon (this is just baking soda, good ol' Arm and Hammer)

Citric Acid powder - 0.72 grams which is 1/8 of a teaspoon (can be purchased online or very easily at a health food store http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...EY1YY79BVWZ8SY)

Tartaric Acid powder - 0.89 grams, which is 1/8 of a teaspoon plus a pinch extra(you can find it under the name Cream of Tartar or Tartaric Acid, it's the same thing. In bulk at health food stores or WinCo Foods if you have them, or you can order it online http://www.ediblenature.com/store/p/...b-package.html)

Sodium Citrate - 0.63 grams which is a bit shy of 1/8 teaspoon. (this is available online http://www.amazon.com/WillPowder-Sod...N%3DB00250Y9Y6)

HOW TO USE URAL - These are the official directions of Ural - "For adults and children over 12 years, take 1-2 sachets in a glass of cold water up to 4 times daily for 5 days or as directed by your doctor."

For swaying purposes (remember I believe in starting small and seeing if something works rather than starting off with a megadose) mix a teaspoon of this Ural mix into water twice a day and see what happens with your pH. You may even want to start with 1/2 tsp.

Side effects - As with all baking soda based supplements, if you have high blood pressure, skip it. If you use too much or for a long time (esp. while swaying when you're eating a lot of sodium anyway), it can cause you to have too much sodium in your body. Also may cause diarrhea. Be SURE you are taking a minimum 2000 mcg of Folic Acid if you are using ANY baking soda/COT swaying supps. Do not take during th 2WW and take a pg test every month even if you're SURE you're not pregnant.

[atomic sagebrush]

http://genderdreaming.com/forum/ttc-boy-best-practices/1444-baking-soda-basics.html

Baking Soda basics!

Why baking soda for fertility and swaying blue??

Conventional swaying wisdom states that superhigh pH sways blue and superlow pH sways pink, because Y sperm "love" superhigh pH and X sperm "love" superlow pH and the suggestion is made that X and Y sperm swim differently depending on the pH. So those who want sons are encouraged to get their pH as high as possible and a baking soda douche is used to try and raise pH.

But did you know that baking soda can actually help EVERYONE get pregnant and that superhigh pH may not even be necessary to sway blue?

According to Dr. Eric Daiter, a RE, prior to ovulation the vagina is normally very hostile to sperm. All sperm, be they X or Y, are only "comfortable" in slightly basic (alkaline) solutions with pH of 7.2-7.8 (semen) and can survive only a couple of hours in the very low pH (3-4) of the vagina. After ejaculation, sperm immediately attempt to swim from the semen into the cervical mucus and then swim through the cervical mucus to the Fallopian tubes where they meet up with the egg. If your cervical mucus is "friendly" to sperm, it will be thin and somewhat alkaline (but not superalkaline), similar in pH to semen. The pH and "friendliness" of cervical mucus varies, but around ovulation, it increases in pH to help the sperm survive and BOTH X and Y sperm seem to survive longer in this friendly CM.

Regardless of what you believe about superhigh pH possibly affecting X and Y sperm differently, baking soda does help raise the pH of your vagina and helps you get pregnant (remember, if you cannot get pregnant you have NO shot at your desired gender) and it probably helps to sway blue by raising the overall numbers of surviving sperm available to make it to the egg. But it may very well be enough just to achieve a level of alkalinity that is healthy for sperm - the evidence that y sperm require superhigh pH of 8.5-9 is not supported by the biology of the human body because the pH of semen and CM is NEVER naturally that high and most of the males ever conceived throughout history were conceived without benefit of baking soda.

Anyhoo...

HOW TO USE BAKING SODA TO ENHANCE FERTILITY and SWAY BLUE

BAKING SODA DOUCHES - you can buy a baking soda douche online Pharmalife-sy.com (http://www.pharmalife-sy.com/templat...bakingsoda.htm) or you can make one yourself. You will need a douche bottle or even just a syringe (you don't use very much and in fact you SHOULDN'T use much because you don't want to wash away any CM!!!) plus baking soda and distilled water.

There are a few different recipes for baking soda douches and I honestly don't know which one would be best or if they're roughly the same, so I'll share them all. One is 1 cup of water to 1 teaspoon BS, one is 2 tablespoons BS to one liter of water, and the final choice is 1 tablespoon BS to a quart of water (this is the one recommended by Dr. Eric Daiter). The water should be warm to help the BS dissolve. Give it 10 minutes to dissolve.

One hour before you plan to DTD, gently insert about 15 ml of the douche solution with your syringe or bottle. It doesn't take very much at all. You can do this sitting on the toilet if you like but for best results, do it while lying down and wait a minute or two before getting up to make sure it gets in everywhere.

The downside of this is that you can end up washing away EWCM (Mother Nature's way to help you get pregnant and sway blue!!) so if you douche, you should use either Pre-Seed or Egg Whites afterwards, to take the place of the EWCM. Also, taking Robitussin/Mucinex for five days prior to ovulation and having a female orgasm prior to having intercourse will help make more EWCM to replace anything that has been washed away.

BAKING SODA FINGER

If douching seems like a little more extreme than you care to go, you can try this technique instead. An hour before you plan to make your attempt, wash your hands (well!) and wet the tip of one of your fingers. Dip it into the baking soda and then insert it into your vagina and pull it back out again. You may even enjoy having your husband do this (TTC sex is LAME so anything we can do to spice it up, right??) Try not to touch your skin when you do it, because it might sting and cause irritation.

This method helps to raise pH a bit without washing away the CM but it's probably not as effective as douching.

BAKING SODA VIBRATOR

(thanks to TTC 5 for this brilliant idea!)

Slightly moisten the tip of your vibrator with a bit of water and dip it in baking soda, trying to get about the same amount you would get via a baking soda finger. Then, use vibrator to have an O prior to DTD with your husband. Way to spice up boring sway sex and the O fluids will help dilute the baking soda and spread it around!!!!!

BAKING SODA BATHS - If BSF/BSV is still a little too much, you can try a baking soda bath - 2 lbs. sea salt and 2 lbs. baking soda OR 4 lbs. baking soda in full tub. Soak for 30 minutes. The water shouldn't be superhot. You can absorb some of this through your skin, so save it for a day when you haven't eaten a ton of salt or imbibed a lot of baking soda otherwise (see below). And avoid it if you have any underlying health issues.

BAKING SODA BODY SCRUB - For those who don't have time to soak in the bath (aka mothers!!) While showering, turn off the water for a minute and scrub yourself with a paste of 3 parts ARM & HAMMER® Baking Soda to 1 part water. If nothing else it will make your skin look great and you may absorb some baking soda through the skin.

PRE-SEED AND BAKING SODA MIX - If you want to use Pre-Seed (very sperm friendly) as part of your sway but are concerned because it doesn't have THAT high a pH, you can try mixing Pre-Seed with baking soda, a pinch at a time, until the pH of the Pre-Seed goes from about 7 to about 8.

BAKING SODA DRINK - This will raise pH and fast. However, when ingested at this quantity, baking soda is a DRUG and can KILL you. Take 1/4-1/2 tsp. of baking soda dissolved in a half glass of water on an empty stomach, once in the morning and again before bedtime. Make sure the baking soda is completely dissolved or you can give yourself an ulcer. Some websites will advise you to drink more than this but start with this small amount (or even just once a day) and see if it works. If you need to take more, add one dose at a time separated by several days (so, go from 2 doses to three and stay at three for 5 days or so before adding a 4th, etc) to see if it makes a difference, and wait at least 2 hours between doses.

The absolute MAXIMUM dosage is 7 one-half teaspoons in one day (NOT 7 and a half teaspoons, one-half teaspoon taken 7 times). But this is the absolute maximum and can only be taken for two weeks at the very most. And if you take baths, douche, or use the scrub you need to reduce that amount to 5 because some baking soda is absorbed through your skin. Taking in massive amounts of baking soda is not good for you and swaying isn't worth ruining your health over, especially since superhigh pH ISN'T EVEN SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN TO SWAY BLUE.

YOU MUST TAKE A VERY LARGE DOSE OF FOLIC ACID IF YOU USE BAKING SODA DRINKS. 2000 mcg minmum..

ALKA-SELTZER GOLD - Throwing this in here because it has baking soda and potassium which also sways blue. If you choose to use ASG, do NOT use anything else with baking soda in it. They have a LOT of baking soda.

YOU MUST TAKE A VERY LARGE DOSE OF FOLIC ACID IF YOU TAKE ASG! 2000 mcg minimum.

BAKING SODA AND EXERCISE - If you are doing moderate exercise as part of your blue sway, it may be a good idea to do a baking soda drink 1-2 hours before you exercise EVEN if you are not doing the baking soda drinks at any other time. Sodium bicarbonate supplements taken with water will help to buffer lactic acid buildup (too much/too intense exercise can acidify you and accidentally sway pink instead of blue). Stick with the 1/4-1/2 tsp. to half-cup of water, 1-2 hours prior to exercise.

ONE THING YOU MUST NEVER DO!!! RISK OF DEATH!!!!

I just got a very interesting question about making "baking soda tampons". Please do not attempt to do this with a wet or dry tampon. Dry tampons should NEVER EVER EVER be used by anyone at all ever because it seriously raises your risks of toxic shock syndrome. The addition of baking soda will greatly increase this risk by raising pH (even on a wet tampon) and contributing to the growth of harmful organisms that cause TSS. The normally low pH of the vagina usually kills off these organisms (and when pink swayers make lime tampons, the pH is very low) but when you add the high pH of baking soda, the risks of TSS greatly increase. NEVER EVER use a dry tampon OR try to make a baking soda tampon when swaying EVER!!!

[atomic sagebrush]

http://genderdreaming.com/forum/ttc-boy-best-practices/1592-when-how-eat-your-meals-ttc-blue.html
http://genderdreaming.com/forum/ttc-boy-best-practices/1592-when-how-eat-your-meals-ttc-blue.html

when and how to eat your meals for TTC Blue!

Scientific research indicates that male blastocysts develop best in a moderate glucose environment Facultative adjustment of mammalian sex ratios in support of the Trivers-Willard hypothesis: evidence for a mechanism. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1691777/). Blood glucose levels may affect the amount of glucose present in cervical mucus, so we try to keep our blood sugar levels even, and in the mid-ranges for TTC a son, particularly in the 2WW (low sugar levels sway pink and neither gender develops well in a very high glucose environment.)

*Eat breakfast every day, especially right around ovulation and during the 2WW. Also eat a bedtime snack. You want to limit the number of hours your blood sugar is low so your newly conceived son can grow and implant properly.

* If you find you absolutely cannot bear to eat breakfast, eat as soon as you possibly are able to and you will want to eat a bigger bedtime snack.

*Both protein and carbs should be eaten at every meal. Pure protein like eggs or chicken will not raise your blood sugar at all, but protein eaten in the presence of carbohydrates will cause your blood sugar to rise (in a slower, gentler fashion than if you ate just carbs). Since protein takes a long time to digest, your blood sugar will stay high for a long time.

Quick-burning carbs will raise your blood sugar but then your sugar levels will drop quickly as insulin is released, leaving you with blood sugar levels that were even lower than they were before you ate. DO NOT allow this to happen. Protein and carbs at every meal.

* Eat large meals that take several hours to digest, because your blood sugar will stay elevated for a very long time after you eat them. Protein and carbs in combination will keep your blood sugar in the right zone.

The best thing you can do is eat a large meal with both protein and carbs, because your blood sugar will rise high because of the carbs and then stay elevated for a long time due to the protein.

* Snacks are not only allowed, but encouraged. Grazing is great. If you are eating every 30 minutes to couple of hours, your blood sugar will be rising constantly and will never have a chance to drop after insulin is released.

Also, in a recent study, http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.o...1643/1661.full moms with the highest caloric intake had the most sons. Aim for 2500 calories a day.

*Animal proteins are more complete than vegetarian proteins. You don't need to avoid vegetarian proteins (although you may want to limit soy because it ~may~ sway pink) but you should def. try to eat as much animal protein as possible. Eggs and meat are great choices. Nuts are the best vegetarian source of protein for blue.

*The human body can only digest a certain amount of protein at every meal (30 grams is often quoted but it is probably different for each person) For maximum benefit, eat a reasonable amount of protein at every meal and snack. The dietary supplement bromelain can help with protein digestion (and it is made from pineapple and sways blue!)

*Do not allow yourself to get hungry ever, particularly during the 2 WW. Eat early and often.

*Don't skip the salt. Salt at every meal.

*It is GOOD to gain a little weight - 3 to 5 lbs - when TTC blue (remember, you should be eating 2500 calories a day). You should be exercising in moderation so some of that weight gain will be muscle mass. However, if weight gain is a concern for you, make extra effort to get a lot of "bang for your buck" and pick very nutrient-dense, high protein foods and not expend calories on junk food.

*Fruits and vegetables (particularly brightly colored, nutrient dense ones) are the best source of carbs for swaying blue and will also help limit excessive weight gain. You should aim for NINE servings of fruits and vegetables every day. One easy way to keep track of your fruit and veg intake is by buying 9 cheap rubber bracelets...when you get up, slip them onto your left wrist and every time you eat a serving move a bracelet to your right wrist. By bedtime, they all should be on your right wrist!

*No, eating massive amounts of salt and protein is NOT the healthiest diet. But you will be only be eating this way for a few months. Once you are out of the 2WW, take a pregnancy test and if you are pregnant, you can cut back on the protein and salt.

WARNING - If you are diabetic, hypoglycemic, insulin resistant (less sensitive to the effects of insulin), have high blood pressure or kidney/heart disease or even suspect that you might be, you need to follow the diet and eating pattern that is right for your health, regardless of how it sways.

[atomic sagebrush]

http://genderdreaming.com/forum/ttc-boy-best-practices/1111-pre-seed.html

Pre-Seed

Pre-Seed Fertility-Friendly Lubricant (http://www.preseed.com/)

Pre-Seed is a lube that was specially designed to be sperm-friendly and mimick EWCM. Pre-Seed Fertility-Friendly Lubricant (http://www.preseed.com/pdfs/JEMentio...spring2010.pdf) Unlike a lot of lubes which are actually harsh to sperm, Pre-Seed helps keep them alive and assists them in reaching the cervical crypts. In fact, it's the only lube on the market that is non-toxic to sperm. It's actually recommended by doctors and fertility experts like Dr. Greene at Sher Institutes and Toni Weschler, author of Taking Charge of Your Fertility, and gets numerous mentions in Conceive magazine. It's proven to help people conceive, Pre-Seed Fertility-Friendly Lubricant (http://www.preseed.com/clinical-studies.html) and as we know, anything that helps make us more fertile, seems to sway blue!!!

BTW - the Pre-Seed website is actually very helpful and informative, not your typical "selling something" website at all.

Pre-Seed sways blue because it keeps sperm alive and increases the number of living, motile sperm in the vagina. However, the pH of Pre-Seed is between 7.2-7.6, NOT the superhigh 8's and 9's that some swaying authorities recommend. If pH is very important to you, you can choose to use egg whites http://genderdreaming.com/forum/show...ght=egg+whites or mix in a little baking soda to your Pre-Seed to raise the pH. http://genderdreaming.com/forum/show...ht=baking+soda

WARNING for pink swayers - the chemical composition of Pre-Seed will react with the lubes typically used for swaying pink (Replens, Acijel, Rephresh, Sylk) and this will cause sperm to absorb too much liquid and explode! Do NOT use Pre-Seed with any other lubes.

Please check out our "Pre-seed and gender" poll here - very informative thread Pre-seed and gender

[atomic sagebrush]

reserved egg whites

[atomic sagebrush]

reserved for supplements

[atomic sagebrush]

http://genderdreaming.com/forum/gender-swaying-discussion-ttc-boy-girl-home-swaying-info/803-boosting-egg-quality.html
Boosting egg quality

This is just a general information question for ANYONE worried about declining egg quality due to age. Please note, most of these things sway blue in a fully fertile person, but if you're having trouble getting pregnant due to age or other fertility challenges, you may NEED to improve your egg quality just to get pregnant at all...if you can't get pregnant, you will have NO chance at your DG.

It takes about 90 days for an egg to develop to maturity and be released. That's three months during which you really can improve the health of your egg.

LIFESTYLE - Drink plenty of water.

Exercise 30 minutes a day 4 days a week minimum, 45 minutes a day 6 days a week maximum. More is not better for fertility, even if you're very fit.

Get plenty of sleep.

Get 10-20 minutes of direct sun a day.

Do not smoke, drink, or take drugs.

Acupuncture, acupressure, reflexology, yoga, and massage may help. Tell your care provider that you are interested in boosting your fertility.

DIET - Eat a wholesome, balanced diet with lots of organic fruits and vegetables (9 servings a day) of many different colors, whole grains, and organic lean meats, grass fed if possible. Meat should be eaten in moderation and do NOT barbeque, as it can create chemicals that are detrimental to health. Eat fish twice a week, ONLY wild fish and avoid fish that are known to contain high levels of mercury. Shellfish are often sources of high levels of agricultural runoff and should be avoided.

Full fat dairy has been proven to improve fertility - look for organic dairy without added hormones.

Eat foods with good fats in them. In addition to fish, eggs, nuts, avocado, olive oil, and flaxseed are all good sources of good fats.

Eat whole grains and plenty of fiber.

Wheatgrass juice is a great fertility booster.

Soy products and alfalfa sprouts should be avoided as they can affect fertility in a negative way.

Avoid sugar and partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. Even natural sugar like fruit juice should be limited. Whole fruits are fine because they have fiber in them that slows down your body's insulin response. Artificial sugars should also be avoided.

Cut caffeine or better yet, avoid it entirely.

SUPPLEMENTS

Folic Acid - this should be number one on the list of EVERYONE TTC. 800 mcg minimum, up to 4000 mcg if you have a history of neural tube defects. Larger doses may be utilized best by the body if it's broken up into 4 parts and taken 4 times a day. Should be taken throughout the first trimester and then weaned off slowly.

Zinc - 8 mg is the RDA for women. Oysters are commonly suggested as sources of zinc, but they are laden with agricultural runoff and may impact fertility negatively. You can take this amount throughout pregnancy.

B6 - this vitamin helps with your luteal phase. 100 mg is believed to be safe for those TTC and even throughout the first trimester, but some people find that 50 or even 25 mg works for lengthening their LP. Should be weaned off slowly, but you can take it throughout pregnancy.

Vitamin A, C, D, E, and calcium, are all believed to help with fertility. A good prenatal multivitamin will meet your needs of these and other vitamins and minerals. Vitamin A can be dangerous in large doses and so you should def. stick to the amount in your multivitamin. Of course, a prenatal vitamin should be taken throughout pregnancy.

L-Arginine - this is an amino acid that improves blood flow to the reproductive organs and may help with implantation. For now, it's best to take prior to TTC and only AF-O if you're actively trying.

PABA - this is a chemical related to B vitamins. It's not normally included in multivitamins. Some research shows that it may help boost egg quality but this is rather tentative. Do not take more than 400 mg a day, and it may be best utilized by the body if you take it in 4 doses, 100 mg 4 times a day. Wean off slowly during the first trimester.

Grapeseed extract, cranberry extract, pomegranate extract, lycopene, reservatrol, green tea, and other similar supplements - these are a source of phytochemicals and antioxidants that your body may use to help nourish healthy eggs. In dietary amounts, these are safe to take (not massive swaying amounts, just take the recommended amount on the bottle). Green tea may reduce the levels of folic acid your body can absorb, so if you want to try green tea, up your folic acid intake.

ALA - Alpha Lipoic Acid - an antioxidant that may help protect DNA from damage during cell division. Believed to be safe throughout pregnancy and may help your baby's brain development.

CoQ10 - another antioxidant to help protect that precious DNA. Believed safe during pregnancy, but there is little information known. For now it is best to only take it prior to TTC and when you're trying, take it AF-O.

Pycogenol - antioxidant. It is recommended that women NOT take it during the first trimester, so only take prior to TTC, and AF-O when you're TTC.

Tribulus - an herb that helps restore ovulation. Do NOT take during pregnancy, prior to TTC and when TTC, AF-O only.

Royal Jelly, bee pollen, bee propolis - antioxidants and contain antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. These are great for fertility, but if you or anyone in your household is prone to insect allergies (even if you have never had an allergic reaction to bees before), it is probably best to skip these. You can get most of the goodness in other places.

DIM - take 100-200 mg per day. This is a chemical found in cruciferous vegetables that can help lower estrogen and maybe testosterone as well. May sway pink. This is another unknown, so it is best to take only prior to TTC/AF-O.

Essential Fatty Acids - include Evening Primrose Oil, fish oil, DHA supplements, flaxseed. Your body uses these oils as building blocks for the hormones that trigger ovulation and maintain pregnancy. In reasonable amounts (as suggested on the bottle), they are safe to take throughout pregnancy, with the exception of Evening Primrose Oil because it contains prostaglandins that may cause contractions and your cervix to soften. Discontinue Evening Primrose oil once you get a BFP.

Maca Root Powder - This root seems to help restore normal hormonal function. Different manufacturers suggest different dosages, but despite this, Maca seems very promising as a fertility booster. It IS really considered a food, and you can put it into smoothies rather than swallowing it in capsules, but for safety's sake, once you get a BFP, you should phase it out of your diet.

Vitex - If you take only one herb to aid fertility, make it this one. Increases LH while decreasing FSH, and helps to lengthen luteal phase and restore ovulation while breastfeeding. This is great for us older ladies who have high FSH. Some people find it works for them on only 400 mg, some 800. Best if taken only AF-O even in the months prior to TTC. Taking it every day throughout your cycle has actually caused infertility, so just take it AF-O. If your cycle is regular, it may make it longer and harder to pinpoint ovulation. May sway pink.

There are various other proprietary herbal fertility blends that may help improve egg quality, but they all seem to contain some combination of the above ingredients and usually cost WAY more.

[atomic sagebrush]

http://genderdreaming.com/forum/ttc-boy-best-practices/3486-helpful-herbs-blue.html
Helpful Herbs for blue!!



The life span of an egg is about 90 days, and the life span of sperm is about 72 days, so for best results, try to be on your supps during this time period. We don't KNOW that it helps, but it can't hurt!!

Unless otherwise mentioned, please just take the dosage as listed on the product's label.

THE NUMBER ONE SUPP FOR ALL WOMEN TTC IS FOLIC ACID. Blue swayers, the diet can drain your body of folic acid so it's very important to take 2000 mcg (micrograms) of folic acid daily - for best absorption, you can take smaller doses (400 mcg) several times a day. Even though this is not an herb, it's always best to have a reminder. Take FA throughout the first trimester.

Herbs for DW:

Fertile CM. Contains Vit C, probiotics, and coral calcium (both of which have traditionally been believed to sway pink but other research ok for blue), grapeseed extract, an antioxidant which may make the Vit. C more effective, l-arginine, a nutrient believed to help raise testosterone, and N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is a precursor of glutathione, which dissolves thick mucus and thins overall mucus secretions. Drink 64 oz of liquid when you take Fertile CM for best results, and discontinue once you get a BFP. Also, if you're taking Fertile CM there is no need for additional l-arg. Cervical Mucus to Help Conception | Fertile Cervical Mucus (http://www.fairhavenhealth.com/fertilecm.html)

Update - we have been having poor results with l-arg - it is drying up CM and making ovulation spotty. Give the l-arg to your husband instead, it will help his sperm count.

False Unicorn Root - Helps balance hormones and boost fertility, while increasing CM and raising pH. This is a great choice if you are coming off of birth control. Also may help with egg health. 900 mg a day and you can take it until you have a confirmed BFP.

Green Tea - if you don't like the taste of green tea, you can take it in capsule form. It's an antioxidant, boosts general fertility and may help make more EWCM. 300 mg a day from AF-O only.

Brewer's Yeast - Please read this essay for more info. You can take BY in capsules if you like, just follow the directions on the bottle because different brands have different formulation. http://genderdreaming.com/forum/show...php?1513-Yeast Safe throughout cycle and pregnancy.

Gelatin - Some people are taking gelatin capsules rather than drinking gelatin as a beverage. Gelatin has all the essential amino acids for building muscle. Drink or eat the equivalent of one package 3 times a day. This is safe throughout your cycle and into pregnancy if you like.

Maca - This root seems to restore normal hormonal function and boost overall fertility. It is considered a food rather than an herbal supplement. Continue taking it until you get a BFP and then phase it out of your diet. Please see warning in the thread below.

Red Raspberry Leaf - a general fertility tonic that will help your uterus be more able to maintain a pregnancy. May make more CM. The makers of Fertile CM also make a product called, "FertiliTea" that contains red raspberry leaf and Vitex. Vitex is believed to sway pink BUT it does help restore your cycle and I personally conceived a baby boy while taking it. FertiliTea | A Delicious Tea Blend for Women Trying to Conceive (http://www.fertilitea.com/?gclid=CLS...FSBrgwodUTZVpQ) RRL can cause uterine cramping (and I have experienced this firsthand and it's major and severe) so it is best to stop taking it when you get a BFP.

DH

FertilAid - If your Dh hates taking pills, this supp may be for you. It has most of the sperm-friendly vitamins and nutrients all in one. FertilAid Fertility Supplements for Women & Men (http://www.fertilaid.com/male-fertility.asp)

Ginseng - 500 mg can boost testosterone and may help give sperm extra energy. This may be safe for DW but it is not supposed to be taken during pregnancy. Use your best judgement - discontinue either at O or after a BFP, or reserve ginseng for DH.

Pycogenol - An antioxidant that may raise sperm count and pH. (some places list this as being ok for DW but since it isn't supposed to be taken during pregnancy, I am listing it only for DH. Use your best judgement.)

DH AND DW

Essential Fats are a critical part of a blue sway. Here are several, you don't need to take all of them. These are safe to take throughout your cycle and you may wish to continue taking them during pregnancy, with the exception of Evening Primrose Oil which has chemicals in it that may cause your cervix to soften later in pregnancy and so is best skipped during the 2WW.

Often, the pills will be formulated so you have to take 3 pills to equal the 1000 mg. That is fine and even desirable, because you can space out dosages to eat with meals for maximum absorption. Please read http://genderdreaming.com/forum/show...ng-supplements for more info about the best times of day to take supplements for maximum safety and efficacy.

Flaxseed Oil - 1000 mg May raise pH and help increase CM. May help raise testosterone. Great resource for vegetarians/vegans who want to conceive a boy. Update - we have had some mixed results with flaxseed - it seems to work well at first but then dries up the CM and negatively affects ovulation over time.

Evening Primrose Oil - 1000 mg may help raise pH and increase CM. This is probably best taken only by DW because it may raise estrogen.

Fish Oil - 1000 mg Improves egg health, raises sperm count, and may increase CM and pH. NOTE - some people prefer to take Cod Liver Oil, but this may be risky due to the presence of impurities and contains large amounts of Vit A, which has been proven to cause birth defects. Proceed with caution and ONLY use PURE cod liver oil like this Amazon.com: Carlson Norwegian Cod Liver Oil, Lemon 500 ml: Health & Personal Care (http://www.amazon.com/Carlson-Norweg.../dp/B003B3P4PO) Elsewhere on the Internet, there is a blue swaying supplement list that states "Only use mercury-free fish oil because mercury sways pink" BUT please help me spread the word to your pink swaying friends that MERCURY IS A NEUROTOXIN. No one should EVER take or ingest mercury at all ever expecially people who are TTC because it causes horrific birth defects.

Some other sources include grapeseed oil (this is already in Fertile CM, but it's a great addition to a sway if you're not taking Fertile CM), ALA, EPA, and DHA supplements (sometimes these are sold specifically for pregnant women). Also, cooking with olive, walnut, coconut, and almond oil help to supplement your diet with healthy fats.

Borage oil and Pumpkin seed oil - I would like to research these a bit more before recommending them.

Food-based antioxidants and phytonutrients - Lycopene, blueberry, pomegranate, reservatrol, black currant, turmeric, beta carotene, lutein, cucurmin, etc. and yes, even cranberry. All these types of supplements contain healthy antioxidants and phytonutrients that will help with a blue sway. You don't need ALL of them, just buy a couple that are foods you don't normally eat much, and take the dosage on the bottle. Lycopene and reservatrol in particular may be extra good for blue swayers.

The only phytonutrients you should stay away from are the isoflavones, genistein and daidzen that are found in soy. These may sway pink.

Of course, the best way to get these nutrients is through food and you should be eating 9 servings of fruits and veg (juice does count) as a part of your blue sway.

Wheatgrass juice/supps - http://genderdreaming.com/forum/show...eatgrass-juice Wheatgrass is a great choice for blue. It is very alkalinizing and chock full of nutrients. If you don't want to make your own, there are several powders available on the market. Some contain ingredients that are not strictly approved for blue swayers (they have calcium) but some research indicates that a little calcium may not be the worst thing ever for blue.

Royal Jelly/Bee Pollen - Rumor has it that this is the best kind, has both the pollen AND the Royal Jelly in it.
http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/store/e...jsp?id=RJ-1034
RJ/BP is great for overall fertility, increases egg and sperm quality, and may raise testosterone. Do not heat and use only plastic spoons, no metal. It doesn't really dissolve well in water, so smash it on your tongue first and then drink water to wash it down with. WARNING - if you have any allergies at all but esp. to insects, or if anyone in your family has any allergies, do NOT use RJ/BP. It's not safe even if you take it once and seem to tolerate it, because you could be priming yourself for a fatal allergic reaction in the future.

Things that should be avoided for now:

FertilAid for Women - FertilAid Fertility Supplements Facts: For Pregnancy and Conception (http://www.fertilaid.com/formula.asp) Has one ingredient that is believed to sway pink (vitex), one ingredient that we're not sure of (red clover), and one ingredient that may not be safe to take during pregnancy (ginseng).

Tribulus Terrestris - This is a bit of an unknown in terms of how it works, and we have better ways to raise our testosterone anyway. http://genderdreaming.com/forum/show...lus-Terrestris

L-Arginine for DW - this is not an herb but is included in some herbal formulas. L-Arg has been messing up people's ovulation and drying up their CM.

Soy - Please read http://genderdreaming.com/forum/show...-girl-or-a-boy for a detailed analysis of soy and why you shouldn't take it (as a supplement) for blue.

Red Clover - has the same phytonutrients that are found in soy. Skip it.

Alfalfa - this used to be taken by people because it's alkalinizing but like soy and red clover to which it is related, it may interfere with the body's natural estrogen. Best to avoid for now.

We are having the best results with fish oil and EPO in combination. Flaxseed oil does not seem to be working as well and neither do just FO/EPO. So stick with the fish oil/EPO combo.

[atomic sagebrush]

USING ROBITUSSIN TO TTC A BOY
http://genderdreaming.com/forum/ttc-boy-best-practices/504-using-robitussin-ttc-boy.html

Cough syrup to TTC a boy? WTH??

The active ingredient in Robitussin, guaifenesin, is an expectorant and is used to loosen and thin mucus. It affects all the mucus in your body, not just in your throat and lungs. Because of this, Robitussin helps to increase egg white (stretchy) cervical mucus. Sperm LOVE EWCM and are able to penetrate it much more easily than drier CM.

Use only the plain kind with no letters after it, only guaifenesin, 100 mg per teaspoon. It is very important to avoid the versions that contain decongestants as those may dry up cervical mucus.

Robitussin is the most common brand name, but there are other brands and generics available. As long as the only active ingredient is guaifenesin, you can use any brand.

The recommended dose for improving cervical mucus is two teaspoons (200 mg) taken orally three times per day. If mucus still appears thick and doesn't stretch, you can take as much as four teaspoons (400 mg) four times per day (the maximum dose available without a prescription). Each dose should be taken with a full glass of water, and drink plenty of fluids throughout the day -- you need water to produce mucus.

Start taking the guaifenesin five days before ovulation and continue through O day (six days total). If your cycle is irregular, start taking guaifenesin about five days before the earliest day ovulation might be expected.

If you're taking Clomid, wait until the day after the last Clomid pill before starting the Robitussin. This is especially important if you're taking Clomid and want a son, because Clomid causes hostile mucus (which is why it tends to sway pink.)

If your husband has very thick and clumpy semen, it may help for him to take a similar dosage of Robitussin during the same time period that you do.

[atomic sagebrush]

http://genderdreaming.com/forum/ttc-boy-best-practices/1171-how-raise-sperm-count-sway-blue.html


How to raise sperm count and sway blue!!

Research indicates that one of the best things you can do to conceive a son is to maintain a high sperm count.

Be at a healthy weight - Having too much or too little body fat can disrupt production of the male reproductive hormones GnRh, LH, FSH, and testosterone.

Get regular, sane amounts of exercise - Moderate levels of exercise are great for boosting testosterone and increasing sperm count. However, care must be taken to avoid overheating the testicles while exercising.

Avoid excessive stress if you can - Stress in small doses is actually good for boosting testosterone levels and therefore sperm count. But day-in, day-out high levels of stress have the opposite affect and reduce the number of sperm produced.

Avoid pesticides and harmful chemicals Pesticides and industrial chemicals, particularly solvents, have been linked with lower sperm counts.

Eat a balanced, healthy diet - Eat enough protein and healthy fats, but you don't need to overdo! Also, foods rich in folate, vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, and zinc will help to boost sperm production and quality. Traditional fertility foods include nuts and seeds (esp. pumpkin seeds), wheatgrass juice, spinach, and berries. Try to find organic products when possible to reduce your exposure to pesticides. Oysters are traditionally touted a fertility food but all shellfish is exposed to too much agricultural runoff to be safe.

Of course, foods high in potassium are believed to sway blue, so don't forget about bananas, potatoes and tomatoes!!

Avoid soy - Soy has been linked to decreased sperm count in both humans and animals. Best for DH to avoid it when swaying blue.

Keep your testicles cool - Heat negatively affects sperm count - spending 30 minutes in water that's 102 degrees has been proven to dramatically lower male sperm count. Avoid tight-fitting underwear, hot baths (and maybe even hot showers!) don't rest your laptop in your lap for long periods of time, and be very careful when you exercise. Bicyclists, marathon runners, and rugby players all have more daughters, probably in part because the heat generated by their exercising is killing off some of their sperm. You may want to sleep in the nude.

If, while you're TTC, you should become sick and develop a fever, DO NOT conceive that month if you're trying for a boy.

Stay away from steroids, testosterone-based supplements, and anti-androgen drugs - It sounds counterintuitive, but these drugs interfere with sperm production. The most commonly used anti-androgen drugs are those prescribed to treat prostate issues and baldness.

Avoid tobacco, marijuana, and alcohol - Regular use of tobacco (including chewing tobacco), marijuana, and large amounts of alcohol are all strongly linked with low sperm counts, lower testosterone levels, and may damage the DNA of sperm rendering it incapable of fertilizing the egg.

Sane amounts of caffeine - In small amounts, caffeine perks up sperm and actually helps it swim faster. An energy drink an hour before DTD may help conceive blue. But LARGE amounts of caffeine, day in and day out, will lower testosterone and sperm count.

Supplements - zinc (no more than 30 mg a day in the very short term, and 20-25 is safest in the long term) ginseng (500mg a day), L-Arginine (500 mg), carnitine (500 mg), CoQ10 (100 mg daily), selenium (no more than 200 mcg), and a good multivitamin (I like Men's One a Day 50+ Advanced (has a very small amount of calcium), even though my husband was annoyed with me for buying it because "I'm not over 50!!" Make sure you don't double-up on zinc and selenium because your multivitamin may already have it in there.

Also, taking fish oil, flaxseed, DHA, and using olive oil and butter for cooking instead of margarine or other vegetable oils, will help provide good fats for your body to use.

Dr. Potter recommends Naturally Smart for Men, which has carnitine in it. Dr. P is a firm believer in carnitine and wrote an outstanding post about it.

http://genderdreaming.com/forum/trying-conceive-boy/show...le-Supplements

Naturally Smart Vitamins - The Natural Choice for Life (http://www.naturallysmartvitamins.com/men_compare.php)

DTD in certain patterns can help boost sperm count at ovulation- Traditional swaying info says to DTD once at or right before O for a boy for highest sperm count. (you will need to track your ovulation in order to pinpoint O) Also, BD in the morning because that's when sperm count is at its highest. You should NOT abstain OR BD every day, because both of these things lower sperm count. For highest sperm count, BD every 2-4 days seemed to keep sperm at highest numbers.

In Taking Charge of Your Fertility, it is advised that for men with low sperm count who may need more time to make sperm/semen than other men do, it may be best to have intercourse every other day beginning when eggwhite CM appears. This strategy may help people get pregnant, but it may be better for a boy if you wait until your peak day and DTD then.

[atomic sagebrush]

http://genderdreaming.com/forum/ttc-boy-best-practices/1138-how-raise-sperm-count-around-cervix-after-intercourse.html


How to raise sperm count around the cervix AFTER intercourse

Sorry, I know that was kind of confusing, but I mean, "what should you do RIGHT after BD to make sure that as many sperm as possible stay around the cervix?"

Evidence indicates that high sperm count seems to make it more likely that you will conceive a boy. And semen, being very alkaline, helps sperm to survive in the harsh conditions of the vagina. So for swaying blue, we need to keep as much of the sperm/semen in the vagina as we can, for as long as possible.

Limit movement after intercourse. Standing up after intercourse can cause the semen to leak out, and the semen will carry sperm along with it. Wait thirty minutes after DTD (or just go to sleep for the night) before getting up and moving around. you don't need to lay down any longer than that, because the sperm have left the vagina and are in the safety of the cervix by that point.

Try to keep the semen inside your vagina longer. Some advise holding the labia together to try to keep the semen and sperm inside of you (although to me, it seems that the changing of positions you would need to do to accomplish this would probably expel more than you would save!). You can also try putting a pillow under your pelvis to help tilt your body so the sperm can travel upwards more easily, or try bringing your knees to your chest (again, you may end up pushing out more semen that way.)

Some people have suggested using the Instead Cup, moon cup, Diva Cup, or a diaphragm after BD to hold the semen at the cervix longer. After investigating this, I don't advise it because the maneuvers you have to go through to get the cup into place cause you to lose a lot of semen, and it also stands to reason that you're effectively sealing OUT more semen than you're keeping in. You're basically putting a barrier in front of your cervix so any troops that don't make it into the boat in time are left behind.

Having DH ejaculate into the cup and then inserting it may even be worse, because it's hard to get the cup into place without spilling the contents everywhere and also having DH ejaculate manually into a cup rather than actually having intercourse produces fewer sperm to begin with. I believe it's far better to just stay laying flat for 30 min, hips propped if you'd like.

[atomic sagebrush]

http://genderdreaming.com/forum/trying-conceive-boy/4763-foods-raise-testosterone-naturally.html
foods that raise testosterone naturally

Here's a quick reference to which foods raise testosterone and why!

Foods rich in cholesterol - Cholesterol - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cholesterol) Eggs, butter, lard, full-fat dairy, fatty meats, poultry skins...Cholesterol is the building block from which all your hormones are made. Testosterone and estrogen are not really supplied to your body by being eaten themselves; rather, your body manufactures them from the foods you eat. So keeping your body supplied with cholesterol will ensure that it has enough on hand to manufacture testosterone and estrogen.

Foods rich in saturated fat - Saturated fat - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturated_fat) In addition to the foods in the cholesterol group above, ANY foods rich in saturated fat will help boost your supply of testosterone and estrogen, even if it has no cholesterol. There are some plant-based saturated fats like coconut oil, dark chocolate, and palm oil that are high in saturated fat but contain no cholesterol. (only animal products have cholesterol.) Saturated fats from these sources help your body to make its own cholesterol. 30% or more of your calories should come from fat.

Foods rich in healthy fats - Polyunsaturated fat - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyunsaturated) Monounsaturated fat - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monounsaturated_fat) Fish, avocado, nuts, seeds,olive oil, oatmeal, whole wheat, meats, eggs, and full-fat dairy. Interestingly, there are a lot of healthy fats occuring alongside the cholesterol and saturated fats in animal products! This group causes some confusion for people because eating a lot of healthy fat can actually LOWER blood cholesterol levels, but it does so in such a way that your body is still able to produce ample amounts of testosterone and estrogen. Research has shown that men who ate the most healthy fats had the highest levels of testosterone. 30% or more of your calories should come from fat.

Foods rich in Vitamin D - Full-fat dairy is the best source of Vit. D. Vit. D has been proven (more than most things in swaying!!) to dramatically raise testosterone. If you're scared of taking Vit. D or drinking dairy products because they are traditional pink swaying tactics, simply go outside and sunbathe for an hour a day.

Foods high in protein - Protein is a building block for muscle, and the more muscle you have, the more testosterone your body produces. So if you increase your protein intake, esp. while following an exercise program that builds muscle, you will be "telling" your body that you "need" it to make more testosterone.

Healthy, nutrient rich carbs - Protein eaten ALONE is not enough to build muscle. Your body needs carbohydrates as well. In fact, a high protein, low carb diet like Atkins actually was shown to LOWER testosterone production in at least one study. If possible, try to focus on carbs that contain some healthy fats in them - whole grain breads, oatmeal (oats contain a chemical that is proven to raise testosterone), and of course lots of colorful fruits and vegetables. Garlic contains a compound in it that has been shown to raise testosterone and makes a great addition to any meal. Remember, protein + carbs = boys, for both blood glucose and for testosterone!!!

Foods rich in Vit. A - Like Vit. D above, Vit. A is a fat soluble vitamin that has been shown to raise testosterone. DO NOT take large doses of Vit A supplements, Vit. A through diet is what you are after. Vit. A supplements can KILL you or give your baby birth defects. Carrots, tomatoes, any brightly colored orange fruits and veg will have ample amounts of Vitamin A. Meats and dairy foods also have good amounts of Vitamin A present in them.

A few things to be aware of:

Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage (also called cruciferous vegetables) contain a chemical that has been shown to raise testosterone but may do so at the expense of estrogen. We want things that will boost BOTH our testosterone and our estrogen. Eating a cruciferous veggie here and there will not affect you negatively, but there is a supplement based on this chemical called DIM which we may want to stay away from.

Lignans and other phytoestrogens, which are chemicals that may mimic estrogen in such a way that it represses testosterone production and/or competes with the body's natural estrogens, may not be the best way to go to raise T levels. A lot of swayers believe phytoestrogens sway blue and we honestly don't have enough info to know for certain, so I'm just sharing this and then y'all can decide for yourselves what makes the most sense. Flax, soy, sesame seed, and the brans of various cereal products all contain lignans/phytoestrogens.Lignan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lignan) http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocente...icals/lignans/
Phytoestrogens - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytoestrogens)
http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocente...micals/soyiso/

Fiber - LARGE amounts of fiber can absorb and sweep fats out of the digestive tract. (This is why pink swayers are taking fiber supps). This doesn't mean you should switch to refined white breads and skip vegetables...fiber in dietary amounts probably does not affect fat absorption very much at all. Don't take fiber supps if you're swaying blue.

Quick list of foods that will raise your T levels!!

Full-fat dairy (whole milk, cheese, ice cream, yogurt)
Poultry (choose fattier varieties like dark meat and skin)
Meat (choose fattier, well-marbled cuts)
Animal-based cooking fats (lard, butter, ghee, bacon grease, schmaltz)
Eggs (eat at least 2 a day and 4-6 a day if you are a vegetarian)
Nuts (almonds, walnuts, cashews, peanuts)
Seeds (pumpkin seeds, sunflower, sesame seeds)
Olive oil and other plant-based oils like nut oils, palm oil, coconut oil
Fatty fish (salmon, sardines, tuna)
Gelatin (in Jello desserts, consomme, aspic, or taken as a supplement)
Orange and dark green fruits and vegetables (carrots, tomatoes, swiss chard, winter squash, apricots, V-8 juice)
Garlic
Oatmeal
Whole Wheat Bread

[atomic sagebrush]

http://genderdreaming.com/forum/gender-swaying-discussion-ttc-boy-girl-home-swaying-info/10922-weight-loss-pink-weight-gain-blue-%96-how.html

Guide to Weight Gain for Blue (there's also a handy essay in the Dream Members section called 'Eating Smarter, NOT Harder for Blue which goes into this issue in depth.

:bike:Why do we want to gain weight for blue?

Gaining weight for blue helps you by increasing muscle mass and body fat. It can help raise your blood sugar as well. Plus, eating more food means you have more nutrients coming in, and that helps send a message to your body that a boy baby has a better shot at survival.

Also, stored body fat binds toxins safely where they can no longer affect your fertility negatively. If you are conceiving girls because of previous exposures to toxins in your environment like pesticides or heavy metals, this is one easy way to sway effortlessly. (ample evidence exists to demonstrate that exposure to chemicals does alter the gender ratio - too many to post here but a quick Google search will bring up dozens of studies and articles.)

:bike: How much should I gain?

Weight gain for blue sounds great but it’s actually very tricky. Too much weight gain is bad for health and fertility, so it’s best to limit it as much as you possibly can. 3-5 pounds is plenty for most people; however, if you are someone who is chronically thin (BMI beneath 20) and/or a very intense exerciser, you may want to increase this to 5-7 pounds. I would advise limiting weight gain to 15 pounds maximum, for everyone UNLESS you are also exercising and certain you’re adding mostly muscle (more about this below.)

:bike: Is it possible to gain too much?

Yes, it is possible to gain too much weight. The Nurses’ Study II Role of diet in ovulation problems found that BMI of 20-24.99 was the best for fertility. Women with BMI of 25-29.99 were 32% more likely to have issues with ovulatory infertility and women with BMI of 30 or more were 35% more likely to have issues with ovulatory infertility than women whose BMI was in the normal range. BMI of 20-24.99 is ideal for blue. Here’s a handy calculator that will help you determine your BMI Calculate Your BMI - Standard BMI Calculator

:bike: Do I really HAVE to exercise??

Yes. Exercise (Vitamin X) is MANDATORY for blue. By doing regular moderate exercise (45 minutes a day, 4-5 days a week) you help build muscle mass that will raise your testosterone levels http://genderdreaming.com/forum/gend...h-genders.html

Contrary to what you may read on other websites, BOTH cardio and weight training are great for blue. Weight training builds muscle and increases your metabolism. According to the American Council on Exercise, a pound of muscle burns 7-10 calories an hour while a pound of fat burns only 2-3 calories. This doesn’t sound like a huge difference, but remember, this goes on even when you’re sleeping. Even better, during and after exercise (possibly for up to 36 hours after exercise Excess post-exercise oxygen consumption - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) muscle burns up to twice as many calories as it does at rest, and if you eat a snack containing carbs after you exercise, which, on the HE Diet, you should be doing regularly anyway but especially after exercise, you won’t even store additional calories as fat. Instead it will go to restoring your body’s stores of glycogen (exercise depletes glycogen stores) which will fuel future workouts and muscle growth. Exercise enables you to consume more food without gaining weight, which is very important if you’re following the HE Diet approach.

Beyond that, exercise itself raises testosterone. This is especially the case if you are doing a form of combative exercise like kickboxing, where your body is actually going through the motions of fighting; your body may interpret those movements as fighting for survival and raise T levels even higher.

Please be aware you can actually do MORE exercise (you could do both cardio and weight training, for example) but break them up into 2 45 minute sessions, morning and evening, rather than consecutively. Around the 45 minute mark, your body stops burning carbohydrates for fuel and starts burning stored fat and muscle instead. You may need to increase calories and particularly protein intake to compensate for more exercise.

:bike:What if I’m already very heavy?

You have two options. One is to maintain where you are at (and if you’re just a bit overweight, less than 30 lbs or so, this is the best option for you.) and add in exercise to change the proportions of muscle to fat in your body. This can be challenging but it IS doable provided you eat enough.

If you’re over 50 lbs. overweight, it’s best for the sake of your sway and also for your health to postpone your sway for 6 months to a year (provided that you can do so and are not in a hurry to conceive due to advanced maternal age or family/job requirements, of course) to lose the weight on a balanced, healthy diet and become more physically fit and muscular. Then, you can start onto the HE Diet and your increased level of physical fitness
In between 30-50 lbs, go with what your gut instinct tells you. Weight on a scale can be somewhat misleading. If you know you’re pretty muscular, even if you’re closer to 50 lbs. overweight, you may wish to go ahead and sway, esp. if you’ve already conceived a son at that weight. If you know you’re lacking muscle and have conceived several girls at your present weight, it’s best to get some weight off even if you’re only 37 pounds over your ideal.

:bike: How soon before I sway should I start to gain weight?

That depends on a few different things. The conventional wisdom espoused on other sites is, you can start the diet 90 days before you start to sway because the egg has a lifespan of 90 days (grows from a tiny seed to a mature egg in that time) and the “egg priming” theory suggests there is some benefit to be gained by dieting for 90 days OR you can start diet 6 weeks out because the French Gender Diet/InGender Diet claim that your mineral levels take 6 weeks to change. I don’t personally believe in either egg priming or mineral levels swaying but just so you guys are aware of these options.

If you have a lot of weight to lose, you’ll need to start losing weight up to a year in advance. This will give you time to take the weight off and normalize before your sway. Warning – while you’re losing the weight, be VERY VERY careful to use protection every time you BD, even if you think you’re in a safe zone. The last thing you want to risk, is an accidental pregnancy when you’re losing weight.

If you are already very thin and eat poorly and have for years, you may also want to start a diet and exercise regimen sooner rather than later, because it may take time for your body to replenish itself and get in the best physical condition that it can. Testosterone and estrogen do take some time to increase so you need to allow time for that to happen.

I think you should start many aspects of diet and also exercise, as far in advance of your sway as possible. But when it comes to gaining weight, I would ~try~ to keep that for the few months prior to your sway. When I was TTC DS 3, we started TTC in May but I didn’t conceive. I ate a ton of fertility-friendly foods, continued doing a lot of physical exercise (I had a very physically demanding job), and ended up gaining 3 lbs that month. Then in June, I got pregnant. This is pretty close to ideal for blue.

If you find you’ve gained weight sooner rather than later, that’s ok. I wouldn't lose any weight. Just try to maintain where you’re at rather than gaining much more. Remember, it’s best not to gain more than 15 lbs. and also to stay within the 20-24.99 BMI range.

:bike: What if I’m gaining TOO much weight on HE Diet??

The guidelines for the HE diet are 2200-2500 cals a day, 90 grams of protein a day (vegetarian sources of protein are fine), increasing healthy fats and complex carbs while still staying in your caloric guidelines for the day, and trying for 9 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. You also need to eat 3 balanced meals and 2-5 snacks (breakfast is the most important meal and a bedtime snack is the most important snack), eating both protein and carbs at every meal and snack. That does seem like a lot of food, esp. for pink mamas who may not typically eat that much (if you check out the “How We Got Our Boys” thread here, you can see this really IS the type of diet that boy moms eat on a daily basis How we got our boys!)

Firstly, on the HE Diet, you need to eat smarter, not harder. (this principle is a bit beyond the scope of this essay so I’m going to write another one in more depth.) You don’t have to blow up like a balloon and many moms of boys are quite slim but still consume large quantities of food. You need to pick the RIGHT foods, in the right combinations, and eat wisely. Pick the most nutrient dense foods you can find so you get the maximum nutrients for the minimum calories. Avoid Franken-foods that are high in nitrites, transfats, preservatives, and artificial sweeteners….transfats in particular have been linked to increased obesity rates and the Nurses’ Study II found that the more transfats a woman consumes, the more likely she is to have ovulatory infertility. Combine foods to increase nutrients and also slow down rises and falls in blood sugar…eating protein and carbs at every meal and snack, can be as easy as a handful of nuts and a V-8, string cheese and grapes, or a hard boiled egg and a cup of fruit juice. You do NOT need to eat nuts, meat, dairy, fruit juice, and a baked potato at every sitting.
The foods suggested on some websites are TERRIBLE for TTC blue in addition to contributing to weight gain, and I actually think it’s miraculous that anyone conceives a boy eating that way. Diets consisting of Rice Krispies with non-dairy creamer, bacon, Campbell’s Soup, 8 glasses of fruit juice, rice milk, iceberg lettuce salads, and fries…people conceive boys in SPITE of those diets, not because of them.

The Nurses’ Study II found that women who ate primarily simple carbs (Rice Krispies, tomato soup, potato, rice milk, fruit juice) had lower fertility than those who ate complex carbs or simple carbs plus protein, and this finding is also supported by the blood glucose research of Elissa Cameron and others. You need consistent, even blood sugar for TTC a boy, not wild fluctuations in blood sugar caused by overconsumption of simple carbs that the traditional sway diets encourage. If you are going to follow the HE Diet, DO the HE Diet and not some halfway version of IGD/FGD mixed with HE, because trying to combine them WILL make you gain massive amounts of weight and is not going to help your sway any. Eating smarter means blue swayers may have to let go of some of the old ways of doing things.

You CAN eat sugar/sweets when you TTC blue, you don’t need to avoid them all together, but just make sure you eat them as a PART of a meal or snack, not the entire thing. Dark chocolate in particular is a very boy-friendly food, but dark chocolate BY ITSELF will cause your blood sugar to rise and then crash afterwards. Eat it as a part of a meal containing some protein.

Dairy foods are proven to aid in weight loss and it may very well be that by limiting/avoiding calcium, blue swayers are actually causing themselves to gain more weight than they would otherwise. I have not been as vocal about calcium for blue swayers because I believed that your body would simply rob your bones to take the calcium it needed, but we’ve been having too many failed blue sways with people who had limited calcium even tho they ate otherwise HE Diets, for my liking. Blue swayers on the HE Diet, from now on, you MUST include 1 serving of full-fat dairy a day minimum and I strongly suggest getting calcium from other sources as well – supplements are not that well absorbed, so choose other foods like salmon, broccoli, and almonds instead of or in addition to calcium supplements. The Nurses’ Study II found that women who ate ½ c ice cream 2 times a week had 38% less risk of ovulatory infertility. DO NOT consume skim dairy, you rob yourself of fertility-friendly nutrients and skim dairy may be harmful to fertility.

Excessive sodium is also a big no-no on HE Diet. Thus far I’ve been tolerant of the sodium but again, I think we’re having too many failed sways with people doing HE Diet while trying to stick to IGD/FGD mineral recommendations and I think I’m going to have to emphasize a sane sodium intake more than I have been from here on in. Sodium is NOT good for fertility, it’s NOT good for potassium and in fact causes potassium to leach from your body, it’s not good for your folic acid levels, and it’s NOT good for preventing weight gain because it makes you retain water and also stimulates the appetite and makes you hungry. There are studies that show higher sodium intake in rats = more girls conceived. ScienceDirect.com - Physiology & Behavior - Maternal dietary sodium chloride levels affect the sex ratio in rat litters Logically speaking, sodium intake cannot even sway by the mechanisms the FGD authors claim, because X and Y sperm don’t have different electrical charges and therefore cannot be attracted by sodium ions in cervical mucus or semen, either. I got a baby girl eating TONS of sodium, after a failed sway with DS 4 where I was limiting sodium.

Portion control is very important when swaying blue. Serving sizes are actually much smaller than most people realize. If you find yourself gaining weight or feeling stuffed, stop and analyze how much you’re really eating. It is a great idea to count calories to make sure you’re not getting massive amounts of calories and also to help yourself get a handle on what the appropriate serving sizes even are. A serving of fruit juice should be one measuring cup, not a Big Gulp. Also, where fat is concerned, remember, while fat is unlimited, calories are NOT unlimited on the HE Diet...since fat has calories, you do need to be aware of how many cals you are consuming, even with healthy fats. Low carb vegetables, just like on the LE Diet, are unlimited and you do NOT need to count any calories in low carb vegetables at all. Asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, lettuce, cauliflower, spinach, fresh tomato, zucchini are examples of low carb vegetables that you can eat as much of as as you want. Avocado is low carb but DOES have fat, and so the calories in avocado do need to be counted.

Don’t forget the Vitamin X! Exercise 4-5 times a week, 45 minutes a day. It IS possible to add in more exercise if need be, but break it into two 45 minute blocks rather than all at once.

Finally, when swaying blue, most people should be getting pregnant MORE quickly than you have in the past. We are doing something wrong with the blue sway, when blue swayers are taking LONGER to get pregnant than pink swayers are. I strongly urge all blue swayers to let go of tactics that have been debunked like timing and baking soda finger, that serve no purpose other than preventing pregnancy. Your odds of getting pregnant from one attempt on O day are less than 8% and sperm do NOT thrive in baking soda (if they did, your body would make baking soda at ovulation rather than EWCM!!) Staying on the diet for awhile is fine if you’re very thin and need to restore your health, BUT if you’re already packing a few extra pounds, every month that passes is simply more opportunity for weight to creep on.

Since that was a little meandering and covered a lot of ground, here’s the nutshell version: to prevent excessive weight gain while on the HE Diet a) stick to the overall dietary guidelines of 2200-2500 cals a day b) include fat intake as part of your day’s calories…while fat is unlimited, calories are not and fat does have calories! But DO NOT eat transfats c) eat smarter, not harder and pick nutrient-dense foods so you get more bang for your buck, and avoid highly processed Franken-foods with lots of artificial chemicals in them d) combine foods to increase nutrients and eat protein and carbs at every meal to keep blood sugar stable e) remember, you don’t have to eat EVERY boy-friendly food in existence at every meal f) limit simple carbs and/or always eat them with protein g) full fat dairy at least once a day and also other calcium-rich foods h) limit sodium i) watch portion sizes j) exercise k) get pregnant fast!

:bike: What about DH?

For men, higher estrogen (more body fat) lowers testosterone and sperm count and so his being a little on the cuddly side (or a lot) can sway pink. Somewhat annoyingly, when men lose weight, they often lose mostly fat while preserving or even increasing their muscle mass. Testosterone levels increase accordingly. Also, less body fat can mean lower temperature in the testicles which helps raise sperm count and quality. So if your husband is overweight, having him drop a few pounds can help your sway. He does need to lose the weight in a slow, healthy way while eating protein and healthy fats rather than crash dieting, however. No artificial sweeteners, transfats, or soy foods if possible. Lower sugar intake, and more fresh fruits and vegetables will help.
If DH is severely underweight, he should also try and gain a bit of weight, esp. while lifting weights. Thin guys tend to add muscle long before they add fat, and so for a thinner man to gain weight, oftentimes only will add muscle and increase his testosterone levels. Thin guys also need to increase intake of protein and healthy fats and fresh fruits and vegetables while eliminating artificial sweeteners, soy foods, and transfats.
If your husband is more in-between, it’s best for him to hold steady at his current weight, because having him gain weight might mean adding body fat/estrogen, and losing weight might mean he will shrink his muscle mass and lower testosterone. It’s different for every man of course, but it’s just not worth the potential risk. It’s still good advice for him to eat more protein, healthy fats, fruits and vegetables, and avoid artificial sweeteners, soy, and transfats.

:bike: Is this sort of diet healthy?

As long as you limit your weight gain to less than 15 lbs while exercising to ensure most of the weight gain is in the form of muscle rather than fat, the HE Diet is safe and healthy to follow indefinitely. It will boost your fertility and the high intake of fruits and vegetables, complex carbohydrates, lean protein, and healthy fat is in line with a well-balanced and healthy prepregnancy diet. It is a bit higher in saturated fat than the type of diet most cardiologists might recommend in the long term (altho eliminating transfats should more than make up for that!) and may be a little too high in calories for some people’s liking, particularly with the inclusion of full fat dairy, but overall this diet is excellent for fertility and will not harm health. The tiny increase in cardiovascular risk and possibly higher risk of breast cancer, from eating more saturated fat will be more than compensated for by improved bone health and possibly lower risks of other cancers as well (diets high in fruits and vegetables and also complex carbohydrates have been shown to reduce odds of some cancers.) The addition of exercise will help to remedy any small disadvantage for heart and breast health that the increase in saturated fat may carry with it.

:bike: Studies that show a more nutrient dense diet sways blue:

Maternal Eating Disorders Influence Sex Ratio at Birth

The contrasting effects of ad libitum and restri... [Biol Reprod. 2007] - PubMed - NCBI

Striking variation in the sex ratio... [Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2003] - PubMed - NCBI

High fat diet prevents over-crowding induced decrea... [PLoS One. 2011] - PubMed - NCBI

You are what your mother eats: evidence for maternal preconception diet influencing foetal sex in humans

Strong mothers bear more sons in rural Ethiopia

Hungry mothers give birth to more daughters : Nature News & Comment