Boosting odds of conception

After being at this for over a year (and staring at yet another negative test) we have decided to give it one more month and then give up trying to conceive (the heartbreak each month, stress of it all, age gap, hubby's age etc). So my questions are: what are the best (not too blue friendly) things I can do to boost odds of conception? We've already dropped jump and dump, I have female orgasm, my cycle is now VERY regular, we have been doing E4D although usually get it pretty well timed now my cycle is regular 0-1 or 0-2. I do still have low fat dairy (as well as some full fat stuff like cheese, cake(!) etc.) but my cycle is really regular so not sure this is a problem.

Tell me what to do and I'll do it. This is our last chance for a daughter x

Hi! I'm not an expert, but I have PCOS and it took me 12 months to get pregnant, so I've read up a lot on how to boost odds of conception. Unfortunately, there is no magic bullet, and I'm not sure if this is relevant to people without PCOS but:

1) Weight loss helps even if you have a normal BMI (this also sways pink)
2) I've read to do only high fat dairy and not low fat (not sure how this sways, probably not much though)
3) Having sex every other day (might sway boy, but boosts odds of conception).
4) Clomid helps people with problems ovulating and also helps people with a short luteal phase, and possibly people with low progesterone. (Clomid sways girl).
5) Moderate aerobic exercise helps conception and also sways girl.

The month I got pregnant was my first month on Clomid, and it was my first month on a PCOS friendly diet which meant very low sugar and low processed carbs and low calorie but high healthy fats. I was only drinking whole milk.

BTW: things that I've read that help but did NOT work for me:

Maca - it's some plant that's supposed to help fertility, I bought the powder, it tastes nasty, I'd add it to juice and chug it. I took this for about two months faithfully when I was not ovulating or having a period (due to PCOS, this was before I ever got pregnant), and it did not help me ovulate.

Vitex - it's also a plant, I took it in pill form. It had no side effects, but I took it at the same time I took Maca. I took it religiously for about 2 - 3 months and did not ovulate that whole time, I only ovulated about 2 months after stopping Vitex and Maca, so I believe that they both did diddly squat, but there are some people who swear by them.

Soy Isoflavones: I took these during a time when I had already had 3 periods in a row but hadn't gotten pregnant, and the cycle that I took SI I did NOT ovulate, but did bleed at the normal time, so I believe SI actually STOPPED me from ovulating, and I'd never take them again!

Red Raspberry Leaf Tea: I started drinking this about 7 months before I got pregnant, and I kept drinking it because I liked the taste. So I was drinking it the month I got pregnant, but I was also drinking it many months when I didn't get pregnant, so I don't think it helped.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MrsEnglish

Hi! I'm not an expert, but I have PCOS and it took me 12 months to get pregnant, so I've read up a lot on how to boost odds of conception. Unfortunately, there is no magic bullet, and I'm not sure if this is relevant to people without PCOS but:

1) Weight loss helps even if you have a normal BMI (this also sways pink)
2) I've read to do only high fat dairy and not low fat (not sure how this sways, probably not much though)
3) Having sex every other day (might sway boy, but boosts odds of conception).
4) Clomid helps people with problems ovulating and also helps people with a short luteal phase, and possibly people with low progesterone. (Clomid sways girl).
5) Moderate aerobic exercise helps conception and also sways girl.

The month I got pregnant was my first month on Clomid, and it was my first month on a PCOS friendly diet which meant very low sugar and low processed carbs and low calorie but high healthy fats. I was only drinking whole milk.

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Thanks so much for the detailed advice. My BMI is very low because I lost so much weight on the diet so can't afford to lose anymore. Doc will not give me clomid despite having a short-ish luteal phase because I am ovulating and progesterone is high when tested. I am exercising too. Think the low sugar thing might be something as my diet is high in sugar (as it tends to be when eating low fat stuff - they shove a load of sugar in - plus I have a sweet tooth.) Going to limit the sugar this month, get some whole milk and try to reduce the processed carbs and just eat as healthily as possible. I'm nervous about the sex every other day bit....

Skim dairy needs to go totally. No more.

No more low fat foods and cut back on sugar.

DO NOT under any circumstances lose weight!

I would have loved for you to have been on e4d plus one but it's too late now, please do SMEP.

If you do SMEP then I would not add in Preseed or Guaifenesin. Totally up to you though.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MrsEnglish

BTW: things that I've read that help but did NOT work for me:

Maca - it's some plant that's supposed to help fertility, I bought the powder, it tastes nasty, I'd add it to juice and chug it. I took this for about two months faithfully when I was not ovulating or having a period (due to PCOS, this was before I ever got pregnant), and it did not help me ovulate.

Vitex - it's also a plant, I took it in pill form. It had no side effects, but I took it at the same time I took Maca. I took it religiously for about 2 - 3 months and did not ovulate that whole time, I only ovulated about 2 months after stopping Vitex and Maca, so I believe that they both did diddly squat, but there are some people who swear by them.

Soy Isoflavones: I took these during a time when I had already had 3 periods in a row but hadn't gotten pregnant, and the cycle that I took SI I did NOT ovulate, but did bleed at the normal time, so I believe SI actually STOPPED me from ovulating, and I'd never take them again!

Red Raspberry Leaf Tea: I started drinking this about 7 months before I got pregnant, and I kept drinking it because I liked the taste. So I was drinking it the month I got pregnant, but I was also drinking it many months when I didn't get pregnant, so I don't think it helped.

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Onelast I don't want you taking ANY herbs now. They all have the potential to delay ovulation and that's what we DON"T need right now.

I would have loved for you to have been on e4d plus one but it's too late now, please do SMEP.

If you do SMEP then I would not add in Preseed or Guaifenesin. Totally up to you though.[/QUOTE]

The only reason I didn't do e4d plus one was because our attempt was night before I got a positive opk in the morning anyway so I figured it was close enough! So even if you've BD the night before as part of E4D, you do it again at positive opk?

I know you're right about SMEP but I'm nervous to BD 3 days in a row. Am I just setting myself up for a third boy? Hubby says he would rather not have a baby than sway blue....

Yes have another attempt the next morning or even the next night.

It's your call to make. I can't tell you what would be better, just beyond my ability to know who needs SMEP to conceive and who will get a boy with SMEP. I just don't know.