supplement Advice - Specifically Vitex and B6

[jennibel]

Hi ladies

I am due to start ttc beginning of April. I have been taking supps since Jan, 500mg calcium, 10000mg cranberry, 800mg folic acid and 300mg magnesium. I read about these on ingender but have since read on here that the supps may actually sway blue? My diet will be french. I bought B6 this week but I dont actually know what its meant to do? I have heard that Vitex sways pink I was just wondering why it sways pink? I am concerned with taking this though because I have read that if you have regular 28 day cycles (which I do, well just shy of as they are 27 days at the moment) that it can screw up your cycles and lengthen them which I dont want. Just looking for some supplement advice really? DH has been taking calcium citrate magnesium and cranberry but after being on here as opposed to ingender I am wondering whether he should actually be taking any?

I had also bought 320mg saw palmetto for me to take but havent started this yet, and licorice root for DH, again I am not sure, especially if we decide to do frequent rather than abstinence will this effect his ability to 'perform'? Also will the saw palmetto screw my cycles also? If I were to start on saw palmetto would it be advised to start in Feb or March (I am trying from April)?

Stressing out about what to do, ttc is creeping closer!

Thanks in advance :)

x

[rainbowflower]

do you need the vitex or vitamin B6 for a luteal phase defect?

[jennibel]

No - well I dont think so anyway - I have been finding it difficult to track OV. I only started CBFM this month and on CD 11 so not OV'd yet, and my temps didnt give me anything last month (from DS2 waking at random times I think my temps werent accurate enough). The one reliable cycle I had I OV'd day 15 and cycle length was 27 so luteal of 12 days x

[rainbowflower]

that luteal phase is fine, so I'd say you don't need the vitex or B6 to conceive!
some I know like to take the vitex so that it messes up their cycles and makes them become irregular, but I'm not sure there's evidence that that sways more

[jennibel]

Thanks hun, I think I will just leave out the vitex and B6 then, I dont want to mess up my already regular cycles and not know where I am at, especially as ttc is only a couple of cycles away x

[atomic sagebrush]

I personally don't think cal-mag sway pink and may even sway blue for some of us and you can read why here:
http://genderdreaming.com/forum/trying-conceive-girl/610-calcium-conundrum-controversial.html (3 part essay with links to the second two essays at the bottom of the first one)

That having been said, people have taken cal/mag and gotten girls so it is not a magic blue bullet either. Once you read the essay and hear the other side of the cal/mag saga, you can decide for yourself what makes sense to you.

Nutrients don't seem to sway as much/if at all for DH and so by giving him cal mag instead of you taking it, if there are benefits of cal -mag to be gained, if he takes them, maybe you can get the benefits without the risks to you of increasing nutrients.

Vitex really does seem to sway pink (altho i got an opposite taking it) and I do encourage people to take it. Saw palmetto can alter your cycle too. What you need to understand is, changing your cycle is not BAD. Regular cycles are what got you boy(s) - changes in cycle mean changes in hormones, and that's what swaying is all about!!

I would prob. start the SP in Mar, but if you are concerned you're very high in testosterone, start it in Feb. you also have the option of starting it in Mar, taking it throughout the cycle (af-af and use barrier protection - not birth control pills because SP makes birth control pills ineffective) and then continue taking it AF-O in April, stopping a day or two before you expect to ovulate. (so taking SP for 6 straight weeks then switching to AF-O pattern for all future attempts)

B6, I do think you should skip unless you need it for a short LP. I took 100 mg B6 and got an opposite, and also the A-Gender company dropped it from their list of supps because it was causing too many opposites.

Licorice can def. affect performance but a lot of guys have been able to handle it perfectly fine.

[jennibel]

I personally don't think cal-mag sway pink and may even sway blue for some of us and you can read why here:
http://genderdreaming.com/forum/trying-conceive-girl/610-calcium-conundrum-controversial.html (3 part essay with links to the second two essays at the bottom of the first one)

That having been said, people have taken cal/mag and gotten girls so it is not a magic blue bullet either. Once you read the essay and hear the other side of the cal/mag saga, you can decide for yourself what makes sense to you.

Nutrients don't seem to sway as much/if at all for DH and so by giving him cal mag instead of you taking it, if there are benefits of cal -mag to be gained, if he takes them, maybe you can get the benefits without the risks to you of increasing nutrients.

Vitex really does seem to sway pink (altho i got an opposite taking it) and I do encourage people to take it. Saw palmetto can alter your cycle too. What you need to understand is, changing your cycle is not BAD. Regular cycles are what got you boy(s) - changes in cycle mean changes in hormones, and that's what swaying is all about!!

I would prob. start the SP in Mar, but if you are concerned you're very high in testosterone, start it in Feb. you also have the option of starting it in Mar, taking it throughout the cycle (af-af and use barrier protection - not birth control pills because SP makes birth control pills ineffective) and then continue taking it AF-O in April, stopping a day or two before you expect to ovulate. (so taking SP for 6 straight weeks then switching to AF-O pattern for all future attempts)

B6, I do think you should skip unless you need it for a short LP. I took 100 mg B6 and got an opposite, and also the A-Gender company dropped it from their list of supps because it was causing too many opposites.

Licorice can def. affect performance but a lot of guys have been able to handle it perfectly fine.

Thank you so much atomic, that is all really helpful, really appreciate you taking the time to write all that. I havent started taking my SP as was unsure but think I will take it start of next cycle (AF due 22nd Feb) and take it for 6 weeks straight. Would you therefore recommend taking the Vitex too since it sways pink so much? And would you just suggest taking that AF to O? Will definately take what you say about the supplements on board. Ahhhh its all starting to seem so real now the time to ttc is creeping up! Im scared!

[atomic sagebrush]

I do recommend taking vitex as well - V and SP seem to complement each other (when I got my opposite, I was not taking SP) You can also take vitex in the same pattern as the SP - you may take it for 6 weeks straight and then stop it and have your attempt right afterwards. You will need to stop it a day before you expect to O and then do OPK because it can delay O, esp. when taken non-stop like that. Good luck!

[houseofboys]

Atomic, I ve got a question regarding the vitex. When you concieved your opposite, how long did you take it before? I just found out last week my mother told me she concieved me on vitex at least for three month. She did not concieve for a long time and the doctor gave her vitex. She even let me see her temp chart. Even though timing does not count, well here I am a perfect 3 day cutt off;-). started vitex last week. Bought SP but unsure when to take it. had some thoughts about october effect. What if it has to do with food supply. Most vegetables and fruits have their time during summer. so by october november there is more nutrients in our daily food then during april. I know a lot people who also do diets after new years... maybe we tend to eat less vegetables and fruits in late winter... what if thats the reason for more girls in april.....

[Nahri]

The October effect isn't just food supply but activity level. If you are in a cold weather place like I am getting into the fall season means less swimming and other outdoor activities all that exercises is slowing down and we start storing more vs burning more. Hence all that "get back into shape for swimsuit season" hype.

I am taking Vitex and had a regular set your clock by it cycle and it hasn't messed me up in the least so it could mess you up or not at all. But definitely keep on the OPK's because you won't know if it did mess you up till afterwards. I took it for two cycles before attempt just to see what it would do to me so I could try to plan a bit better. Ill tell you one thing though I used to have put me on the floor AF pain and since I started the vitex GONE! It has been sooo much better.

[atomic sagebrush]

Atomic, I ve got a question regarding the vitex. When you concieved your opposite, how long did you take it before? I just found out last week my mother told me she concieved me on vitex at least for three month. She did not concieve for a long time and the doctor gave her vitex. She even let me see her temp chart. Even though timing does not count, well here I am a perfect 3 day cutt off;-). started vitex last week. Bought SP but unsure when to take it. had some thoughts about october effect. What if it has to do with food supply. Most vegetables and fruits have their time during summer. so by october november there is more nutrients in our daily food then during april. I know a lot people who also do diets after new years... maybe we tend to eat less vegetables and fruits in late winter... what if thats the reason for more girls in april.....

I took it from june thru october, however long that is. but I took it 2w on, rest of cycle off

They considered the diet in the study and this effect seems to be separate from diet. probably something to do with day length or Vit. D levels.

[houseofboys]

Ok, interesting, but why are there more girls un areas that have more sunshine...? and I thought there are more boys in areas with less sunshine like scandinavia...

[houseofboys]

I just read about your sway. for DS4 you took it af-o and then Af-0 and you fell pregnant during this second time? For the girl you took it 5 month but not straight?

[atomic sagebrush]

Ok, interesting, but why are there more girls un areas that have more sunshine...? and I thought there are more boys in areas with less sunshine like scandinavia...

No one knows why that is, but most countries around the equator tend to be poorer and women may not have as good a diet. Many women are also either dark skinned or wear veils/burkas in many equatorial countries. Also may have to do with heat on men's testicles.

[atomic sagebrush]

I just read about your sway. for DS4 you took it af-o and then Af-0 and you fell pregnant during this second time? For the girl you took it 5 month but not straight?

With my son, I wasn't ovulating due to breastfeeding. So I took it 2 weeks on, 2 weeks off, 2 months in a row and got pregnant without ever having a real AF. I got pregnant with an ovulation after taking it for 2 weeks in the second month.

With my daughter I was having cycles and took it AF-O but I found that I had to stop it 1-2 days before I wanted to ovulate. This went on for 5 or 6 months (from June to Oct.) My period at the beginning of November was extremely light (and it had been in Oct. as well) and I decided to drop the vitex to see if I could get a good bleed because I was more worried about giving myself cancer at the age of 41. I really thought it was unlikely I'd get pregnant and that was my last month trying.