Newbie desperately wanting pink!

[downundermumma]

Hi there! I have been reading a bunch of posts and thought I might say hi and see if anyone can answer a few questions I have about a pink sway.

I am 34 and have one little boy. My pregnancy was really rough and I ended up on bed rest (super short cervix and an "irritable uterus"- most ridiculous sounding diagnosis ever lol!) with several hospital stays due to early threatened labour and then ended up with broken waters and delivering at 35 weeks. We are lucky as he was and is perfectly healthy but it was a pretty scary pregnancy. As such we are only trying for one more, regardless of what sex it is. So I would like to do as much within my power to have a little girl, ideally within the next 12 months (plan to start trying in 6 weeks). When I conceived my son I was eating high protein, low carb (stick to complex and oats), drinking coffee daily, taking elevit (prenatal), calcium, fish oil, and probiotics and had stopped exercising due to injury (three months prior to conception I was working out 6 days a week). I am a candy and junk food addict so I am not sure how I will go giving that up. I also never start a day without breakfast, ever. I am lucky that I naturally sit at a BMI of 20 and it usually doesn't take much more than cutting carbs and junk food and I drop weight within a month or so. I actually like my BMI around 18.5-19 (about 3.5kg or just under 8 lbs to lose) so that was my goal before I even knew about losing weight to sway.

So, attempting the LE diet goes against almost everything I know about dieting so hopefully someone can help me! Here is what I am trying to do and the questions I have.

I just started skipping breakfast but I do have a double shot skim flat white/latte usually around 8am or 9am. Is that OK? Should I be trying to hold off until 10am or later or should I try to cut out the skim milk (although I really don't think I can stomach black coffee)? How many shots of coffee are advised? Should I increase caffeine with diet coke (a true love of mine I gave up while TTC my son)?

I can easily stick to 1800 calories or less...since I would like to start trying end of June (rough ovulation date is June 26, I originally wanted to start in two weeks) I was thinking I could push it to 1500...now within this 1500, are calories more important that nutrients? I can go veggie I think, or at least limit meat to the odd bit of chicken, an egg, or salmon and still get my calories under 1500-1800 but is it better to just cut those things out completely and eat more carbs? Is salt really that critical, because I truly adore salt...like I eat fries WITH my salt, lol! In terms of carbs, are corn and rice thins OK? Is whitebread significantly swaying better than wholegrain or rye? Is avocado a strict no no?

Is candy out? Milk chocolate?

Exercise- I just can't. I work four days a week and often drive over 2 hours a day and with a toddler and a full time working husband I don't know how to fit it in (you ladies who do are my heroes, truly!). I could maybe aim for 3 days a week but would that sway blue?

Supplements- I've stopped my prenatal and swapped to folic acid. I also stopped fish oil and calcium. I bought cranberry but after reading some posts it seems like it is better to skip that too? Is baby aspirin advised because I am happy to take that? Should I also stop my probiotic? I am a terrible sleeper so I often take melatonin and an antihistamine Restavit (Doxylamine Succinate) at night...should I stop these for a pink sway?

Sex: Once at first positive OPK

Alcohol: approximately one glass of rose or white a day

Any advice or answers to my questions? I apologise if this is all covered, I really tried readying a ton of old posts but then realised this obsessing might be swaying me blue!

DH will not participate as it is already taking all his efforts to not roll his eyes when I mention swaying!

Thanks so much in advance!!!!

[downundermumma]

One more question- does anyone know if Bengal Spice tea (caffeine free) should be avoided in a pink sway? I use it as a dessert substitute when trying to lose weight. It contains: "Cinnamon, roasted chicory, roasted carob, natural spice and vanilla flavors with other natural flavors, ginger, cardamom, black pepper, cloves and nutmeg"

[atomic sagebrush]

Can you bump this for me?? It's a little late today and this is a long post! thanks

[downundermumma]

Hi Atomic, bump!
Thank you and so sorry it is so long (It didn't seem long and then I hit post, and yes, I saw it! Sorry!)

[XXforhubby]

Hi and Welcome! I will try to offer some help until Atomic sees this.

1. Diet- sticking to upper limits is ideal, since you don't have much weight to lose and need to hold steady. 1800 calories and maybe higher if weight starts to fly off is great. You can eat any foods as long as you stick to the fat and calorie ratios- 35-60g fat and 40-60g protein. Most of us have used Myfitnesspal to track the foods we normally eat and once we know how to gauge things to stay in the limits, you can stop tracking. Milk chocolate is fine as long as it fits in your daily totals!

2. Exercise when you can, but if it doesn't fit easily into your life, then leave it out!

3. Yes to the Folic acid. Make sure you are taking 1600mcg spread out through the day. No cranberry, no baby aspirin, definitively NO probiotic (sways heavily blue), melatonin and antihistamine only if you need it for medical reasons. Those won't help or hurt a sway.

4. Don't sweat your DH not doing anything to sway! Most of our DH's didn't either!

🤞🏻for you!!

8/2010 6/2013 11/2015
Baby Girl EDD 9/30/2017

[downundermumma]

Thank you so much XX!!! I had no idea probiotics swayed so blue, no wonder my first was a boy! Also happy to hear the melatonin and antihistamine aren't an issue.

So regarding exercise does frequency seem to matter as much as intensity? Ie. two intense cardio workouts a week are better than none for a pink sway, more often is better but less doesn't appear to sway blue? Or if I can't do 6-7 times a week as I see frequently recommended, is none at all safer for a pink sway?

Thanks again!

[XXforhubby]

I believe Atomic says any exercise that you can do, cardio only, is better than none. Obviously, if you can't fit it in without stressing then leave it out!

Atomic will weigh in on things when she gets a chance!!

8/2010 6/2013 11/2015
Baby Girl EDD 9/30/2017

[downundermumma]

Oh excellent, thanks XX!

[atomic sagebrush]

XX already beat me to much of what I'd have to say!

You can have candy and junk food but keep it with a meal.

Re your latte,it's fine to have coffee in the morning and we're getting great results with it. The issue is that a large amount of skim milk (or any milk) is really like a breakfast. So I'd switch over to just coffee with regular milk or cream in it (a smaller amount than what is in a latte)

I personally think it's something in the coffee that sways and not caffeine (at least not on its own) so I don't think Diet Coke is a replacement for coffee. I know some believe the artificial sweeteners sway, but I"m not too convinced they do anything so I'd stick with coffee.

I would actually recommend you start off at a higher intake then you think you need and then we can always cut back over time IF we need to. you may lose weight at 1800 and actually have to increase it to keep weight on!

Most people do go fully veggie (but eggs are included in that). You don't have to, it's not a prerequisite for success, but some find it makes it easier to stick with (since you don't go over as easily on protein)

Most of us totally gave up sodium (it makes literally NO biological sense anyway) and our result have only gone up since we did! It CANNOT be doing anything.

White bread is actaully NOT getting better results than whole grains. That was a theory that has not panned out. Eat whichever you prefer. Rice and corn crackers are fine

Avocado is NOT a strict no-no. Most will choose to avoid it but it can be a great "rescue" for a day when you've had a lot of protein but are short on fat and cals and potassium.

Candy and milk choc ok with meals (anyone with PCOS reading this - you are NOT included unfortunately you must avoid sweets, everyone else can have them tho)

Baby aspirin has not worked and ended up having way more risks and side effects than we realized. Skip it.

Yes stp probiotic

Melatonin has been linked to developmental delays when taken during pregnancy and since we don't know how it happens or how long it stays in your system I am recommending against using it when TTC.

Antihistamine may sway slightly pink, continue as needed although I'd check with a doc or pharmacist just to be sure. When I ahve people use for swaying, we stop them at ovulation so I'm not totally up to speed on what happens if you take them when you may be pregnant

Thanks for your patience!

[atomic sagebrush]

Thank you so much XX!!! I had no idea probiotics swayed so blue, no wonder my first was a boy! Also happy to hear the melatonin and antihistamine aren't an issue.

So regarding exercise does frequency seem to matter as much as intensity? Ie. two intense cardio workouts a week are better than none for a pink sway, more often is better but less doesn't appear to sway blue? Or if I can't do 6-7 times a week as I see frequently recommended, is none at all safer for a pink sway?

Thanks again!

I don't feel comfy with anyone going below 4 days a week. 60 minutes seems to be more important than number of days but I just don't feel good about anyone dropping below 4 days.

I didn't do the exercise and I still got a girl. You can only do what you can do and some evidence indicates that turning your life upside down pursuing a "perfect" sway may actually sway blue anyway (by keeping in the forefront of your mind all the time constantly) so it's probably best, if you really don't think you can keep up with it wihtout huge personal sacrifice, to let it go.