whats the concensus

[gizmo77]

on couples who have one of each gender? that they switched their diet without knowing??? higher fertility overall???

[Zivic-Bubac]

Lucky b****rds? :p

[zanacal]

Lucky b****rds? :p

:rofl:

I wish I had something intelligent to say on this but my brain is mush this evening - interested in responses though!

[queen-of-harts]

Im convinced that they are put on earth strictly to annoy people like me lol

[swish]

I know a lot more people that have a girl first, then a boy. Most of these people have been dieters pre babies or exercused alot and many had babies straight after getting married (having dieted to look thin!). They then put on weight and probably ate more before having a boy. Other people I know whose diet didn't change were on clomid to conceive girls then had a boy naturally. One friend had boy, girl, girl - the only thing that changed for her was her relationship with her dh was a bit rocky for a while!! I think diet change is the main factor.

[Flava]

Im thinking it's just damn luck! That's it!

[soontobesix]

So this is my theory :)... I think some of us due to random factors (diet, body physiology, meds, lifestyles, exercise, etc) are on one end or the other of the boy girl spectrum and therefore end up with a lot of one gender. I think there are some people who are probably right smack dab in the middle and therefore they tend to fluctuate either way. If I believe that doing the diet, exercises, etc can have an effect for the extreme of swaying, then I'd had to think that someone who lives a lifestyle somewhere in the middle would be apt to have either. Right?!?!

But I'd agree with all the comments above as well :)

[gizmo77]

Lucky b****rds? :p

HAHAHHAA!!!!

[gizmo77]

just yesterday i was thinking i think my dh is/wouldbe a better FATHER to girls than he would a boy. i think if we had a boy and he had my personality there would be tons of clashes all thru out life. (maybe not..HOPE not!). but with the girls, theres the protective factor and not to mention..cuteness factor.
i also think that HIS dad (my FIL) is somewhat competetive with his own son (sadly). ive noticed it slightly thru out the yrs and that my dh is alwyas trying to 'win his approval or impress him.' (not do better, but just impress). i think thats just the way my FIL was brought up. i dont see that competetiveness in my father and brothers at ALL. there is just love and concern and happiness that they are doing well. my FIL also does very well in fact, but lacked in the raising a boy with love area as per my DH's childhood memories (bc fil was always working starting a new business that eventuallytook off, etc).

my dh has different ideas of family, family first then work (unlike our previous generation). so maybe i am wrong about him being able to raise a boy. buti sometimes wonder if FILs competetiveness towards his son may come out in my dh towards his possible son? i feel like nature can predict that tho somehow.

it may also be too bc dh didnt turn out all rough tough and sportsy like FIL is tho, and that DH ended up successful regardless.

also think certain ppl are prone to just having more girls or more boys.

ive also noticed in my friends, those who took a long tme to get pregnant due to fertility reasons ended up with boys!

and i think the opposite is also true of what swish said. if you had a boy first, then you try dieting to get rid of that extra baby weight then get pregnant again and bam..girl.

ugh. can someone come up with a pill already???

[Hobbermittens]

Well, I guess if I join in here I am going to probably piss someone off since I was a PP mom until I had my 3rd. But if it makes anyone feel better, I always just wanted to have a whole mess of boys!!

I can't think of much that changed between my pregnancies, aside from the fact that I had been dieting when I got pg with DD1, and had gained some weight when I got pg with DS. Also, I got pg with my son in winter, and I conceived both my girls in July. Both my girls were "oops" babies, and were conceived after one BD; my son was planned, and we BD for 6 days in a row or something.

[Indira]

So this is my theory :)... I think some of us due to random factors (diet, body physiology, meds, lifestyles, exercise, etc) are on one end or the other of the boy girl spectrum and therefore end up with a lot of one gender. I think there are some people who are probably right smack dab in the middle and therefore they tend to fluctuate either way. If I believe that doing the diet, exercises, etc can have an effect for the extreme of swaying, then I'd had to think that someone who lives a lifestyle somewhere in the middle would be apt to have either. Right?!?!

:agree::agree: I believe this is very true.

And about swish´s theory: I also know a lot of opposites (first boy then girl) and most of them clearly became more slim after having their first, because of running around after that boy lol or they got into sports to loose the pregnancy weight.

[zanacal]

Of course not hobber, you can hardly help what sex your babies are can you?! (Actually - I hope we can but ykwim!) I appreciate your input x

[gizmo77]

hobber, whats PP?

[Hobbermittens]

pigeon pair-- one of each gender. I had never heard the term until I found IG, but now I hear it all the time.

[gizmo77]

never heard of it..wonder why the pigeon? ;-)

[Hobbermittens]

I googled it and found this:

"Like all doves, pigeons lay two eggs at a time in their simple little nests, and thereby hangs the tale of "pigeon pair." Legend has it that pigeon broods always consist of one male chick and one female chick, which then grow up to mate and live together for life. Evidently whoever came up with that legend had never taken basic biology, since inbreeding on such a scale would be a genetic disaster for the species. But as a rather hokey invocation of symmetry and balance in nature, "pigeon pair" has been applied to human babies since the mid-19th century. The primary meaning of "pigeon pair" is a boy and a girl who are twins, but an extended sense encompasses your situation, a boy and girl born a bit apart but constituting (at least for the moment) the only children in the family."

Interesting!

[gizmo77]

interesting it is!

[atomic sagebrush]

Lucky b****rds? :p

Ya know, I do think this is actually kinda true!

I have thought on this A LOT and I think it's a combo of two things.

First of all, there HAS to be at least some factor of chance involved in gender ratio or the human race and mammals all together, would have died out a long time ago. You can see this in dogs and cats and animals with litters...they usually have both boys and girls, because it's "smartest" to have both boys and girls unless something in the environment makes it much more likely that one gender survive over another. Swaying can't ever be 100% because it IS "smartest" to have both sons and daughters - your genes are most likely to survive to be handed down that way because you have both the "sure thing" (80% of all the women who've ever lived have had at least one child that survived to adulthood) and the "gamble" (only 40% of all the men who've ever lived have had children, but men can potentially father an unlimited number of children while women can only have a few.) So unless some signal is received very clearly that one gender has a better shot at survival than the other, I suspect that your body just reverts to a coin flip.

Secondly, there has to be some overall bigger luck at play beyond the race to the egg, as in, you just happen to TTC when your body was more boy-friendly. Even if you were girl-friendly every other month of your life, if just by sheer virtue of luck you got pg the two, 3,4,5 months when you were boy friendly, you might totally think that you're "destined" for blue but really it was just luck that you got pg the month in which you did.

Plus, there have to be opposites born and a lot of them, or else back when we had only access to a few basic foods and couldn't travel and interbreed like we can nowadays (like the Incas eating potatoes as their staple), if eating potatoes or drinking wine or only DTD on certain days or whatever swayed with 100% (or even 60%) effectiveness, we would see at least some isolated tribes somewhere or cultures throughout history with dramatic variations in gender and yet we don't see that. Whatever swaying is, it can't be totally effective or somewhere, sometime, the gender ratio would be totally different. Luck has to enter into it somehow. This is especially true for girls, because mammals do ok with an excess of females and few males (because the males can get more than one female pregnant) but the other way around doesn't seem to work out so well and at any point if a lot more males than females started to be born, that species prob. wouldn't last very long. So females have to be conceived even when the environment is "blue" and that is why I think there have to be factors beyond diet, minerals, ions, etc. to level the playing field.

So I think it's luck in a lot of different ways, not only is it luck in terms of you may be totally set up to conceive a baby boy and then you roll over at the last minute and things shift and your egg floats into the only cloud of the opposite gender sperm, but it's also luck in that you just so happen to decide to TTC in a month or series of years that the odds were stacked a certain way. Like if you only had children in your 30's, who knows what would have happened if you'd had a child at 18, 22, 25, 40?

Looking at the Duggars, if they had stopped at 3 or 4 they would just be one of those lucky families with both genders and would be totally unremarkable, but later on they had long runs of both boys and girls, longer than a lot of us have ever had. If they had started with one of those runs rather than the pigeon pair run, it would totally have seemed like they could only make one gender. So it seems to me that even families with pigeon pairs/mixed lots may still very well be "set" to produce more of one gender than another, or at least in spurts they are. If we all had 10 kids over a 20 year period, I strongly suspect that most of us would NOT have 5 B and 5 g, but more of one or more of the other; yet we'd still have some of each and I also strongly suspect that we'd have runs of one gender and then runs of the other just like the Duggars do.

Beyond luck, Y sperm apparently have some sort of major advantage which is why there are 140-160 boys conceived for every 100 girls. So many more boys are lost than girls are that the gender ratio at birth falls to 105-100. A woman whose body is ideally prepared for conception and maintaining pregnancy may in effect be upping her chances of blue. Because everyone's odds of conceiving blue are so much higher to begin with, if our bodies can carry those baby boys successfully, even if swaying to control conception is nothing but smoke and mirrors, than being very healthy and able to sustain pregnancy will sway blue just from a sheer statistical viewpoint.

not sure how clear that is, trying to make dinner!!

[zanacal]

Not bad multi-tasking Atomic! Very interesting :D

[lobella2]

I also have a pp but have always only wanted girls. Not much changed between my two pregnancies. I know I did eat more for breakfast with my son. I always had a waffle with peanut butter and syrup, but ate less with my daughter. However, I have never been one to skip breakfast. I think that I got her from low sperm count and a cutoff. She was an oops from a pull out days before ovulation. I conceived both in January and I was actually heavier when I conceived my daughter. I was actually really upset that I got pregnant with my daughter because I had plans to sway in June and so I thought I had ruined my chance of having a girl. I just got lucky.

[Zivic-Bubac]

but it's also luck in that you just so happen to decide to TTC in a month or series of years that the odds were stacked a certain way. Like if you only had children in your 30's, who knows what would have happened if you'd had a child at 18, 22, 25, 40?

You know, I often thing about that: what if I've had my babies in my 20's when my body was in better shape, would I have gotten my DG? Or is it the way it's meant to be, no matter what age- 2 girls for me?

It's interesting you brought that, I LOVE reading stuff like this and then torture myself with 'what if's' LOL!

[ELP]

Lucky b****rds? :pWell I am that lucky barnyard;):bigsmile:Love you ZB xxx
My first 6 children were pretty much 3 sets of PP.
:biggirl2: at 22 1st month off b/c
:bigboy: 18 month gap
:bigboy: 31 month gap
:biggirl2: 14 month gap mmc in between
:bigboy: 16 month gap
:biggirl2: 21 month gap moved house before conception, the year at the new house made me very lazy!
2 more girls since:)

Now!! I used to be very muscular, I was honestly naturally ripped and used to get commented on it, those were the days lol!! I think small things like change in hormones ie 1st month of long term b/c and a mmc altered what would have been boy territory for me to pink??? So without these 2 things I wouldn't have been surprised if I'd had 5 boys!

When we moved house away from the big hill with the double pushchair, to the flat lazy village with everything on your doorstep and bought a car, get it, queen lazy moved in! we then also lost our main work contract, meaning money became ridiculous with the bigger mortgage, so food was reduced to whatever was basic and cheap. I lost masses of body condition, so then became classic girl mum maybe, conceiving no's 6-8 all ladies. Now I've tried to alter these things physically and nutritionally, I may be back to boy mum.

So it may take something as simple as a slight shift in hormones threw an unknown mc or the level of b'c in your system to make the difference between what possibly could have been a classic boy/girl mum to PP mum!!

[zanacal]

Beyond luck, Y sperm apparently have some sort of major advantage which is why there are 140-160 boys conceived for every 100 girls. So many more boys are lost than girls are that the gender ratio at birth falls to 105-100. A woman whose body is ideally prepared for conception and maintaining pregnancy may in effect be upping her chances of blue. Because everyone's odds of conceiving blue are so much higher to begin with, if our bodies can carry those baby boys successfully, even if swaying to control conception is nothing but smoke and mirrors, than being very healthy and able to sustain pregnancy will sway blue just from a sheer statistical viewpoint.


This is the part I'm just not sure I can ever do enough to overcome. We make boys easily and I;ve had trouble free pregnancies so far (I hope that doesn't sound cocky or upsetting to mums ttc boy - obviously we're ttc girl and I'm envious of you!). It's fine, I know we've done our best to give my body a different message, but I keep coming back to this as the bottom line. Only time will tell I guess!

[atomic sagebrush]

I also have a pp but have always only wanted girls. Not much changed between my two pregnancies. I know I did eat more for breakfast with my son. I always had a waffle with peanut butter and syrup, but ate less with my daughter. However, I have never been one to skip breakfast. I think that I got her from low sperm count and a cutoff. She was an oops from a pull out days before ovulation. I conceived both in January and I was actually heavier when I conceived my daughter. I was actually really upset that I got pregnant with my daughter because I had plans to sway in June and so I thought I had ruined my chance of having a girl. I just got lucky.

Thank you, great info!

[atomic sagebrush]

You know, I often thing about that: what if I've had my babies in my 20's when my body was in better shape, would I have gotten my DG? Or is it the way it's meant to be, no matter what age- 2 girls for me?

It's interesting you brought that, I LOVE reading stuff like this and then torture myself with 'what if's' LOL!

Don't torture yourself though! I think we ALL wonder that. I look at that 13 year age gap between DS 2 and 3 and it used to make me want to punch DH in the face. :/ Even though I do think I'm pretty strongly 'set' for boys, there was several years in there when I was in killer shape, weighed 115 lbs, worked out for 90 minutes a day and drank diet soda all day long...

[atomic sagebrush]

Well I am that lucky barnyard;):bigsmile:Love you ZB xxx
My first 6 children were pretty much 3 sets of PP.
:biggirl2: at 22 1st month off b/c
:bigboy: 18 month gap
:bigboy: 31 month gap
:biggirl2: 14 month gap mmc in between
:bigboy: 16 month gap
:biggirl2: 21 month gap moved house before conception, the year at the new house made me very lazy!
2 more girls since:)

Now!! I used to be very muscular, I was honestly naturally ripped and used to get commented on it, those were the days lol!! I think small things like change in hormones ie 1st month of long term b/c and a mmc altered what would have been boy territory for me to pink??? So without these 2 things I wouldn't have been surprised if I'd had 5 boys!

When we moved house away from the big hill with the double pushchair, to the flat lazy village with everything on your doorstep and bought a car, get it, queen lazy moved in! we then also lost our main work contract, meaning money became ridiculous with the bigger mortgage, so food was reduced to whatever was basic and cheap. I lost masses of body condition, so then became classic girl mum maybe, conceiving no's 6-8 all ladies. Now I've tried to alter these things physically and nutritionally, I may be back to boy mum.

So it may take something as simple as a slight shift in hormones threw an unknown mc or the level of b'c in your system to make the difference between what possibly could have been a classic boy/girl mum to PP mum!!

That is a PERFECT illustration of exactly the kinds of small lifestyle changes that send big messages to our bodies! Thank you!

I have mentioned before a friend of mine that some of you know had a son and sadly lost him, then had 7 daughters in a row. Her last daughter was sort of a handful as an infant. Then she conceived another son and I do wonder if the bump in testosterone from her little firecracker helped her to conceive her little man.

[atomic sagebrush]

This is the part I'm just not sure I can ever do enough to overcome. We make boys easily and I;ve had trouble free pregnancies so far (I hope that doesn't sound cocky or upsetting to mums ttc boy - obviously we're ttc girl and I'm envious of you!). It's fine, I know we've done our best to give my body a different message, but I keep coming back to this as the bottom line. Only time will tell I guess!


I know. The thing is though that for those of us who can't/don't choose to go high tech, swaying is all we have! My thinking was, if I did nothing, I was in effect swaying blue just because my lifestyle/personality was blue-friendly to begin with. Even if swaying only got me to 50-50 I would take the flip of the coin at that point.

[DoulaMama]

That is a PERFECT illustration of exactly the kinds of small lifestyle changes that send big messages to our bodies! Thank you!

I have mentioned before a friend of mine that some of you know had a son and sadly lost him, then had 7 daughters in a row. Her last daughter was sort of a handful as an infant. Then she conceived another son and I do wonder if the bump in testosterone from her little firecracker helped her to conceive her little man.

Yup....I'm never having a daughter..... :rofl: I have WAY too much T for a girl. My kids are go go go all day and I yell more often than not. My 3yo red haired devil child(;)) brings out so much of my T it's insane! Sigh.....time to go look for boy names! LOL!

[atomic sagebrush]

But remember, most of us will have an opposite at least once even if we don't do anything any different at all.

PS - I have one of those too and he is also 3 years old. He was like this from the moment of his birth - he cried for 3 hours in the hospital because he was mad that my milk wasn't in yet!!! o.O

[queen-of-harts]

But remember, most of us will have an opposite at least once even if we don't do anything any different at all.

PS - I have one of those too and he is also 3 years old. He was like this from the moment of his birth - he cried for 3 hours in the hospital because he was mad that my milk wasn't in yet!!! o.O
This is my 15 month old....he has been demanding and crabby since day one,never wants to sleep during the day and is just full of piss and vinagar lol i tell dh i need to go on vacation by myself for a month and he can Fedex his sperm to me.Either that or im just gonna drink hard liquer so im too tipsy to get stressed out lol

[atomic sagebrush]

Yes, that is exactly how DS 3 is too. He does not eat well, sleep soundly, take naps, etc...I keep telling myself, as driven and single-minded as he is, someday he is going to go out and set the world on fire (hopefully not literally. o.O)

I sometimes have found a beer in the evening when things are going nuts :hide: actually does kinda help. Not that I get drunk or anything but it does just take enough of the edge off so I'm not a testosterone factory.:beer:

[Demeter]

I know. The thing is though that for those of us who can't/don't choose to go high tech, swaying is all we have! My thinking was, if I did nothing, I was in effect swaying blue just because my lifestyle/personality was blue-friendly to begin with. Even if swaying only got me to 50-50 I would take the flip of the coin at that point.

This is my thought too. I think that by default, I will have a girl if I don't do anything. My body is typical girl-making pear shape with a super flat stomach. I prided myself on my self-control of steel when it came to food. I only did cardio to exercise to stay thin and never touched weights higher than a pound when doing a video. Except for my part time(bottle induced) temper, I'm a girl poster child. My 1st and third are 10 years apart, I had them at 25 and 35 respectively. My sister has a pp and has always been less strict with her diet than I am and has a little pooch on her belly in addition to our family pear shape.

[atomic sagebrush]

Totally! My 2nd and 3rd are 13 years apart and you'd think SOMETHING would have changed in that period...NO.

PS - I DEF. have a little pooch!:pregnant: (this is my normal shape.)