Atomic, please help!

[angel__eyes83]

Atomic (and all other lovely mummas), I have been a sucker for the IG site; had a friend who had it work for her, bought into it hook line and sinker.
I have 4 girls and am desperate for a boy.
Please give me some of your strongest tips to make this happen for us!

Thank you :D

[angel__eyes83]

Please help!!!
The IG boy sway has not worked for me for 12 months and I need a new plan.
:/

[atomic sagebrush]

I need more info to go on - what exactly have you guys been doing?

My first recommendation would be to drop all douches, baking soda, egg whites, and only use Preseed or Conceive Plus. I would also drop the Shettles timing that does not work, and go for 3 attempts at positive opk.

Fill me in about your diet, supps, etc and I can be of more help.

[angel__eyes83]

We've been doing the IG boy diet; no douches, egg whites, bsf or anything like that (I'm prone to infection); we had been using pressed but it wasnt working for us; I'm on vit b complex, evening primrose oil, fish oil, conception/pregnancy/breastfeeding multi, folic acid, vitamin c, iron (in liquid form), garlic and vitamin e after af finishes (I find I have extended af if I take it during).
I usually only have on average around 1.5 meals a day, drink a lot of water; lemon water, normal water, currently mixing coconut water with pineapple juice. Dinners are usually meat and veg and I'll have an apple before bed.
I have tried having a banana for brekkie each morning but with my IBS I think it's giving me bowel episodes.
I'm trying to do the HE diet like you have suggested, but I'm so little I don't think I can possibly do it without seriously interrupting my IBS.
I was on additional Zinc but I came off that after reading something you wrote on it.
We have been using shettles to a point; we have been trying to time dtd within an hour or 2 before or after ov (we check cervix position to determine almost exact ov).
Our girls were 1 dtd 1.5-2 days before ov (based on edd); 6/7 days straight dtd with cut off day before ov (based on edd); dtd day before day of (after ov I think) and day after ov; dtd 6-8 hrs before ov.

I think I have covered everything :D

[atomic sagebrush]

Resume Preseed, we've had good results with it, but be careful not to use TOO much - just 1/4 of an applicator or so is usually plenty.

In terms of getting pregnant I think it is your timing. Timing doesn't sway and Shettles timing for a boy makes it really hard to get pregnant. We are getting great results with having 3 attempts at or around pos. OPK (day before ovulation). So you could have one attempt the day of pos OPK, another first thing the next morning, and then again the next night.

Eating 1 meal a day is really not ideal for TTC a boy. You don't need to stuff yourself with food on HE Diet or eat anything that will upset your stomach, but you do need to eat SOMETHING. A diet of banana and coconut water is not going to get you a boy no matter what they say on IG. You desperately need something with PROTEIN in it first thing in the morning - eggs, yogurt, whatever you can get down, even if it's not as much as others are eating.

Are you taking EPO all month or just AF-O?? That can mess up conception if you take it all month.

I am concerned that you are getting heavier AF. Garlic, fish oil, EPO, and Vit. E are all blood thinners and you really don't NEED all that stuff. I think Vit. E in megadoses any higher than that found in your prenatal may inhibit cell division and actually reduce odds of successful conception. I would drop the garlic and extra Vit E and be sure you're not taking more than 1000 mg fish oil and 500 mg EPO.

High doses of B vitamins can also mess up your cycle so you may want to give it a try without those(I really think it's the timing though)

[angel__eyes83]

Resume Preseed, we've had good results with it, but be careful not to use TOO much - just 1/4 of an applicator or so is usually plenty.

I think we have one application left before we need to get some more.



Eating 1 meal a day is really not ideal for TTC a boy. You don't need to stuff yourself with food on HE Diet or eat anything that will upset your stomach, but you do need to eat SOMETHING. A diet of banana and coconut water is not going to get you a boy no matter what they say on IG.

I wasn't just on that stuff, if anything I was primarily surviving on lemon water, bananas, supplements and potatoes.
But by being on that for so long, it's just stuffed my stomach to the point where I actually believed that I was suffering a stomach ulcer. UGH!!!
Now I'm trying to get breakfast in, not working so much, but I am getting protein in at lunch and dinner and last night had eggs and potatoes before bed.



Are you taking EPO all month or just AF-O?? That can mess up conception if you take it all month.

Just AF - O.


I am concerned that you are getting heavier AF. Garlic, fish oil, EPO, and Vit. E are all blood thinners and you really don't NEED all that stuff. I think Vit. E in megadoses any higher than that found in your prenatal may inhibit cell division and actually reduce odds of successful conception. I would drop the garlic and extra Vit E and be sure you're not taking more than 1000 mg fish oil and 500 mg EPO.

Nope, not heavier, actually lighter :/
I did 3 straight clomid cycles and it has stuffed me up big time.
Last clomid cycle I was on my AF was so much lighter than normal it was upsetting.
Then the AF after my first non-med cycle after the 3 in a row went for ages and I blamed taking the vit e during my AF on that, so I only started taking that again after my most recent AF stopped.
But having said that, my most recent AF was also light and only lasted a few days, probably close to my regular length but half as heavy (heightening my concern that my lining is stuffed).
I have been taking them to build my lining back up after the clomid episodes.
I'm on 2g of EPO for lining and CM, 3500mg of fish oil cuz that's what I read on IG somewhere by one of their new moderators who's like their top swayer ever or something (I dunno, I've become quite disillusioned with IG), 510mg of vit e for lining, garlic oil 1mg equiv to 3g of fresh bulb cuz I tend to get sick easily.
DH is on similar supplement amounts - I heard that vit e (500mg) is good for his swimmers as well as fish oil (3000mg). He's also on Zinc (just 25mg), vit c (1000mg) and folic acid (500mcg).



High doses of B vitamins can also mess up your cycle so you may want to give it a try without those(I really think it's the timing though)

I'm taking the b complex because my cycles are absolutely screwed without them.
Before the clomid I was suffering 40 - 50 day cycles and 8 - 10 day luteal phases (it was severely mentally devastating to have to wait 35/40 days just to ovulate and then start bleeding after 8/9 days after ovulation. One of my luteal phases only lasted ONE DAY :'( )
The b vitamins I'm using to shorten my follicular phase and elongate my luteal phase.

I'm just worried that based on my conception history with my girls, that the timing you suggest will result in another girl.

I'm in my second cycle after clomid finished; my first cycle after clomid mirrored one of my previous clomid cycles, but I was expecting that due to reading it has a half life of 2-3 cycles (depending on what doses and how long it was taken; I did 50mg days 2-6, 100mg days 2-6, 50mg day 2 100mg 3-6).


I'm really appreciating all your advice and taking in as much as I can.
After being TTC for a year now and having so much trouble, one can only assume that IF I'm lucky to conceive at all, it would be my last one, and we're just so desperate to have a son to complete our family (I think 12 months doing IG is proof of that).

[atomic sagebrush]

Please understand that it is irrelevant if you were eating a banana and coconut water or lemon water, supplements, banana, and potato - eating one meal a day with hardly any variety and no protein whatsoever is not the ideal way to get a boy. I was just using that as shorthand for the types of food/drink you are ingesting. there is little to nothing of real dietary value in there - no protein or fat, little calories.

It is normal to get lighter AF while on Clomid because your estrogen is lower. In your previous post you said "when I take vitamin E my menstural bleeding gets heavier" which means that you are so full of blood thinners that your blood is having trouble clotting and so taking a Vit. E is making your blood flow a lot more easily. This can happen all through your body including in your stomach and brain, both of which can be fatal. This is esp. the case for someone who is barely eating anything because it will affect you a lot more than someone who was getting more calories and some sources of Vit. K and dietary iron in addition to all the other micronutrients that your body uses to repair damage.

OMG that is way way way too much EPO and fish oil, not to mention garlic and Vit. E. Please take me very seriously, you are going to KILL YOURSELF on all these blood thinning supplements (and don't even get me started on your electrolytes eating only potassium and I assume sodium, without anything else to balance them out). I am very scared for you and I cannot stress strongly enough that you need to reduce doses right away and begin to eat more normally to give your body the nutritional resources it needs to be able to remain healthy. Don't stop them cold turkey, just drop down to 1000 mg fish oil, and stick with only the Vit. E in your prenatal/multivitamin. I would cut out the garlic for now and you can consider adding it back in when your diet is back to normal again.

I didn't realize you were taking the EPO while still on Clomid, that is a no-no and EPO may make it more difficult for you to get pregnant. i would drop that all together while on Clomid.

Honestly, I don't mean this to sound harsh but if you were eating that type of diet for months at a time it is no wonder your LP was one day long. Your body is STARVING for nutrients that are only present in real foods and I am not talking B vitamins, I mean protein and fat. Your body does not want to get pregnant if your diet is not at least somewhat balanced.

Re timing, http://genderdreaming.com/forum/gender-swaying-general-discussion/7691-trouble-timing.html this is the scientific case against timing. TIMING DOESN'T WORK. There are tons of people on here (myself included) who got boys with cutoffs and girls without them. In our stats, we are getting 75% GIRLS with one attempt regardless of what day people had sex on. NO ONE should be doing just one attempt while on Clomid anyway because when you're on Clomid you need to get pregnant fast. I think instead of the 3 attempts I recommended before, you should switch to SMEP Sperm Meets Egg Plan (http://www.pregnancyloss.info/sperm_meets_egg_plan.htm) and use some Preseed in an attempt to get pregnant as soon as possible because this needs to end before you end up in the hospital. :(

[angel__eyes83]

Please understand that it is irrelevant if you were eating a banana and coconut water or lemon water, supplements, banana, and potato - eating one meal a day with hardly any variety and no protein whatsoever is not the ideal way to get a boy. I was just using that as shorthand for the types of food/drink you are ingesting. there is little to nothing of real dietary value in there - no protein or fat, little calories.

I think you misunderstood what I was saying.
My one meal a day was a hearty dinner with red meat and veggies, mainly potatoes.
The bananas and water/juice was the grazing during the day (if you want to call it lunch, so be it, so then it would be 2 meals a day not 1).
Plus I'm just a little worried that my HE diet attempt won't works as I've only been on it for a week and I'm due to ovulate next week - do you suggest I skip this month's TTC in order to be on the diet longer?



It is normal to get lighter AF while on Clomid because your estrogen is lower. In your previous post you said "when I take vitamin E my menstural bleeding gets heavier" which means that you are so full of blood thinners that your blood is having trouble clotting and so taking a Vit. E is making your blood flow a lot more easily. This can happen all through your body including in your stomach and brain, both of which can be fatal. This is esp. the case for someone who is barely eating anything because it will affect you a lot more than someone who was getting more calories and some sources of Vit. K and dietary iron in addition to all the other micronutrients that your body uses to repair damage.

No I didn't say that my bleeding gets heavier, I said that when I take Vit E while I am on my AF that it extends the bleeding, it doesn't make it heavier.
I had a heavier period this cycle than last cycle (but it was also shorter; last time was very light for 13 days), but my regular pattern (with NO supplements or clomid) is medium, heavy, heavy, medium, medium, light, light. My most recent cycle was light, medium, medium, light, light, spot, spot, spot; and that was on supplements and after my first non-clomid cycle.




OMG that is way way way too much EPO and fish oil, not to mention garlic and Vit. E. Please take me very seriously, you are going to KILL YOURSELF on all these blood thinning supplements (and don't even get me started on your electrolytes eating only potassium and I assume sodium, without anything else to balance them out). I am very scared for you and I cannot stress strongly enough that you need to reduce doses right away and begin to eat more normally to give your body the nutritional resources it needs to be able to remain healthy. Don't stop them cold turkey, just drop down to 1000 mg fish oil, and stick with only the Vit. E in your prenatal/multivitamin. I would cut out the garlic for now and you can consider adding it back in when your diet is back to normal again.

I have been eating normally for the last week or so now.
But my problem is building my lining - how do I do it if I am not taking the supplements???



I didn't realize you were taking the EPO while still on Clomid, that is a no-no and EPO may make it more difficult for you to get pregnant. i would drop that all together while on Clomid.

I wasn't - I was using pre-seed on clomid.
The first cycle I didn't use clomid I used EPO and this cycle I am using EPO.
I never once used EPO during a clomid cycle as I was advised against it.
I am slated to re-start my clomid next cycle but I am rethinking that decision by my gyno because I feel that what little lining I have now will be completely depleted. I am actually quite concerned that I have uterine scarring after a 2 month long uterine infection, so until that is nutted out I'm considering my options.



Honestly, I don't mean this to sound harsh but if you were eating that type of diet for months at a time it is no wonder your LP was one day long. Your body is STARVING for nutrients that are only present in real foods and I am not talking B vitamins, I mean protein and fat. Your body does not want to get pregnant if your diet is not at least somewhat balanced.

I wasn't 'crash' IG dieting at this point, just focusing more on bananas and potatoes with 2 or 3 meals a day as I was still breastfeeding my youngest.
I had a huge issue with under supply too as well as the issues with my cycles (I have irregular periods normally, but when I breastfeed, they are actually regular and normal - so when I started getting irregularity in my cycles I knew something was wrong. I had little to no milk supply and my cycles were all over the place. I was eating fine and using no meds and only having a breastfeeding supplement. My first 2 cycles after having her were normal and that was while I had my uterine infection, after that it hit the roof and got all crazy).



Re timing, http://genderdreaming.com/forum/gender-swaying-general-discussion/7691-trouble-timing.html this is the scientific case against timing. TIMING DOESN'T WORK. There are tons of people on here (myself included) who got boys with cutoffs and girls without them. In our stats, we are getting 75% GIRLS with one attempt regardless of what day people had sex on. NO ONE should be doing just one attempt while on Clomid anyway because when you're on Clomid you need to get pregnant fast. I think instead of the 3 attempts I recommended before, you should switch to SMEP Sperm Meets Egg Plan (http://www.pregnancyloss.info/sperm_meets_egg_plan.htm) and use some Preseed in an attempt to get pregnant as soon as possible because this needs to end before you end up in the hospital. :(

I can assure you I'm not going to end up in the hospital.
I have gained 2 kilos in the last week eating the HE diet.
I am eating 2 -3 meals a day again and I'm grazing during the day (ok so it's chocolate, but it's the best I got to snack on and I'm still having trouble with breakfast - I'm just not a breakfast person
).
My problem with the timing issue is that no matter what sort of timing I do I'm getting girls.
I've done 1 dtd with a 2 day cut off.
I've done dtd 6/7 days straight with a 1 day cut off.
I've done dtd day before, day of and day after (this was my clomid success and we were IG swaying boy)
I've done 1 dtd hours before (and IG swaying boy)
It doesn't matter what sort of attempt I have - I just get girls :'(
I secretly think there's something wrong with my husband.
Like he doesn't make boy sperm or something.

I'm actually scared to do any sort of attempt that isn't once and isn't mere hours before ov.
I don't want another girl and this being my last baby (IF I get pregnant at all) I don't want to do attempts similar to what I've done before just so I can have another girl (my husband once said that we'd keep going till we get a boy, but we can't afford so many children, and my body can only take so much strain of pregnancy, plus with the way that we're going I'll end up with 20 daughters or something like that. Even my mother did the Shettles method and it worked for her - she had 2 boys after me with it. So what on God's Green Earth am I doing wrong???)
I know it works for most everyone else, but for some reason my body likes to buck all the trends.

I can guarantee you that SMEP will result in another girl (based on my 2nd and 3rd children's conceptions. Plus there's no possible way it would work as, for the current moment in time and I don't know when it will start changing, I ovulate on day 19, not day 14. And I expect it to start lengthening out the longer I'm off clomid).

Maybe I'm just destined to have daughters all my life (don't get me wrong, I love my daughters, they are my life, I adore them and I don't know what I would do without them, but I need a boy. I have always wanted one of each. I want the mummy - son bond. My husband gets the daddy - daughter bond and they have something really special there and I'm missing out because I don't have a son. It's upsetting for me to see the closeness of their 'secret' bond and the fact that they demand his attention more than mine. I want a little man to do that with me. Have a 'secret' little bond; demand my attention. I don't know if anyone can really understand the why's of me wanting a son, but it hurts that I don't have one and it hurts because I probably never will have one).
Women with sons don't know how lucky they are...

[angel__eyes83]

ps...
Please don't think that I'm coming off mean or anything - I've read stuff on the net about EPO helping with cervical mucous and Vit E helping build uterine lining and Fish Oil being good for DNA building (I take heaps of folic acid too because I've read it helps immensely).
I take your words with a lot of heart - my hubby has decreased his zinc intake as have I and I'm trying with all my being to be successful at this HE diet.
I want you to be critical with my current methods so I know what to do, but I also need a little bit of help with lengthening my LP and building my lining back up.
We are truly desperate for a boy and I'm willing to do pretty much anything to get him (except egg whites in 'wrong' places. Just no...)...

[greeneyes]

Wow that's a vey girl friendly sounding diet! I know this is for atomic, but I got my boys when I was heavier and healthier. I would eat breakfast cereal every morning (cereal is fortified - extra nutrients) and sometimes for dinner, I would eat a fairly good sized lunch and snacks in between. I also exercised moderately, drank high calorie "foo-foo" coffees drank regular coke vs diet, ate protein with every meal (whether it was in the form of milk, cheese, fish, beans/hummus, PB, or meat), and made sure to get a large variety of fruits and veggies to increase my nutrient levels. My bmi was close too if not showing I was overweight (stupid bmi!!). Oh I would also eat cinnamon rolls and or some sort of desert several days a week. :p

I also took a lot of vitamins at the time per my doc - beta carotene, vit c, zinc, vit e (400), and folic acid. I eventually added vit d3 and mag/cal but I can't remember of I took those before I got pg with DS or after. I think it was before. After ds1 o started a b-complex to help with my LP but it didn't work. It did give me energy so I continued it lol. Anyway not saying you should go on all these stupid sups but that the added nutrients helped to sway boy with my high calorie intake and even blood glucose levels from trying to eat every three hours. Good luck to you!! I hope you get your boy! :)


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[greeneyes]

Oh and I think atomic is trying to say your LP and lining might thicken with out the added sups by increasing your fat and protein intake. The vit e, epo, and other blood thinning sups might be causing an increasingly thin lining since too much of a good thing can sometimes reverse itself.

With my LP I've always started spotting at 7dpo. I've had no issues with getting pg with it that way, it's just the way my body likes to roll unfortunately. I saw you're breast feeding? That can contribute to thinner linings too I think and it along with the clomid sway pink. Just a thought. Again, good luck! I hope you get that boy soon!!


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[The Anchor]

I would def try to up the meals to 3 a day. They don't have to be huge, I have to choke down breakfast on the best of days, a protein shake or some granola. You have to keep your blood sugar levels...well...level :)

Are you doing OPKs? Have you ever had any monitoring (for ovulation)?

[greeneyes]

Also it might help to read some of the articles about how to get a boy. I started off with IG and then the site was down so much I started/continued researching here and found that even though IG made good points I didn't believe it to be correct. From what I've read about getting boys and girls I lead totally boy/girl friendly diets/lifestyles before getting pg with each gender. Everything just made sense here while there is no magic spell or thing that will sway one way or another I think GD is more accurate about getting g your dream gender overall vs IG. Good luck!


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[angel__eyes83]

Wow that's a vey girl friendly sounding diet! I know this is for atomic, but I got my boys when I was heavier and healthier. I would eat breakfast cereal every morning (cereal is fortified - extra nutrients) and sometimes for dinner, I would eat a fairly good sized lunch and snacks in between. I also exercised moderately, drank high calorie "foo-foo" coffees drank regular coke vs diet, ate protein with every meal (whether it was in the form of milk, cheese, fish, beans/hummus, PB, or meat), and made sure to get a large variety of fruits and veggies to increase my nutrient levels. My bmi was close too if not showing I was overweight (stupid bmi!!). Oh I would also eat cinnamon rolls and or some sort of desert several days a week. :p

I'm not a breakfast person, so it's really hard to work in; I'm trying really hard to eat within an hour of waking (sometimes I don't wake until late morning so I have lunch instead, but have another meal after dinner to make the 3rd meal). I am only little too (172.5 cm and now 58kgs, was 56kgs a week ago when starting the HE diet) and my BMI was 19.09, I'm guessing closer to 20 now, but it's so hard trying to force big meals into a little body, so I'm doing what I can. I'm also trying to include proteins at every meal. But no cereals; I just can't do them - when they get soggy they make me vomit. I can't stand soggy textured foods (I actually had to stop myself from throwing up everytime I ate a banana due to the awful texture).
I am incorporating Milo into my diet, so hopefully that makes up for the lack of breakfast cereal.
Plus I can only afford so much, so we have to keep things as much on the cheap as possible.
We get cheap red meat/chops and chicken a lot of the time and have a basic carrot/pea/corn veggie mix, with potatoes thrown in there as well.
I'm limited to what I can eat as well due to Irritable Bowel Syndrome.



I also took a lot of vitamins at the time per my doc - beta carotene, vit c, zinc, vit e (400), and folic acid. I eventually added vit d3 and mag/cal but I can't remember of I took those before I got pg with DS or after. I think it was before. After ds1 o started a b-complex to help with my LP but it didn't work. It did give me energy so I continued it lol. Anyway not saying you should go on all these stupid sups but that the added nutrients helped to sway boy with my high calorie intake and even blood glucose levels from trying to eat every three hours. Good luck to you!! I hope you get your boy! :)


I'm still taking my vit c for my iron absorption, I'm taking heaps of folic acid. Atomic has told me to get off the Vit e (which I am weaning off as of yesterday) and I'm only taking the zinc in my prenatal as per something I read by atomic in one of the supplement FAQ's.
I can't take calcium tabs as they give me kidney issues :/
I have been taking the b complex and it seems to have helped with my LP issues, but I'm only on my 2nd non-clomid cycle so I don't know if it's the clomid half life or me ... who knows.

My main concern right now is my HE diet - is 2.5 weeks long enough to be on it for it to work?
I ov next week and only started it last week.
And if I'm going to do SMEP I need to start now (CD 14)

I hope I get him too, but after 4 girls I'm not so convinced.

[greeneyes]

Well, I was always told where there is a will there is a way. I'm 4'11" and had no problems eating every three hours. I didn't eat large meals but I ate enough to keep my sugars elevated. Even on a restricted diet you should be able to do that. No one said to eat foods you couldn't eat. You know what your body will tolerate. Eat something small in the morning. Pop tart, nutrigrain bar, whatever. Making excuses won't get you a boy. Find the foods you can eat and eat small amounts all day long to keep the blood sugar levels elevated. I guess I'm not sure what you're looking for from atomic. :( she tried to explain to you what to do and what not to do and you seem very resistant to it.

Sorry. I'm backing out of this thread now. Good luck!


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[angel__eyes83]

Well, I was always told where there is a will there is a way. I'm 4'11" and had no problems eating every three hours. I didn't eat large meals but I ate enough to keep my sugars elevated. Even on a restricted diet you should be able to do that. No one said to eat foods you couldn't eat. You know what your body will tolerate. Eat something small in the morning. Pop tart, nutrigrain bar, whatever. Making excuses won't get you a boy. Find the foods you can eat and eat small amounts all day long to keep the blood sugar levels elevated. I guess I'm not sure what you're looking for from atomic. :( she tried to explain to you what to do and what not to do and you seem very resistant to it.

Sorry. I'm backing out of this thread now. Good luck!


I'm sorry, but I'm not quite understanding you.

I usually don't eat very much because I don't usually need very much to run on, so I eat when I need to and when I have to and sometimes that doesn't quite follow the HE diet, so I'm looking for advice on how to work the HE diet around my habits and not to try and push myself further than I can go, or at least just gradually slide myself into a place where I get closer to doing what I'm meant to.
I was merely pointing out that some of the things you were doing I'm not capable of due to certain factors and if anything, was looking for appropriate substitutes; I'm not sure how you got resistance from that.
I have never and will never make excuses for myself; all I am doing is trying to get as much useful information as I possibly can with my particular situation in consideration.
I don't do certain things, I don't eat certain things and I'm trying to get as much as I can with my circumstances in mind.
Again, I'm not sure how this possibly equates into resistance.
Atomic misunderstood some of the things I was saying about my previous diet and my supplement use during my clomid cycles and my AF and I was trying to specify and elaborate what exactly I was doing so she would have a little bit more of a clearer picture of what exactly I was doing.
Atomic can't help me to the best of her knowledge and ability if I am not clear and concise; if the information I'm giving isn't being taken the way I meant it to, then it is my responsibility to make sure that I re-write it so that it can be understood the way I meant it to.
Being on the internet without proper ability to show tone and emotion guarantees that things that are said are not completely taken in the context that it is meant to be taken in and people mistake that the comments are in an argumentative nature.
I really don't seem how I can possibly be resistant to Atomic's advice when I have started weaning off the supplements she told me to and when I have done the diet to a point where I have already gained a couple of kilos.
If anything it should look like I'm an eager student willing to learn all that I can, but just needing some clarification on certain points as it's not to the general populations normality ie - my circumstances are unique to everybody else and it's a big thing for me to change my diet so drastically, so what does someone like me do when it's such a radical change?

And if the resistance you're talking about is the SMEP method - I'm sorry, but when you've had 4 girls like I have with various time span methods, I think you'd be a little skeptical of the SMEP method too.
I only get one more child, one more pregnancy, one more birth.
I need to have the most accurate information possible based on my circumstances.
I'm sorry if my asking questions and being thorough is coming off as 'resistant'.

[The Anchor]

The truth is you have to make a change. You have to try and do something different than what you were doing when you got your girls. We are relaying the information we have available to help you to sway boy. If you have very specific circumstances perhaps you should consider getting a personalized plan from atomic. GL.

[Hobbermittens]

I'll butt in to say that when I swayed for my son, I changed my diet A LOT. I ate protein and carbs together, ate many healthy snacks during the day, a bedtime snack, and first thing after waking, I would eat a Lara Bar. That was easy to eat, even when I wasn't quite ready for a big breakfast. Or you could try a handful of nuts and some dates. If you don't like the texture of bananas, etc., you could try smoothies; you could throw all sorts of things in a smoothie that would be nutritious.

It is hard to completely change your lifestyle, but since your current lifestyle has gotten you 4 girls, you need to do some things different. Atomic has great essays on here, and if you want, she can help you with a personalized plan to find ways of working around your health issues.

I have IBS as well, but didn't find the HE diet effected me in a negative way (except I pooped more from all the extra food! :oops: ). I hope you can find some choices that will work for you.

Eating nutritiously and often is a must with the boy sway--it keeps your blood sugars level, and shows your body that the resources are there for a boy conception. When I conceived my daughters, I was eating junk and snacking on mostly carbs, not eating often and sometimes drinking coffee in place of a meal. I am sure my blood sugar levels were all over the place! In contrast, when I did the HE diet, and conceived DS2, I had to really change my eating habits a LOT, and it was hard--but it WORKED. My 15 month old son is sitting here next to me, as proof of my sway success. :car: :) :DS:

Good luck!

[angel__eyes83]

I'll butt in to say that when I swayed for my son, I changed my diet A LOT. I ate protein and carbs together, ate many healthy snacks during the day, a bedtime snack, and first thing after waking, I would eat a Lara Bar. That was easy to eat, even when I wasn't quite ready for a big breakfast. Or you could try a handful of nuts and some dates. If you don't like the texture of bananas, etc., you could try smoothies; you could throw all sorts of things in a smoothie that would be nutritious.

It is hard to completely change your lifestyle, but since your current lifestyle has gotten you 4 girls, you need to do some things different. Atomic has great essays on here, and if you want, she can help you with a personalized plan to find ways of working around your health issues.

I have IBS as well, but didn't find the HE diet effected me in a negative way (except I pooped more from all the extra food! :oops: ). I hope you can find some choices that will work for you.

Eating nutritiously and often is a must with the boy sway--it keeps your blood sugars level, and shows your body that the resources are there for a boy conception. When I conceived my daughters, I was eating junk and snacking on mostly carbs, not eating often and sometimes drinking coffee in place of a meal. I am sure my blood sugar levels were all over the place! In contrast, when I did the HE diet, and conceived DS2, I had to really change my eating habits a LOT, and it was hard--but it WORKED. My 15 month old son is sitting here next to me, as proof of my sway success. :car: :) :DS:

Good luck!

I've been having a cup of Milo in the morning within the first half hour of waking up and then I'll have my first food of the day within an hour of that.
DH has made sure that if I don't get 3 meals, that we get in as many snacks as possible.
At least 2 of my meals are a protein and a veg combo and I have an apple before bed.
I snack on chocolate and potato chips (bad, I know, but it's the only thing I have available at this present moment in time - we need to do another grocery shop).
I eat till I'm full and I eat when I'm hungry, so I'm not fulfilling the recommended calorie intake (I could be, I have no idea, I don't calorie count, I don't think it's healthy to do and plus with 4 girls I don't want them seeing me do that), but I have gained 3 kilos in the last week, so I'm guessing something is working.
My 4 girls were conceived on 4 very different eating schedules.
#1 was a very stressful time so I was really inconsistent with my meals, #2 I was eating brilliantly because I was at the gym and that was encouraging me to eat properly (and I put 3 kilos on in TTC lead up), #3 I think I was eating ok and #4 I was breastfeeding #3 so I was eating reasonably well.
I was a little *too* enthused about losing weight this time around so incorporated that into my IG diet (although I stopped losing weight around 6 months ago and have kept a consistent weight since; if anything I gained a kilo or so after hitting my target).
Might have been a big whoops on my part.
We have started using the SMEP method as of yesterday, so I'm hoping that doing the diet for 2.5 weeks before ov is enough. The 4 weeks before that I was eating the right foods, just not enough (inconsistently consistent says DH; my memory is fried). I was eating a really meaty/hearty dinner, and having an apple or 2 before bed, but my lunch consisted of a banana and I had no breakfast. And I snacked on lemon water and coconut water/pineapple juice combo (I really just don't eat that much :/ So it's been a bit of a struggle getting the extra into me, but I'm trying my hardest. I'm hoping my supplement intake helps fill in some gaps).
But my DH has been really good with the food and has been motivating me with this diet, making sure I eat etc, so I know I'm not going to fall back into the bad routine.

I *think* I'm doing ok with it, I'll continue with it and see how I do, my main concern now is the fact that I won't have been on it for long at time of ovulation (but I don't have a lot of choice - my gyno is putting me back onto clomid next cycle and it makes me sick so I can't eat well on it, that's why my last cycle I was eating better because it was my first cycle off it; I was actually getting hungry on a regular basis and eating the house down which I wasn't doing on the clomid).
But yeah, just really nervous about the amount of time being on it before ov happens...

[lovemy2blessings]

I agree with pp. I can tell you that with both my DS's I ate protein and carbs. I always ate breakfast, usually cereal, pop tarts, waffles, pancakes etc. I did snack. I always are out on weekends. Had a pretty boy friendly lifestyle. I hope you get your DS and GL!

[atomic sagebrush]

Please give this a bump tomorrow for me so I can respond, it's a bit late here and I'm done in for all but the easiest q's. :)

I don't think you're coming off mean or anything like that, I just want to help you have the best sway possible and i don't think eating banana and coconut water all day, regardless of eating a meal once a day, is the best way for you to do that. We are getting into the realm of splitting hairs here and please take my advice in the spirit in which is it meant - general guidelines that I hope will help you as much as possible.

[angel__eyes83]

Please give this a bump tomorrow for me so I can respond, it's a bit late here and I'm done in for all but the easiest q's. :)

I don't think you're coming off mean or anything like that, I just want to help you have the best sway possible and i don't think eating banana and coconut water all day, regardless of eating a meal once a day, is the best way for you to do that. We are getting into the realm of splitting hairs here and please take my advice in the spirit in which is it meant - general guidelines that I hope will help you as much as possible.

Oh I totally agree with you that bananas and coconut water will get me nowhere.
I have stopped the bananas and incorporated the coconut water/pineapple juice into my daily 'routine'.
I have begun having milk/milo for breakfast and trying to eat lunch within an hour of that.
I also have 1 or 2 'up and go' packs a day for extra nutrients and minerals.
I'm weaning the fish oil and vit e to the point where I'm just getting it in my prenatals.
I've dropped my EPO dose to 1g/1000mg a day.
We started SMEP last night and are using pre-seed.
I have started taking vit d3 and I'm trying to take more calcium in my diet.
Every meal I have is protein and veggies, but I'm struggling with carbs.
I'm having an apple as my bed time snack.
I'm struggling with high sugar snacks like chocolate and fizzy drinks and I have a weak spot for potato chips.
But I'm trying to fit everything around eating when I'm hungry :D

I'm really taking everything in and totally using it as much as I can :D

[atomic sagebrush]

Again, just to clarify becasue I understand what you are saying perfectly, it does not matter how hearty your one meal a day is - the REST of the day you are eating no protein, banana, lemon water, etc and that is terrible for a blue sway. Even if you eat a side of beef, one meal a day is not good for blue - you can get a boy doing all kinds of stuff but it's not going to optimize your odds. I sometimes write dozens of posts a day and I need you guys to kinda fill in the blanks and hear what I'm saying even when I have to say it kinda quick. :)

I ~personally~ would have you skip this month. I hardly ever say that but i think it would be best.

If you give your body the raw materials, it KNOWS how to build lining. It can do it without megadoses of vitamins and minerals. Just eat properly, get some fat and take a normal prenatal vitamin and your body will do the rest.

I can assure you that high doses of blood thinners can and do kill people every day as does having electrolytes badly out of whack. You can feel fine one minute and then keel over from a heart arrhythmia or have a brain aneyurism from taking a bunch of blood thinners. I am not using hyperbole, these things are real risks that you need to start taking very seriously. I am not kidding or exaggerating when I say I am scared for you. I don't tell people that very often and when I say it, I mean it.

The reason you keep getting girls regardless of timing, is because timing doesn't sway. It doesn't work. So whatever is going on in your body and/or your husband's body, you're more girl-friendly and thus more likely to get a girl. Timing has nothing to do with it. SMEP has nothing to do with it and will actually only help you get pregnant. But NO ONE is predestined to have only girls - we all ahve the potential to make both boys and girls, we just need to tap into our body's natural mechanisms to make that happen.

All men make 50-50 X and Y sperm. Their whole bodies are made up of XY cells and then these cells divide into X and Y cells. Now, that doesn't mean that his X and Y are equally long lived but then again it also doesn't mean that it is his "fault" you guys are having girls. I don't want you to misdiagnose the problem and get so focused in on the idea that he only makes girls, that you miss the elephant in the room in terms of your diet and stuff like that.

I do totally understand about wanting a boy. I wanted a boy desperately with my first and luckily got him - I was just greedy and wanted a girl too LOL. I promise I will do what is in my power to help you as much as I can.

[atomic sagebrush]

There's nothing magic in breakfast cereal, so if you don't like them just eat something else.

You don't have to stuff yourself on HE Diet. The important thing is that you're eating more, and most important, more regularly, than you were before.

I got 2 boys when we were really poor - it is possible!!

Re vitamins, doctors did use to recommend more vitamins even just a few years ago but it's been shown that they don't do anything and may even worsen some health problems. I do want you taking a multivitamin or prenatal, it's the MEGAdoses that you were taking that is concerning, not a normal intake. Vit. C can help iron absorption, but it doesn't need to be a huge dose, even just a little glass of orange juice when you eat something containing iron.

[atomic sagebrush]

I do think you have a good handle on things now but did want to stress one thing - a lot of people feel like, if they can't do everything, they may as well not do ANYTHING and that couldn't be further from the truth. Unlike those mineral diets popular on the other sites, the HE Diet is just a goal to strive for. You can fall short and still get a boy. If you do it 70%, 50%, or even just 10% more than you were, that is STILL a blue sway.

All that matters is what you are doing - it doesn't matter if it's what worked for anyone else. You don't have to do the same as anyone else, all you ahve to do is start making little changes in a more boy-friendly direction. We just want to make sure that you understand it's not about more bananas, KWIM? You need a balanced, healthy diet with lots of different high-nutrient foods, and to be eating regular meals with protein and carbs to keep blood sugar up. That may be way less food for you than it is for me (a lot of us boy moms are petite but can pack away the foods without gaining weight) and that is ok. Don't worry about what ~I~ ate to get boys, just change ~your~ diet in a more HE way and don't beat yourself up if you fall a little short - it still works. It's a radio dial, not a light switch and I have an essay explaining that in depht here: http://genderdreaming.com/forum/gender-swaying-general-discussion/25293-three-essays-swaying.html

[angel__eyes83]

Again, just to clarify becasue I understand what you are saying perfectly, it does not matter how hearty your one meal a day is - the REST of the day you are eating no protein, banana, lemon water, etc and that is terrible for a blue sway. Even if you eat a side of beef, one meal a day is not good for blue - you can get a boy doing all kinds of stuff but it's not going to optimize your odds. I sometimes write dozens of posts a day and I need you guys to kinda fill in the blanks and hear what I'm saying even when I have to say it kinda quick. :)

I ~personally~ would have you skip this month. I hardly ever say that but i think it would be best.

I think you've lost what I have said somewhere; up until a bout 6 weeks ago it was a bout one meal a day (coming off the clomid gave me my appetite back so I upped up my meals; gradually, but I was definitely eating more. Clomid suppresses my appetite and makes me very ill).
In Dec I upped it to 2, and ok, so my lunch didnt have protein in it, but I'm usually not a heavy protein person just because of the effects it has on my IBS (I get very uncomfortably gassy. With upping it up to the HE diet in the last 2 weeks, I am so bloated I look 6 months pregnant and it's painful to pass gas in any way. But I guess this is what I have to go through to get a boy).

I can't stand banana's.
I haven't eaten one in weeks.
There's NO way I would EVER increase my banana intake - omg they're so feral!!!
It makes me sick just thinking about them LOL (bad reaction in my first pregnancy - haven't been able to properly eat them since :/ )

I know you say to skip this month, but I don't have the choice.
I am being put back on clomid next cycle.
It's a non negotiable with my gyno.
It's either I do the clomid or I'm sent to a Fertility Specialist to do IUI.
I can't eat properly while on clomid as it makes me violently ill.
I can't eat during my AF, I can't eat during OV and I can't eat the few days leading up to AF (I can't stop vomiting; it has something to do with the hormones being stirred up and my body memory of Hyperemesis Gravidarum from my last pregnancy).
I have gained 4 kilos on the diet in the last 2 weeks, so I can only imagine that it's working.
And I dare say that constant vomiting is going to make me lose weight as well as make the diet redundant as I won't be keeping much down.
That's why since coming off the clomid my diet has been getting better and I've been able to eat more (ie constant snacking, going from 1 to 2 meals a day etc).

[angel__eyes83]

There's nothing magic in breakfast cereal, so if you don't like them just eat something else.

You don't have to stuff yourself on HE Diet. The important thing is that you're eating more, and most important, more regularly, than you were before.

I got 2 boys when we were really poor - it is possible!!

Re vitamins, doctors did use to recommend more vitamins even just a few years ago but it's been shown that they don't do anything and may even worsen some health problems. I do want you taking a multivitamin or prenatal, it's the MEGAdoses that you were taking that is concerning, not a normal intake. Vit. C can help iron absorption, but it doesn't need to be a huge dose, even just a little glass of orange juice when you eat something containing iron.


Yeah, can't stand cereal, so I just do milk/milo or and 'up and go' in the morning.

Very much eating more - the scales don't lie LOL!!!

I've halved my EPO dose, gotten rid of the extra vit e, gotten rid of the extra zinc, gotten rid of the extra fish oil.
I'm still on high b6, but I need that at the moment for my LP until my cycles show some regular pattern (although on the clomid I probably won't get the chance to be regular by myself :/ )
I'm still on high folic acid as well, on a basic dose of vit c (1180mg a day. I didn't realise my b-complex had it in it, so I might have to get rid of 500mg of my dosage) and I've started up vit d3. Still on my liquid iron supplement (I'm an iron deficient anemic).

[angel__eyes83]

I do think you have a good handle on things now but did want to stress one thing - a lot of people feel like, if they can't do everything, they may as well not do ANYTHING and that couldn't be further from the truth. Unlike those mineral diets popular on the other sites, the HE Diet is just a goal to strive for. You can fall short and still get a boy. If you do it 70%, 50%, or even just 10% more than you were, that is STILL a blue sway.

All that matters is what you are doing - it doesn't matter if it's what worked for anyone else. You don't have to do the same as anyone else, all you ahve to do is start making little changes in a more boy-friendly direction. We just want to make sure that you understand it's not about more bananas, KWIM? You need a balanced, healthy diet with lots of different high-nutrient foods, and to be eating regular meals with protein and carbs to keep blood sugar up. That may be way less food for you than it is for me (a lot of us boy moms are petite but can pack away the foods without gaining weight) and that is ok. Don't worry about what ~I~ ate to get boys, just change ~your~ diet in a more HE way and don't beat yourself up if you fall a little short - it still works. It's a radio dial, not a light switch and I have an essay explaining that in depht here: http://genderdreaming.com/forum/gender-swaying-general-discussion/25293-three-essays-swaying.html

I am hoping that my weight gain is a positive sign and my urine has changed a bit weirdly since last cycle, since hard core changing the diet (could be stopping the bananas that's changed the colour).
What I'm worried about now is the fact that I feel like my urine is too weak to catch a pos opk for my surge (as it's not as dark as it was on a 3-4 hr hold. It was a very dark cloudy orange colour, now it's a clear mid-dark yellow colour).
We are trying to rely on other methods to pinpoint ovulation, but they're not completely reliable and could leave us a little short for timing (I have very little CM, hence the EPO, my temps are as off the hinge as you can get, I have no idea why as it's just what my body does, so the only reliable sign we have is CP, and even then it can be very ambiguous and give mixed signals).
Is there any way for weak urine on a 3-hour hold to still be able to give a positive ovulation test?

[atomic sagebrush]

ok I have to walk away from this, I think I said what needs saying and I"m not here to get into a quibble festival about who ate what, when where why and how, and so forth. Take it for whatever it was worth and if that was nothing, that is fine too and maybe someone else benefited from it.

If the Clomid is non-negotiable then absolutely by all means you need to try. Temping can be weird on Clomid under ideal circumstances. Would your doctor consider prescribing Estrace for you? It would help your blue sway and will also help you make more CM.

The color of your urine has nothing to do with the amount of LH that is coming out in it. If you can hold your pee for 3-4 hours then that works very well. Vitamins are notorious for changing the color of the urine, your pee is not supposed to be dark and orange and it's good that it's lightened up some.

All these things - the Clomid, trouble temping, lack of CM, concern that you may not get pos OPK, etc. indicates to me that you have got to let go on timing now and switch to SMEP type of pattern in order to get pregnant. Sperm Meets Egg Plan (http://www.pregnancyloss.info/sperm_meets_egg_plan.htm) Waiting around for ovulation when you can't even tell it's coming, you just can't do that on Clomid because you can only take it for a few months.

[angel__eyes83]

ok I have to walk away from this, I think I said what needs saying and I"m not here to get into a quibble festival about who ate what, when where why and how, and so forth. Take it for whatever it was worth and if that was nothing, that is fine too and maybe someone else benefited from it.

If the Clomid is non-negotiable then absolutely by all means you need to try. Temping can be weird on Clomid under ideal circumstances. Would your doctor consider prescribing Estrace for you? It would help your blue sway and will also help you make more CM.

The color of your urine has nothing to do with the amount of LH that is coming out in it. If you can hold your pee for 3-4 hours then that works very well. Vitamins are notorious for changing the color of the urine, your pee is not supposed to be dark and orange and it's good that it's lightened up some.

All these things - the Clomid, trouble temping, lack of CM, concern that you may not get pos OPK, etc. indicates to me that you have got to let go on timing now and switch to SMEP type of pattern in order to get pregnant. Sperm Meets Egg Plan (http://www.pregnancyloss.info/sperm_meets_egg_plan.htm) Waiting around for ovulation when you can't even tell it's coming, you just can't do that on Clomid because you can only take it for a few months.

I'm sorry you feel that way :(
The point I was trying to get across is the fact that you're telling me not to do my sway this month because of my horrible eating patterns in the last several months, but I feel that you're not understanding the fact that when I was on the clomid I had shocking eating, I'm not going to run away from that fact, but as soon as I got off it my eating increased and got better.
I feel as if that fact isn't being taken into account.
Almost like I'm being held 'hostage' to my bad eating before Nov 25th.
I'm not trying to be mean, I'm not trying to fight or argue or split hairs.
I am trying to give you the full picture of what my eating habits have been so you can give me more of an idea on how I've done before I fully equipped the HE diet.
I just feel like my increased eating since Nov 25th is being ignored.

As for the timing, I'm not waiting for ovulation; I *am* in fact practicing SMEP and the reason I need to know when ov occurs is a) so I can do to the letter what the SMEP rule book says and b) for specialist/gyno reasons.
I have also discussed with my specialist/gyno that I have issues with my CM and he pretty much told me too bad so sad, so I'm on my own with that one.
Funnily enough, my temps are perfect on clomid.
For some reason, even though I have no hormonal issues, my temps on a non-clomid cycle are screwed.
I can't do the HE diet and clomid at the same; it's a physical impossibility.
I'm either on the clomid and not the HE diet or I'm on the HE diet and not the clomid.

As I said before, I'm sorry that you feel that you need to walk away, I've only tried to give you the most accurate information that I possibly can, and being held to a bad diet practice that I wasn't really following isn't accurate.
I know what I was doing wasn't ideal but I have been eating more since Nov 25th, just not along the lines of the HE diet.
I thought that would at least count for something.
But I guess we'll see how I do...