Need advice, please.

Hi Ladies,

I need your advice. I have been watching these boards for quite some time. I decided I would reach out today.

I got another BPN this month - which is four months in a row.

I'm 35 - and will be 36 when I have my next baby (God willing). I have two amazing little boys (1.5 and 3.5) and have been swaying for a girl.

Here is what I have been doing:

Vitex
Magnesium
Calcium Citrate
Folic Acid
Baby asprin
Benadryl around week of O.
Refresh 1X after aunt flow. PH is always less than 5.

I'm not good at the LE diet, but I've been skipping breakfast and lessening my consumption of beef, avoiding bananas (b/c I ate a lot when conceiving my boys) and drinking lots of Crystal light.

I got pregnant with my first ds without even trying - pretty sure a 5 day cut off and after two attempts with ds #2 either day before O or on O day.

The first two months of ttc we dtd with a three day cut off.
Two months ago we dtd on a three day cut off and on O day.
This month we dtd on day before O and O day.
I have a 26 day cycle. It used to be 28 but the vitex shortened it.

So here's my questions:
1. Do I just need to be patient and keep doing what I'm doing (and try to do better on the LE diet?)
2. Do I stop swaying and just try to get pregnant? I don't want to wait too much longer b/c that biological clock keeps ticking!!!
3. My DS2's birthday is Nov 6, and if I ttc this next cycle, baby's due date will be about that same time, do I still try this month? It seems kind of mean - especially since he will also become the middle child.
4. And any other advice you can give me is appreciated.

I have plenty of weight to lose and also have hypothyroid.

Thank you for you time.
_________________
Lisa

Hi Lisa,
I am in the same position as you actually! I have been concentrating mostly on diet and exercise (kind of!) and since coming off bcp my cycles have taken a while to get 'normal' so its 4months for me too.
Looking at your sway plan there does seem like quite a lot of things there. Each of the things we are doing helps to make fertility harder and the more items on the list, then harder it is. If you are wanting to get pregnant quite soon then maybe have a 're-evaluation' of a couple of things?
I would def carry on with ttc through the months you are unsure of. I had similar issues too and debating skipping a month, but 4months on I would be happy just to get pregnant, regardless of what month due date would be.
Even with what you are doing for LE so far is going to make a difference. I would def stick to it as the diet is what sways the most. I am no expert, so hopefully someone else will chime in, but from what I have read RePhresh seems to hurt conception more than it does sway, so if I was in your position I would look to drop that. I would keep aspirin as it doesn't hurt a sway and can help bean to stick. Obviously keep folic too. Again, hopefully some others will help, but I would be tempted to drop vitex, mag and calcium and see what happens.
Fingers crossed you get your bfp soon! You're not on your own!
HTH x

Personally I'd just do the diet as best you can and one BD attempt at positive OPK. Those 2 factors are the biggest IMO. I think the vitex might be interfering and I'd drop that first. The other supps I think are up to you and probably aren't preventing conception. I'd drop the RePresh for sure.

Firstly please continue to leave out timing, it doesn't sway and that is probably why you got BFN at least the first month

Then, you should drop antihistamine and jelly (RepHresh).

I would have you stick with one attempt at pos OPK because that has gotten great result for pink, and it is totally possible to conceive with one attempt provided you do not do a bunch of other sway tactics.

I would def. try to do better on diet because I think you're headed for another boy to be honest with you. I would have you skip this month, get right with diet (since you ahve hypothyroid I would adjust the LE Diet to be 50-60 g protein and eliminate emtpy carbs/sugar, getting calories from fruit and veg and small amounts of whole grains instead) consider adding in exercise which has gotten great results, and then gear up for one attempt at pos OPK at your next ovulation.

Thank you ladies for responding - much appreciated!

I went to the store on my lunch break - so here we go LE diet!

A couple more questions:

1. My cycle ended up being only 24 days this month - is that okay?
2. Are egg beaters not good on the LE diet as well?

Thanks!
Lisa

i'd drop vitex and see if it gets better

i think egg beaters are fine in moderation but stick in dietary limits for protein. The reason why they were a no-no on other sway diets is due to sodium content, which I do not believe sways.