Planning future blue sway :D

[LMSM]

Hi lovelies!
Was hoping for some help to start prepping a future blue sway.

For some background: currently 33 y.o (34 in Feb), hubs is 40.
Ddx1 (now 5 y.o) conceived after 1.5+ year of ttc on Clomid , and other treatments.
DD2 (just turned 3) conceived after a shorter ttc period but also on Clomid - was at my lowest adult weight (lost heaps after dd1, breastfeeding, terrible sleep, and not eating enough probably).
Dd3, conceived on 2nd month ttc after finding this site and swaying - HE diet, but likely nit enough exercise though we did follow SMEP the month of BFP. Obviously, that sway didn’t work so am hoping we might have one last chance of a son.

My youngest is 7 m.o today and just got my scale back...am 8-10 kg heavier than when I conceived my girls , and loathe my body. I need to lose some weight, and get into some better shape for sure BUT
I won’t ttc until at least a year ish, so my question really is, is this getting into shape, losing some weight and hopefully gaining some muscles, eating better etc detrimental to my sway, being that far in advance?
I know for HE diet, 6-8 weeks prior ttc is optimal?? so if I start this effort for a healthier fitter body, would it still be ok?
I.e would only introduce supps, blue extra friendly foods etc closer ttc.

Any help would be awesome, as am twisting my brain into. knots wanting to do my best possible attempt at this sway as this will be our last babe and don’t want to regret nit having given it my all.

Thannnnnks!

[Throwaway_panther]

Ah LMSM, I didn't know you were a February girl, too! Are you an Aquarius by chance as well? ;) That would explain why I feel we are so similar haha.

I am so sorry how you're feeling about your body, though. You noted 'not enough exercise' before DD3, but I still think the jury's out on whether or not that is as big a sway factor in blue sways versus pink sways. I've seen way too many successful blue sways with minimal exercise, lots of 'How we got boys' moms confessing they were couch potatoes, and many pink opposites coming from the moms who didn't do the exercise recommended there. Just to try and ease your mind on that!

But I mention exercise because that's the one area I've always been pretty well versed in because of my background. And a recommendation I've given others that atomic has agreed before sounds good is something more or less called "body recomposition," which is more or less a perfect send up to a blue sway.

This involves keeping protein and fats high as usual per HE diet, but not necessarily eating high calorie. Experiment with how many calories you can eat to MAINTAIN your weight (so within 3-5 lbs, as that's daily and even weekly fluctuations explained away by water retention, etc.). Then add in weight lifting. Specifically heavy weights if you can (and following a good full body program like Starting Strength, Stronglifts 5x5, etc.)

Doing this holds onto your lean body mass (muscle) while shedding body fat -- so while the scale might not necessarily be showing any movement, you will definitely notice the change in your body over time. Clothes will fit better, you will look fitter, etc. It takes longer to notice changes on this -- it's what body builders tired of the bulk/cut cycles do once they're in sort of a sweet spot. So instead of, "Wow, look at the difference!" in 60 days, it's more like, "Woah, look at the difference" after 6 months type stuff.

It works well in that it is SO boy friendly by utilizing weights, good food/calories/protein and focusing on preserving muscle. A former boy swayer on here (bre_cooper) did this and got a boy after three girls, and I always like to cite her because she showed pictures of herself too. I remember her mentioning how she was surprised at her scale weight compared to how she looked!

Ask me any questions or anything on this! I so feel for you and feel awful that you feel awful about your body postpartum. I know for us blue swayers it's so hard to weigh "I want to look THIS way" with "I WANT A BOY." As I've joked to some, who would have thought the thing that's kept me from fully relapsing into my eating disorder is how much I want a boy? :P

[Tali.kah]

Hey LMSM!!! I would just chime in and say I think it would be fine starting supps now- especially a omega, prenatal (good for post parrtum and as a multi replacement), vitamin D and probiotic!

[LMSM]

Thank you!

@TP, yes Aquarius here too haha
Thanks for your detailed response...my stance was also that - slow and steady, not looking so much at the numbers on the scale per se but focusing on general health and fitness and how my body feels/looks.
Va piano va sano ;)
I just wasn’t 100% sure whether “conditioning”, even slowly, my body to a more blue environment , so far ahead, would make me lose the benefit of my efforts towards a sway that will not be “needed” for another year or so (possibly more, will depend on circumstances...if I can cope with work (changes are happening whilst I am on mat leave) and wait until done with babies before seeking more professional/career changes/challenges (I work at a Uni and benefits are great)/ but then am not getting younger but do want to space #4 a bit more etc etc).
You can b sure that I will b picking your brains because am sure if it’s written, you’ve read it haha I found someone that surpasses me in “outresearcheoutresearching” the sh*t out of everything lol (that’s a compliment, in my books btw ;) ).
Will be eagerly waiting for the arrival of your #2 ..and a month keeping everything crossed :)

@Tali.kah.
DOnt know if Ive told you before but congrats on baby...FX for you!
I am taking a breastfeeding multi (same as prenatal) for now, and will likely wait a bit before adding more.
I’m nit sure Atomic recommends supps that far ahead of ttc?

[Throwaway_panther]

Thank you!

@TP, yes Aquarius here too haha
Thanks for your detailed response...my stance was also that - slow and steady, not looking so much at the numbers on the scale per se but focusing on general health and fitness and how my body feels/looks.
Va piano va sano ;)
I just wasn’t 100% sure whether “conditioning”, even slowly, my body to a more blue environment , so far ahead, would make me lose the benefit of my efforts towards a sway that will not be “needed” for another year or so (possibly more, will depend on circumstances...if I can cope with work (changes are happening whilst I am on mat leave) and wait until done with babies before seeking more professional/career changes/challenges (I work at a Uni and benefits are great)/ but then am not getting younger but do want to space #4 a bit more etc etc).
You can b sure that I will b picking your brains because am sure if it’s written, you’ve read it haha I found someone that surpasses me in “outresearcheoutresearching” the sh*t out of everything lol (that’s a compliment, in my books btw ;) ).
Will be eagerly waiting for the arrival of your #2 ..and a month keeping everything crossed :)

@Tali.kah.
DOnt know if Ive told you before but congrats on baby...FX for you!
I am taking a breastfeeding multi (same as prenatal) for now, and will likely wait a bit before adding more.
I’m nit sure Atomic recommends supps that far ahead of ttc?

Haha, thank you -- I take it as a compliment as well. And, funny enough, was already ready to comment with what's on the site about it haha. I'm like the walking blue compendium for this site I feel. Me and some others HAD asked that question, about losing the benefits of the HE "sway" if doing it so far ahead, but unless something changed I missed, atomic had said that it is always still swaying blue to be doing the HE things. Afterall, it's standard lifestyle stuff for many of the women in the 'How we got our boys.' Maybe up the calories right during the 6 weeks before attempt, but otherwise everything you're doing isn't going to be setting a new "set" point for the HE diet, if that makes sense? I'll have to dig around -- I know we all asked it somewhere in the TTC blue forum maybe a year or two ago!

And supps wise, prenatal and Vitamin D are totally safe during breastfeeding, as is a safe amount of fish oil or DHA. With fish oil, too much can potentially cause some issues in baby (like easier bruising), but that's higher amounts. Prenatal DHAs are good and are recommended by all the docs and midwives around here since no one gets enough Omega 3s in general haha.

Brewer's Yeast as either a supplement or as added to food is one I like to prep for post-baby, as it's a.) super blue friendly and often recommended in blue sways across the web and b.) good for milk supply! Win win!

[LMSM]

I did remember reading something about the whole HE diet/sway well in advance of actual ttc...but my brain is soooo mush from sleep deprivation, I dont trust myself haha

Am taking a prenatal/breastfeeding multi..well, when I remember it, as well as probiotics (again, when my mushy excuse for a brain recalls lol).
Re DHA, is that best? I am researching Omega 3s moreso for my 5 y.o who has just been diagnosed with mild adhd and trying to help with supps. The specialists for ADHD seem to say you want a higher EPA over DHA ratio ..at least to help with focus etc.
Not sure if that applies for a blue sway? I definitely am careful with fish oil, as I know it does increase potential bleeding and bruising for breastfed bubs.
I do have a huge pack of BY that I used for lactation baking ...don’t really like the taste on it’s own but is fine in baking. Maybe I can use that and NYF alternatively :) my supply is fine now, but guess once a day won’t hurt neither sway or supply :)

You’ve got just over 2 months to go now, haven’t you? Eeeeek!!! :)

[LMSM]

http://https://www.chemistwarehouse.com.au/buy/50953/blackmores-pregnancy-and-breastfeeding-gold-180-capsules (https://www.chemistwarehouse.com.au/buy/50953/blackmores-pregnancy-and-breastfeeding-gold-180-capsules)
This is the multi I currently take :)

[atomic sagebrush]

No it's fine, and will only help your sway. It's totally fine to do that at this point in time!!

I personally believe that the exercise really does help and I really like the recommendations that Panther has given you. Very much the kind of thing I did before I got my DS 2 and 3 both - didn't gain wegiht, didn't lose it, but did a lot of exercise and held steady where I was (I did end up gaining 3 lbs before DS 3 but that was the very last minute, I'd been at the same weight for years with him!

[atomic sagebrush]

Ah LMSM, I didn't know you were a February girl, too! Are you an Aquarius by chance as well? ;) That would explain why I feel we are so similar haha.

I am so sorry how you're feeling about your body, though. You noted 'not enough exercise' before DD3, but I still think the jury's out on whether or not that is as big a sway factor in blue sways versus pink sways. I've seen way too many successful blue sways with minimal exercise, lots of 'How we got boys' moms confessing they were couch potatoes, and many pink opposites coming from the moms who didn't do the exercise recommended there. Just to try and ease your mind on that!

But I mention exercise because that's the one area I've always been pretty well versed in because of my background. And a recommendation I've given others that atomic has agreed before sounds good is something more or less called "body recomposition," which is more or less a perfect send up to a blue sway.

This involves keeping protein and fats high as usual per HE diet, but not necessarily eating high calorie. Experiment with how many calories you can eat to MAINTAIN your weight (so within 3-5 lbs, as that's daily and even weekly fluctuations explained away by water retention, etc.). Then add in weight lifting. Specifically heavy weights if you can (and following a good full body program like Starting Strength, Stronglifts 5x5, etc.)

Doing this holds onto your lean body mass (muscle) while shedding body fat -- so while the scale might not necessarily be showing any movement, you will definitely notice the change in your body over time. Clothes will fit better, you will look fitter, etc. It takes longer to notice changes on this -- it's what body builders tired of the bulk/cut cycles do once they're in sort of a sweet spot. So instead of, "Wow, look at the difference!" in 60 days, it's more like, "Woah, look at the difference" after 6 months type stuff.

It works well in that it is SO boy friendly by utilizing weights, good food/calories/protein and focusing on preserving muscle. A former boy swayer on here (bre_cooper) did this and got a boy after three girls, and I always like to cite her because she showed pictures of herself too. I remember her mentioning how she was surprised at her scale weight compared to how she looked!

Ask me any questions or anything on this! I so feel for you and feel awful that you feel awful about your body postpartum. I know for us blue swayers it's so hard to weigh "I want to look THIS way" with "I WANT A BOY." As I've joked to some, who would have thought the thing that's kept me from fully relapsing into my eating disorder is how much I want a boy? :P

:agree: great advice thank you

[atomic sagebrush]

Haha, thank you -- I take it as a compliment as well. And, funny enough, was already ready to comment with what's on the site about it haha. I'm like the walking blue compendium for this site I feel. Me and some others HAD asked that question, about losing the benefits of the HE "sway" if doing it so far ahead, but unless something changed I missed, atomic had said that it is always still swaying blue to be doing the HE things. Afterall, it's standard lifestyle stuff for many of the women in the 'How we got our boys.' Maybe up the calories right during the 6 weeks before attempt, but otherwise everything you're doing isn't going to be setting a new "set" point for the HE diet, if that makes sense? I'll have to dig around -- I know we all asked it somewhere in the TTC blue forum maybe a year or two ago!

And supps wise, prenatal and Vitamin D are totally safe during breastfeeding, as is a safe amount of fish oil or DHA. With fish oil, too much can potentially cause some issues in baby (like easier bruising), but that's higher amounts. Prenatal DHAs are good and are recommended by all the docs and midwives around here since no one gets enough Omega 3s in general haha.

Brewer's Yeast as either a supplement or as added to food is one I like to prep for post-baby, as it's a.) super blue friendly and often recommended in blue sways across the web and b.) good for milk supply! Win win!

:agree: :agree: :agree: While I do worry that for pink swayers some of them may lose the "bang for their buck" if they are on a sway diet for ages (I'm talking years) in advance - because their body will get used to taking every ounce of nutrients from the foods they eat and will no longer see the "point" in reducing fertility due to declining condition, I think for blue swayers it's ALLL good. Nothing wrong at all with eating HE Diet adn taking supps year or more out from the sway. And in fact, many of us with all boys, myself included, have done exactly that. I ate HE Diet and took vitamins for decades LOL.

Your body "wants" to be in great condition and very highly fertile. IT wants to get into that mode and hang out there indefinitely. Whereas for pink swayers, our bodies don't "want" to be in lower condition and less fertile and so especially for ladies who have a history of eating blue friendly diets in the past and have blue friendly personalities, being on the diet for ages prior to TTC may backfire on them because they'll adjust over time, they have more stores to fall back on than they realize, and their personality is also working against them in some cases (that white-knuckled control freakishness they have to have to stick with a strict LE Diet for a year plus, if you catch my drift)

Long story short - too late LOL - it is easier to get into blue zone and stay there than it is to get into pink zone and stay there.

[atomic sagebrush]

Hey LMSM!!! I would just chime in and say I think it would be fine starting supps now- especially a omega, prenatal (good for post parrtum and as a multi replacement), vitamin D and probiotic!

:agree: yep I 110% want you guys on multivitamins, Vit. D (total of 1000) and probiotic as far in advance as possible)
DHA/Omegas I am less sure about although I believe them to be probably ok (and I took for like 2 years straight before I got my 4th boy!)

Other things like green tea, herbs, BSD if doing that - those, wait till right before your sway to start. also do not up sodium or cut out cal mag any sooner than 6 weeks before.

[atomic sagebrush]

yes those supps are fine for now, I'd not add any DHA/Omegas onto them because they already have it in there.

[LMSM]

Thanks Atomic, that’s great stuff! Just wanted to confirm my thoughts about slowly but surely getting into shape /doing Blue friendly things that far ahead wouldn’t undermine the future outcome of a sway :)

Is the BSD recommended ? From my understanding, wasn’t neither was the cal mag supps being dropped? Have these things “come back” as good blue strategies? Sorry, I’m just confused lol

I just need to work out what is best for hubby too?
He currently only goes to the gym once a week, sometimes 2...work doesn’t allow him more at this stage or we would Never see him.
He does mainly weights, but he is not quite mr muscle yet haha he could do with losing a few kilos on the belly/waist, but assume like for me, it’d be best to do so slowly.
Since I can/should do supps, should he too? At least a multi?
Thinking anything that could improve sperm quality - should he add cartinine (or is it Argeline? Gosh I need sleep lol) and if so, when ?

Am about to order Women’s one a day for when I finish my breastfeeding multi :) hopefully that is ok.

Thaaaaanks!

[atomic sagebrush]

No I don't recommend them AT ALL but some people do them (particularly after a failed sway) and since many people are reading these threads, I have to be a little bit proactive about tossing that out there. Because I have run into people on occasion who take some offhand remark and run with it and I find out they've been off calcium for a year and their teeth are falling apart, IKYKWIM.

I think hubby should just keep doing what he's doing. We honestly do not know what's best for men, other than avoiding jogging and biking.

I would hold off on carnitine and arginine till 3 months before you plan to TTC. Yes he should do a multivitamin though and can start that right away.

I want you to gradually wean off the vitamin you're using now and onto the Women's One a Day so do be sure to take that into consideration and give yourself some time before completely running out of the breastfeeding supps.

[LMSM]

Makes sense...and totally understand you’d want to avoid to see people take any comment , sometimes out of context and just run with it :)
Though I had a failed sway, am not necessarily looking at dropping everything I did and including everything I didn’t...
I.e I def think FF dairy (and hence calcium) is good, will only get cal/mag via the multi and nutrition (assuming that it is enough via those two avenues?).
I will def tweak some things compared to last time, but I am not looking at doing a 180 turn on my last sway, which I think was not crazy bad :P

I know you mention green tea - don’t really like it though (or I can, but with sugar) , so was hoping to just keep black tea with a dash of milk (so a sweet to avoid coffee) but could force myself with green tea if needed.

Will get a multi for hubs, 50+ hehe he doesn’t need to see the box or he will be offended lol
Will hold off on anything else for him for now, though focus on lots of nutrients too (zinc and selenium are old for sperm health I think).

As for the switching multi, yep, worry not ;) my current vits stash is still due to last me 3-4 months so it will be a gradual move to the 1-a-day in any case :)

Really grateful for your time so thanks again!!! You’re an angel :)

[atomic sagebrush]

That's great! I prefer you guys not change up too many things anyway - do what has worked for most people most of the time and that's how we get results! Just trying to dot my i's and cross my T's.

I am FINE with you guys leaving out green tea. That is in my gray area now (esp after seeing some scary stuff about green tea extract harming people's livers!) and I never drank it when I got my 4boys (I think it is gross!!!) I drank tons of black tea when I got my boys.

Yes please don't let him see the box - lots of hubbies are really offended by that over 50 (including mine, I bought those for my husband too because I think they;re so much better than the standard men's vitamin and he refused to take them LOL)

I think it's fine not to take cal-mag other than in the multi and via diet. :agree: Totally cool!

Everything else is looking great! :bluecheer: :bluecheer: :bluecheer:

[LMSM]

Sweet, thanks :D
It’s weird thinking about another sway and potential pregnancy, when my dd3 is just 7 m.o...still very much in a baby bubble with her (how you all were sooo right about sway opposites..gosh I love that kid, even if I cried soooo much when I found out she wasn’t a boy) :)
But it’s invigorating too - hope hubby doesn’t turn around and change his mind now:nails::hair::pray:
Be ready for heaps of questions from me in the next 12-18 months haha

[Lilawt]

Hi!

Just wanted to send you lots of luck and blue dust for your sway! You can have mine in exchange for some pink please? ;)

When are you thinking of Ttc?

I’m currently preg with my DS2 and I’m already loosely planning a girl sway, won’t be for a few years though. But hey, the more you plan the more you learn I think.

Good luck to you!

Lil




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[atomic sagebrush]

I know when the baby arrives you feel like the hugest traitor ever!

I really think our gender desire and disappointment is to some extent wrapped up in the concept that we are not supposed to be able to know a baby's gender before they're born. It's hard to love a theoretical baby, much easier to love a real one! :)

[LMSM]

Thanks Lil! Congrats on your impending arrival :D
My pink dust is allllll on the table for all you lovely pink swayers, I only want blue now haha so help yourself :P

I’m twisting my brain around when...not until dd3 is at least 18 months ish or more.
Ideally I would love to have #4 born when DD2 starts school so she can have me around a bit for that time but that’s not until Jan 21.
And conceiving just on the end tail of summer ( December-March) is better for blue but I guess even our spring is good given we’re in a subtropical region lol
Anyways heaps of parameters so likely won’t ttc until end of 2019...once I’ve got all my parameters in my excel spreadsheet I will work out the ideal window lol gosh, sounds so ocd anal planning :p

Good luck for your new bub and future sway :)

[LMSM]

That is so true Atomic :D
She’s snoozing on me after a feed, content....a year ago, it was so hard picturing her, and now, we’ll, can’t imagine life without her, of course :)

[LMSM]

If anyone drops by here, any recommendations for free easy YouTube vids for good exercise to build things up as per TP and AS s recommendations ?
Extra points if can be done with a now crawling babe in my legs :)

[atomic sagebrush]

I love Blogilates and Popsugar fitness!! They really make some great and fun and upbeat programs and most of them are quite easy even for beginners. I do them myself and often have kiddos on the floor with me LOL.

[LMSM]

Awesome, thanks hon, will definitely check them out :) I don’t have any weights so hope they just use one »s own body weight, or just use bub haha

[atomic sagebrush]

Awesome, thanks hon, will definitely check them out :) I don’t have any weights so hope they just use one »s own body weight, or just use bub haha

Yes most of the Blogilates ones in particular are totally body weight only! Plus Cassie (the host) is so cheerful!!

[LMSM]

Sweet, thanks!