2ww Diet...Why is it so important?

[Out of the Blue]

Is sticking to the sway diet during the 2ww important b/c if you don't conceive, you're still on the diet to sway for the next round or does it have something to do w/swaying for the gender after you O? Sorry if this question is really stupid...I guess I'm just a bit uninformed on how things work and why sticking to the diet is so important during this time frame. I'm finding myself in the 2ww right now for the 1st time and I'm definitely sticking to my diet but I was just curious as to what makes it a must. TIA, ladies.

[atomic sagebrush]

Because XX fertilized eggs seem to develop best in a lower glucose environment (and they have been proven to suck up more glucose from their environment) and XY fertilized eggs seem to develop best in a medium glucose environment and are less efficient at sucking up glucose from their environment (no one likes very high glucose environment and your body takes steps to keep your blood glucose levels from getting too high.) Glucose is present in your CM and has been theorized to be one mechanism for gender swaying.

Of all the theories about swaying, this one has the firmest scientific footing because researchers have actually witnessed the XX and XY sucking up different amounts of glucose.

[Out of the Blue]

GREAT INFO, Atomic! So it has nothing to do w/the gender outcome but instead fostering the best development for what you hopefully have growing in there, right? But then what happens if I'm dieting for an XX but an XY has fertilized the egg (or vice-versa)? Would this be really bad? This is really interesting!

[TTC5]

I am 3dpo and am eating nutritious foods in the case I am pregnant, I was to keep my sugars level like atomic said :)

I am not worried about the salt and potassium, though.

[Out of the Blue]

Awww...Got my FX for you, TTC5!

I'm still wondering if eating an XX diet while an actual XY is forming in there would be bad for the XY (or vice-versa)? I'll still stick to my XX diet for now.

[atomic sagebrush]

GREAT INFO, Atomic! So it has nothing to do w/the gender outcome but instead fostering the best development for what you hopefully have growing in there, right? But then what happens if I'm dieting for an XX but an XY has fertilized the egg (or vice-versa)? Would this be really bad? This is really interesting!

It's very likely that MOST babies of either gender can develop perfectly well in a wide array of environments, we're just trying to optimize the odds, because it does no good to conceive a baby of a particular gender if you lose it. There seems to be a disproportionate number of chemical pregnancies amongst pink swayers and I ~personally~ believe the blood glucose factor may have something to do with it. (For the record, Tamara does not believe there is a disproportionate number of CP among pink swayers but it has sure been true in my experience.)

Just know that this is NOT about making you miscarry a baby of an opposite gender AT ALL and I would never be part of such a thing. If swaying works, and I believe that it does, you are raising your odds of conceiving a baby of a certain gender and it just makes sense to me to keep the environment favorable towards a baby of that gender.

Veering off into speculation-land for a sec...I ~personally~ believe that since this mechanism is in place (XX and XY sucking up different amounts of glucose), another mechanism would also have evolved/been designed by God that would increase your odds of conceiving a baby of the gender with the best shot at survival. So if your blood glucose levels are more XX-friendly to begin with, SOMETHING is going to make you more likely to conceive a baby girl and vice versa. That's why I like people to at least try to stick to the blood glucose stuff for 6 weeks before TTC.

I actually have a study that backs this idea up and it's posted on here somewhere but I have a kajillion

[atomic sagebrush]

I am 3dpo and am eating nutritious foods in the case I am pregnant, I was to keep my sugars level like atomic said :)

I am not worried about the salt and potassium, though.

I think it's best to ease off the salt/eat some salt during the 2WW!!!

[purplepoet20]

So if I am going for a girl... I know I have low blood sugar because of the very low sugar diet and I have a glucose meter. I have to keep my glucose low for 6wks after conceiveing??? Or do I raise my glucose levels a little after conceiving?

[atomic sagebrush]

So if I am going for a girl... I know I have low blood sugar because of the very low sugar diet and I have a glucose meter. I have to keep my glucose low for 6wks after conceiveing??? Or do I raise my glucose levels a little after conceiving?

No, only during the 2WW. Once the babe is implanted it gets its nutrition from the yolk sac which develops during the 2WW, and then later the placenta.

The 6 weeks I'm referring to is the 6 week period BEFORE your attempt during which time you follow one of the TTC diets.

[Out of the Blue]

It's very likely that MOST babies of either gender can develop perfectly well in a wide array of environments, we're just trying to optimize the odds, because it does no good to conceive a baby of a particular gender if you lose it. There seems to be a disproportionate number of chemical pregnancies amongst pink swayers and I ~personally~ believe the blood glucose factor may have something to do with it. (For the record, Tamara does not believe there is a disproportionate number of CP among pink swayers but it has sure been true in my experience.)

Just know that this is NOT about making you miscarry a baby of an opposite gender AT ALL and I would never be part of such a thing. If swaying works, and I believe that it does, you are raising your odds of conceiving a baby of a certain gender and it just makes sense to me to keep the environment favorable towards a baby of that gender.

Veering off into speculation-land for a sec...I ~personally~ believe that since this mechanism is in place (XX and XY sucking up different amounts of glucose), another mechanism would also have evolved/been designed by God that would increase your odds of conceiving a baby of the gender with the best shot at survival. So if your blood glucose levels are more XX-friendly to begin with, SOMETHING is going to make you more likely to conceive a baby girl and vice versa. That's why I like people to at least try to stick to the blood glucose stuff for 6 weeks before TTC.

I actually have a study that backs this idea up and it's posted on here somewhere but I have a kajillion

The emerging science behind swaying is so facinating! I love learning this stuff! Thx for responding, Atomic.

[fourwildones]

SO will gaining weight in and of itself CAUSE a chemical pg? Does gaining weight increase blood sugar? Or is the gaining /losing thing about testoserone levels-not glucose levels?

I am trying to keep my glucose levels low by skipping breakfast and focusing on low-salt low pot. and not snacknig as mcuh as eating large amounts when I do eat but in an effort to gain I AM having to eat more often than AF-O.

I've been trying to pack on the lbs these last few days and actually ate some things with sugar (a few bites of cake for my son's birthday, about 1/8 C ice cream mixed with rice milk, some strawberry jam on my toast), but now I am wondering if I swhould be worying less about sodium and more about sticknig to alternating meals of protein only or carb only foods (not mixing the two)?

Now I am wondering WHAT to eat. I'd been trying to eat carbs with no protein ( toast with SF jam and a little regular jam and unsalted butter) or low salt bread with just a litte protein (like bread with cheese or pasta with ricotta) OR protein separately (like raw almonds, or yogurt with berries) . I am so confused-I feel like every time I turn around I am doing the wrong thing.

[Flava]

No, only during the 2WW. Once the babe is implanted it gets its nutrition from the yolk sac which develops during the 2WW, and then later the placenta.

The 6 weeks I'm referring to is the 6 week period BEFORE your attempt during which time you follow one of the TTC diets.

So for ttc blue in the 2WW we better eat more food and/or a little more sugar? ( I was thinking snacking on haribo gummy bears is this would be ok? and more fruit ) yeah you can tell Im planing ahead? LOL

[atomic sagebrush]

So for ttc blue in the 2WW we better eat more food and/or a little more sugar? ( I was thinking snacking on haribo gummy bears is this would be ok? and more fruit ) yeah you can tell Im planing ahead? LOL

Nope, so long as you eat protein + carbs at every meal, and eat the 3 meals plus 2-4 snacks, you will be fine for blood sugar. If you WANT to eat more sweets, that's fine, just make sure you eat some protein too to keep your blood sugar from crashing.

[atomic sagebrush]

SO will gaining weight in and of itself CAUSE a chemical pg? Does gaining weight increase blood sugar? Or is the gaining /losing thing about testoserone levels-not glucose levels?

I am trying to keep my glucose levels low by skipping breakfast and focusing on low-salt low pot. and not snacknig as mcuh as eating large amounts when I do eat but in an effort to gain I AM having to eat more often than AF-O.

I've been trying to pack on the lbs these last few days and actually ate some things with sugar (a few bites of cake for my son's birthday, about 1/8 C ice cream mixed with rice milk, some strawberry jam on my toast), but now I am wondering if I swhould be worying less about sodium and more about sticknig to alternating meals of protein only or carb only foods (not mixing the two)?

Now I am wondering WHAT to eat. I'd been trying to eat carbs with no protein ( toast with SF jam and a little regular jam and unsalted butter) or low salt bread with just a litte protein (like bread with cheese or pasta with ricotta) OR protein separately (like raw almonds, or yogurt with berries) . I am so confused-I feel like every time I turn around I am doing the wrong thing.

NO, gaining weight in and of itself will not cause your blood glucose to rise. Please understand that there is a huge difference between someone who gains 30 lbs and someone who gains 3. Gaining and losing weight CAN affect blood sugar if you gain or lose fairly large amounts, but it's mostly about the testosterone. 3 pounds of muscle mass really can make a difference for testosterone.

Just to clarify, low sodium/potassium has nothing to do with blood glucose, that's a separate factor that might sway. You're getting confused because there are different factors that can potentially sway. Testosterone is one factor. Blood sugar is one factor. Minerals are one factor. And so on. Most people want to do as many factors as they can and what we're trying to do here is simplify and combine the various factors into one big ball of wax.

DON'T worry about mixing protein and carbs for pink. ONLY for blue (blue swayers MUST mix protein and carbs at every meal). You're eating so little on the TTC pink diet that it is irrelevant if you have a little protein here and there with carbs. (That is the advice given on another website but that seems to just add another layer of complications to me that are unneccesary - it might slightly help a person who was eating normally but you've already DONE the exact same thing that it would accomplish by following the girl diet and skipping breakfast.) All those girl moms walking around out there oblivious who never thought about these things and just eat what they're hungry for a couple times a day...don't overthink it, don't overcomplicate it. It's very likely that healthy beans of either gender can develop just fine in a wide variety of environments, this is all about optimizing chances and if something gains us an additional 3% I'm sure we all would want to do it.

By skipping breakfast and not snacking all day every day, you're already doing a lot towards keeping your blood sugar down for a lot of the day. Even if those are the only things you do. EVEN if you don't even change your diet in any other way I suspect this still will sway a little bit pink. Plus, the less you obsess over all this, the better. Let go of as much as you can.

What you're eating is perfect. Don't change a thing (even though I don't love almonds for pink swayers most of the time, it's ok for you because you need to gain some weight.)

[fourwildones]

I just now read this, thank you for responding. I've not been sweating the diet much at all since my faint positives, and am hoping the almonds I ate along with the neurotic concerns over diet didn't sway too much in the wrong direction! When I woke up yesterday I was back down to 84, so I decided I would eat everything I could within reason (including cereal and tomatoes and potato chips) as I don't want to miscarry. I am shocked I even got pg. If I do miscarry I will just have to start the diet over. Am also encouraging DS to eat more and nurse less. This AM I was up to 85.5.

You are right, I am getting totally confused with what sways in what way, I see now that there are multipe approaches we are using, basically an integrated, (albeit confusing) approach targeting the lowering of blood sugar, pH and testosterone.

I will not worry about mixing protein and carbs should I need to go back on the diet, thank you for clarifying all of this!

[rainbowflower]

also don't forget that naturally 75% of fertilised eggs fail to implant anyway, I don't think all of those count as chemical pregnancies - a chemical is (from my understanding) when it implants but then AF flushes it out anyway because it's not established enough and the hormone levels are still too low, or the baby fails to implant properly and doesn't thrive

I suspect that the low glucose in the 2ww means that some fertilised XY eggs are in a condition not ready to hatch and implant, so will just pass through the uterus as one of those 75%

[Out of the Blue]

also don't forget that naturally 75% of fertilised eggs fail to implant anyway, I don't think all of those count as chemical pregnancies - a chemical is (from my understanding) when it implants but then AF flushes it out anyway because it's not established enough and the hormone levels are still too low, or the baby fails to implant properly and doesn't thrive

I suspect that the low glucose in the 2ww means that some fertilised XY eggs are in a condition not ready to hatch and implant, so will just pass through the uterus as one of those 75%

Interesting info, rainbowflower...thx for posting this!

[atomic sagebrush]

I just now read this, thank you for responding. I've not been sweating the diet much at all since my faint positives, and am hoping the almonds I ate along with the neurotic concerns over diet didn't sway too much in the wrong direction! When I woke up yesterday I was back down to 84, so I decided I would eat everything I could within reason (including cereal and tomatoes and potato chips) as I don't want to miscarry. I am shocked I even got pg. If I do miscarry I will just have to start the diet over. Am also encouraging DS to eat more and nurse less. This AM I was up to 85.5.

You are right, I am getting totally confused with what sways in what way, I see now that there are multipe approaches we are using, basically an integrated, (albeit confusing) approach targeting the lowering of blood sugar, pH and testosterone.

I will not worry about mixing protein and carbs should I need to go back on the diet, thank you for clarifying all of this!

Wow congrats I'm just seeing this!

Don't worry, keep in mind that throughout most of human history people had access to WAY less and less variety of foods and yet still most babies were born perfectly fine. Einstein, Socrates, Shakespeare, etc. were all born to women eating a diet that most of us would consider completely lacking in nutrients and yet they were among the greatest minds ever born.

It is funny because I don't really think it's confusing and it confuses me what people find confusing LOL. But I've breathed this stuff for the last 4 years now. That is why I love questions, because every time I am forced to clarify and explain I think it improves the quality of info for everyone.

I think the various swaying techniques work in highly complementary ways - some work together and others are separate but they all hang together without contradiction - the only ones that contradict each other are the ones I also think are probably not true.

[atomic sagebrush]

also don't forget that naturally 75% of fertilised eggs fail to implant anyway, I don't think all of those count as chemical pregnancies - a chemical is (from my understanding) when it implants but then AF flushes it out anyway because it's not established enough and the hormone levels are still too low, or the baby fails to implant properly and doesn't thrive

I suspect that the low glucose in the 2ww means that some fertilised XY eggs are in a condition not ready to hatch and implant, so will just pass through the uterus as one of those 75%

A chemical is any time the egg has been fertilized but does not implant or succeed in implanting in the uterine wall. So actually they're both right...an egg that does not implant and also an egg that starts to implant but then is "flushed out" by AF are both chemical pg.

I DO happen to think that at least some of the chemical pregnancies are caused by blood glucose yielding an unfavorable environment for a baby of a particular gender. But I don't think people should worry about it too much (as in, think that they're harming their baby or causing a miscarriage, if they conceive an opposite) because if blood glucose during the 2WW was truly make or break for the majority of babies, we would never see boy-girl twins.