Third boy sway

[Shelleyboy]

Hi,
I am a mum to 3 little lovely ladies, swayed twice for blue but failed. My husband has agreed to trying for one more baby & we would both love to add some blue to our family.

I posted previously & atomic kindly revomnended staying away from pregnacare before conception (used this with all babies) & BD’ing more than once in fertile window. We managed twice with our second child in this window but only once with our last baby so I do think this didnt help!

I would like to start trying next month, im expecting AF at some stage, was breastfeeding so my period has not returned just yet.

Is a month of changing diet, taking supplements, trying to build up muscle too short a window to give myself? In terms of supplements im taking a basic folic acid (400mg) and vit d at the minute. I was planning of getting a better one though but I dont know what to get. Is Centrum for women and men suitable plus a seperate pottassium supplement? What about l’arginine and cq 10 - should I try to get something with these in them for both of us? And lastly is there any specific probiotic that would help, particular strains etc? I dont want to go overboard but I would like to give it the best shot I can. I drink a double shot of coffee daily which I love - should I cut this out? I eat fortified cereal with semi skimmed milk every morn, snack on breadsticks & fruit. Lunch will consist of meat or chicken with some veg and either rice or pasta typically. Supper is typically pizza, chicken salad sandwich etc. I do snack on crisps or choc most evenings - with a beer maybe 2 times a week. My husband doesnt eat much fruit or veg but I donr think I can do much about this unless I get smoothies maybe?

Any help/guidance would be so appreciated.
Thanks!

[Shelleyboy]

Just to add these were supplements I was looking at as they have more folic acid in them than centrum
https://www.boots.com/seven-seas-trying-for-a-baby-vitamins-28-one-a-day-pills-10141707#BVRRContainer

[atomic sagebrush]

Here's a list of the supplements I recommend:

You do not need potassium supplements, you'll get plenty from diet.

Fish oil no more than 500 mg (if you can only find 750/1000 take every other day instead of daily) (hubby can take this too)

Prenatal or multivitamin with no more than 100% of most nutrients and without added herbal components (with the Vitamin D you can go up to 250% but the other stuff should not be megadoses, just 100%) Your husband can take this too. Centrum or One a Day are good supplements that are easy to find in most places.

IF you are drinking green tea, using the baking soda drinks, taking any herbal supplements (green tea is ok, but I don't personally recommend the others), are over 35ish or have a history of miscarriages, or are hoping for twins take 2000 mcg folic acid or folate total (including the amount in your prenatal). Take this thru the entire first trimester of pregnancy then gradually wean off by spacing doses further and further out till down to the amount in prenatal. (Hubby does NOT need, and should not take, additional folic acid or folate. Only 400 for him)

Probiotic - while on some sites this was recommended for pink, we had such terrible results for girls with probiotics we switched over to using them for boys to great effect! I would try to find a kind that has a variety of different strains and not just one particular kind. Both you and your hubby should use these.

If you'd like, you can take 100 mg coq10 daily till BFP and then gradually wean off. This is the least important supplement though. Both of you can take this.

Robitussin or Mucinex - use this starting about 3 days before you expect to ovulate and carry on 3 days afterwards. Hubby does not need this unless you find his semen is very thick and clumpy.

Avoid things like fertility herbs, Asian herbs, anything said to "aid implantation" as you do not need them and they can very much harm your blue sway.

Your husband can also add in l-arginine 500 mg and l-carnitine 1000 mg daily. you SHOULD NOT take this or any supplement that has either component in there, even if someone tells you it is good for blue. These have wreaked havoc with people's menstrual cycles, dried up their cervical mucus, and been associated with sway opposites.

[atomic sagebrush]

I prefer to see you guys wait 6 weeks for blue sways but if you just can't wait, keep in mind it's possible you won't get preggo the first month out and will end up with enough time on diet anyway.

A small amount of coffee intake is fine. Just don't go overboard with it. Tea is better though if you can bring yourself to make the switch. A beer or two a couple times a week is also ok.

I want you to switch from part-skim milk to full fat if at all possible.

No worries about hubby's fruit intake, the fruit and veg is most important for you.

Sending tons of blue dust headed your way!

[Shelleyboy]

Thank you for your response Atomic.
Yes can wait 6 weeks absolutely if thats what you'd recommend. I’ll get fish oil & centrum for both of us & leave it at that with supplements. I’ll also use the cough syrup around ovulation when the time comes.
Is three ginger tea by Pukka ok or should I steer clear & drink regular tea only?
Also in terms of DTD, what exactly should we be at over the next 6-8 weeks or does it really only matter when we are actually trying to conceive?
Thank you again, fingers crossed!

[Shelleyboy]

https://www.naturesbest.co.uk/fish-oil-omega-3s/pure-fish-oil-500mg/
Does this fish oil look ok, I never understand the ingredients list

Or are these better and take every other day?
https://www.boots.com/boots-omega-3-fish-oil-1000-mg-food-supplement-180-capsules-10149643

Thanks

[atomic sagebrush]

Avoid the three ginger tea as it has licorice, which some believe sways pink, and is unsafe anyway. It has to be actual tea to have the benefits for your sway.

Having regular unprotected sex every 2-4 days is great for blue (just skipping the fertile window to avoid pregnancy prematurely). Exposure to your partner's semen may help make you more blue-friendly. Now, if you're worried about this, you can still have sex every 2-4 days just using protection. You want your partner to be regularly "cleaning the pipes" to ensure a large amount of healthy sperm.

[atomic sagebrush]

Go ahead with the Nature's Best, that actually has 500 though I agree the label is super confusing.

[Shelleyboy]

Thanks Atomic. Ive started the fish oil & centrum & will cut back coffee to one a day. When the time comes what is the best pattern for BD when AF is finished? Is it every second day up until I get non flashy face and then try daily?
Are fish and eggs good or bad? Ive read no to fish but im not sure why.
Thank you again

[atomic sagebrush]

Unless you are a big believer in timing you can BD every 2-4 days all cycle long, and then once the fertile window opens (this can be either second flashy smiley or solid smiley, depending on your preference) hit it every day or even twice a day if possible.

If you are sold on timing (which does not work) you would want to use protection for the every 2-4 days release, and wait till that solid smiley to have unprotected attempts. But the first option is how most of us with all boys, myself included, got our boys. Lots of unprotected sex out of the fertile window, and then when we were actively TTC, we just kept going in the fertile window.

Fish and eggs are FINE for a boy sway. The old school swayers liked to pretend that there were "magic boy foods" and "magic girl foods" and so they'd assign foods to these categories but that approach is silly and biologically impossible. NO ONE on earth only eats foods from these categories and the "magic foods" thing is just plain goofy when you stop to think about it.

Fish and eggs are great for blue because they are nutrient rich. You can have eggs as much as you want - I love to see people aiming at 2 eggs a day if you can. As for fish, we do limit fish somewhat to 2-3 servings per week for blue but that is NOT because it's a bad food, it's because fish can have contaminants in it and all women TTC should limit fish to 2-3 servings a week when trying. And if you're eating fish that has a lot of mercury in it you should skip it entirely!

[Shelleyboy]

Should I be taking extra folic acid as centrum only has 300mg & I think the recommendation is 400mg at least?

[atomic sagebrush]

I like blue swayers to take 1600-2000 mcg folic acid or folate all thru the entire first trimester of pregnancy, then gradually wean back to the amount in the prenatal.

[Shelleyboy]

Hi Atomic,
We are going for our attempt this month, currently 4 days into my cycle & seem to be ovulating on day 20/21 the past two months with a 35/36 day cycle.
I am eating fortified breakfast every am with a cup of double nespresso. I have something to eat at 10ish (toast, fruit, cereal bar & tea). Lunch might be soup and sandwich, snack during the afternoon & dinner is chicken or meat with rice, pasta.

Im taking centrum, 500mg omega 3 & 400 folic acid as supplements the past 2/3 months.

Im feeling very nervous this month! Im planning on doing a baking soda douche, never done before & have cough syrup which ill take from day 17 maybe?

I feel I should test my ph but im not quite sure what to use to do that. Is it just regular urine ph test strips?

And lastly and im so sorry I know ive asked before but what should we do with regards dtd. I was thinking Day 7, day 11, day 14, day 16, day 20 twice assuming static smiley and twice day 21.

Is there anything else I should be doing?

Thanks so much for your help

[atomic sagebrush]

Well, I don't recommend baking soda douche but that's your choice.

i think you should start the guaifenesin (cough syrup) before the earliest time you MIGHT ovulate, which would be more like CD 11ish or so. There's no harm in taking it longer.

I wouldn't bother testing pH as it hasn't given us any important information. People are getting boys and girls with pH all over the map.

Yes, that's a fine schedule early on but I would definitely take OPK the whole time (starting like CD 11 or so) and then once you get a static smiley, as you're saying once or twice that day, once or twice the next day, and then at least one more time the following day in case ovulation is delayed. Then I'd keep BD every other day for a couple more times, in case ovulation was later.

[atomic sagebrush]

Are you exercising? Getting good sleep?

[Shelleyboy]

Ok will start the syrup on cd11, thanks.
Exercise is minimal, I get a walk in a few times a week but dont get time. Should I up my game over the next two weeks?
Im up at least once a night with the littlest still so might average 6 -7 hours of sleep a night, closer to the 6 id say

[atomic sagebrush]

Adding in some muscle-building exercise may help. If you truly can't do it, that's ok, just something that has seemed to help.

Getting an adequate night's sleep as often as possible will likely help. If you can try to get more rest as you come into your attempt it may help.

[Shelleyboy]

Thanks Atomic. Im doing a 20 mins Pilates workout every am so this might help hopefully. I’m overthinking this I think but its starting to panic me. My notion of DTD twice a day when I get a static face is never going to happen as we barely get time in the evenings. So my concern is I get a static face in the am, we DTD that night, I ovulate & then we DTD the following night again which will be too late & then that will be back to my one attempt in fertile window. Any advice? Would DTD the morning after the static smiley really help us out (as well as that evening) or am I overthinking this? Just afraid of early ovulation & getting the 2+ attempts in

[atomic sagebrush]

You can always have attempts with the flashy smiley too. I know some people don't want to do that because of Shettles, but Shettles has been as debunked as it's possible for something in science to BE debunked (he was wrong, we know why he was wrong, we know X and Y sperm live the same time, swim the same speed, and are about the same size, and scientists using his OWN data plus modern knowledge and technology showed that 50-50 boys and girls are conceived every cycle day)

Yes, DTD the morning after the static smiley can help if it's possible. ~Usually~ the night of the solid smiley won't be too late, you're still in with a chance of hitting the egg with that timing.

[Shelleyboy]

Thanks again Atomic.
Got a flashy face this am on day 11. DTD in day 7 and will do this evening.
Im drinking squeezed lemon in water the past week & started the cough syrup today as you recommended. It says take 4 times a day - do I go with it as if I was using it as cough medicine or am I supposed to be taking less than the cough dosage?
I have some coconut water to drink also.
Is there any other drink I shud take the day of static or before like baking soda in oj, ill avoid the douche as Ive read you can get infections etc from doing that sort of thing!
Thanks heaps as always

[atomic sagebrush]

We don't know if there's a "more is better" with the guaifenesin, or if you can have too much. We just don't know, so I generally just recommend taking the minimal amount to trigger more EWCM. But often you can't predict that. I'd probably take a half a dose and see if it works, and if it doesn't take more.

I don't recommend baking soda drinks. They don't do anything biologically and baking soda is not a really healthy thing to be ingesting. Just plain orange juice is great tho! I had that with some of my boys.

[Shelleyboy]

Hi Atomic,
I got the static face on CD12 which was yesterday & very early for me. I checked twice during the day using two monitors and both were static faces. We DTD twice yesterday (CD12) also once on CD11 and CD7. I checked this morning & im back to non fertile. I still have cramps though, CM this month wasnt great so cant tell anything from it, Im just unsure if Ive ovulated already based on those tests or could I still ovulate today or tomorrow or even later.
Thanks as always

[atomic sagebrush]

You could still ovulate CD 13, 14, or even beyond. I would continue having attempts the next couple days just to be sure.

[Shelleyboy]

Thanks Atomic, will go again tonight and tomorrow & fingers crossed! Thank you!

[Shelleyboy]

We failed to DTD anymore as the kids got sick ☹️ I know there are no hard and fast rules but if we were to conceive would two attempts on day of positive OPK and an attempt the day before have been ok for blue or leaning more pink?

[atomic sagebrush]

Two attempts is how I got most of my boys!! We have good results for blue with two attempts. Not quite as good as three but still good for blue.