Here's my sway plan...need input!

DH and I had a serious talk this evening and have decided April is going to be 'go time' aka TTC time!

He is understanding of me wanting to sway--he is currently losing weight and will try to lose another 20 lbs. or so regardless of us TTC.

However, he's not going to do anything else, (timing, frequent release, abstaining, etc.). We have cut down/almost out red meat. And he is guzzling crystal light--but he's always liked it...I'm just buying it and preparing it, so it's participation by default :)

As for me....needed your ladies' opinions as to what should do for now regarding weight and the LE diet b/c I have about 4-5 months b/f it's go time and I don't want to get burnt out.

My sway will include:

1. all reccommended supps--starting in January (or is that too early?)
2. Zyrtec for me (DH takes it daily anyway) starting 1 month prior to attempt
3. Going to order PH strips in January (although due to chornic BV and yeast, pretty sure it's really high) and test it. I'm already stock piling rephresh and will be using that. I will also be doing a lime douche before/during/after each attempt since we won't be doing timing.
4. I have been doing the LE, nearly vegetarian, low salt diet and avoiding potassium for 2 months now and have lost 3 pounds (I'm VERY thin now) and have maintained this. In this time I also haven't gotten any infections, so I feel like my ph is already lower. I also plan to incorporate the French gender diet and up my milk intake (usually never drink it)....

5. April and May are my best lunar times to conceive pink as well--another reason why I'm not going to focus on timing as to maxamize this factor, if it holds any water.

6. I'm going to be outside as much as possible, take 2 showers a day leading up to o. And possibly get a fish tank and some plants for our homeschool classroom.

7. I'm on Zoloft (25mg) a day now for anxiety, but will wean off after a BFP. I hear this slightly sways pink.

QUESTION: Excercise...I know alot of people have done the couch potatoe thing....I'm wondering if I should start exercising (just cardio) for an hour every day staring in January or not. I don't exercise at all now and did not when I conceived my boys either.

Not sure if I'm posting this in the right forum--if not, can you let me know? I'll move it to TTC girl....maybe I'll double post it there anyway. Thanks ladies! I'm excited, but also really nervous!

Any other suggestions? I am praying really really hard that a daughter will be next in our line up and if not, that the Lord will give me peace with a 4th boy and that I will not be dissapointed.

I could be wrong but I don't think DH needs to lose weight to sway, losing weight may even sway blue if it changes his diet in ways that are boy friendly (different for DH and DW) I hope atomic will chime in on that.

You may want to try to cut out meat altogether, as less protein will sway pink and vegetarians have more girls. I wouldn't start your diet until Feb 1 if you will attempt in april. That will give you 2 months on the LE diet--plenty of time to drop a few pounds but short enough to stick to it, know what I mean?

january is not too early to start supps, you may even want to start vitex now if you are planning on taking it because it can take a while to work and everyone responds to it differently.

Be careful with the lime. If you aren't really clean in preparing it you can give yourself infections and if you mix the pH too low it will kill all the sperm and you have no chance of pg. I don't want to run either of those risks so i am planning on using replens and/or acijel.

DH may not want to do FR or abstain, but you might trick him into a compressed FR. You can have him go outside you (with your help to make it fun) and then as soon as he can go again have him go in you, that will reduce sperm count. You can also have him take licorice root to lower sperm count and baby aspirin will lower his pH.

Be very careful in uping your milk intake. Milk is full of fat and sodium--both of which sway blue. If you really want to include calcium in your sway I would take a calcium supplement--you'll get way more calcium than drinking extra milk without the nutrients, fat, and sodium that sway blue.

Talk do your doc about TTC on zoloft, I just saw an ad recently about Zoloft and birth defects and I just wouldn't want you to take any chances, even if it does sway!

Cardio will help with the weight loss, maybe too much in your case. You could probably start in Feb or even march and be fine. But you have to do at least an hour of cardio 6-7 times a week, if you do any less than that it will sway blue, so be honest with yourself--can you really do an hour of cardio every single day? If not, go the couch potato route!

Thanks Carmella!

Well...DH actually got put on some meds that are causing weight loss....so not sure if that can be avoided :/

I am going to cut out all meat come March 1st. From now till then, I'll do it sparingly, just chicken, no red meat.

I was going to do skim milk...just to replace meals...straight skim, that's it. But, I do agree and will get most of my calcium through supps. I NEVER had a high calcium intake w/ any of the boys, so I'm hoping that will help my sway.

I am going to wean off the zoloft in March as per my dr....I saw those ads too and it scares teh crap outta me, so I will be weaning as close to my sway as possible.

I'm going to try the vitex soon. Never done it before and a little nervous. I usually o WAY late, so I am hoping it moves it up too.

I think I may be able convince DH to do FR ...we'll see. He's on a few meds, so any supps for him make me too nervous :) Don't want a daughter, but no DH! LOL!

THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR INPUT and TIME!

I'm really worried for you that you are already losing weight and have so long to go before you start TTC - I'd adjust your limits so that you don't lose anything until you're much closer to TTC-time. Even though the LE diet is one of the better ones to keep to long-term, losing too much weight if you're already slim can cause health issues and even stop you ovulating altogether. You could be underweight even before you start TTC, and (although we'd love it!) there are no guarantees to conceiving on the first attempt.

I agree with starting the vitex earlier - it can take 3 months to have proper effect

your DH doesn't need to take any supps, I'd just settle for lowering sperm count in one way or another

Just a warning that lime and Rephresh probably aren't a very good combination - the Rephresh will probably increase the pH of the lime to 4.5/5 (because it's designed to do that to anything it comes in to contact with) and if you douche you may wash away the Rephresh which is designed to stick to the inside of your VJ, so it won't last as long as it should.

No worries about what forum you post in, I will answer them all.

a)Why is HE losing weight? You're the one who needs to lose weight. Being a little heavy can sway pink for some guys.

b)Cutting out red meat and drinking CL is fine. He doesn't need to do any more than that. You need to cut out red meat all together and all meat preferably.

c)supps starting in Jan is ok but try to get pg sooner rather than later, esp. with the SP

d)You can get yeast infections whenever your pH changes, even if it goes down. whenever the environment changes it creates an opportunity for yeast to overgrow. I also strongly suggest that anyone who struggles with BV and yeast, NOT do lime douche. It's really a terrible idea.

e)DO NOT AVOID POTASSSIUM. you need 2500-3500 mg potassium every day for yoru health and this is true on IG and French diets as well.

f)April and may are also good months according to science for TTC pink because babies born in winter are more likely to be girls.

g)zoloft is fine

h)if you can keep weight on, I think excessive exercise is better than no exercise, but no exercise is WAY better than moderate exercise. So if you can't go whole hog, better to do nothing and just lose weight (which you already did)

Skim milk is loaded with Vitamin A and D among many others and protein, plus sodium and potassium (altho you need some potassium). The fat in the milk is honestly the least of the worries with milk.

I have always drunk tons of dairy and have boys, not trying to talk you into anything but just so you know someone out there really did get boys with dairy. My 4th son was a failed sway and I was taking tons of cal and mag and Vit D.

Carmella makes a good point about the Zoloft - when I say it's fine, I mean it's fine for swaying. i can't speak to its safety.

Oh Ladies!!! Just love y'all! Thanks for all the help.

Atomic: DH just got put on a migraine med that causes weight loss as a side effect and in the first month of taking it, he has noticed some loss. He is a chunky guy already, but it's kinda something unavoidable right now....so it is what it is. He does have severe acne and that does stress me out about high T levels, but again--that's him...and I love him to death...gotta deal with the spermies I've been dealt :))) LOL!

Rainbow flower: Totally agreed with my weight. I'm really thin from just being done nursing (thinnest I can remember since high school, and never this small when TTC)..so for right now, I'm going to try to maintain until March and then lose like 2-3 pounds and take it from there. With the excersice, I just don't know what to do. Everyone I knwo who works out has girls....so it is tempting me.

Zanacal--(and Atomic)--thanks for the info. about the lime. I just really want to do something in the way of helping with CM and PH b/c I usually have a TON of EGCM. Atomic--I too am worried about douching with my vagina soap opera. I guess lime tampon is just as bad?

Atomic: regarding milk: If I don't HAVE to drink it, I'd rather not b/c I HATE milk. However, i can't help but overlook the research and stuff and then all the things I used to read on IG. Ya know? I just wanna get this right.


As far as teh Zoloft...I am VERY ANTI meds during pregnancy b/c I just don't think anything is good for baby. I have an appt. w/ my ob in MArch to wean off before TTC. However, I am assuming it's going to stay in my system for just a bit. I'm already only taking it o-end of AF for pre menstral disphoric disorder.

Thank you all soo much!

Is using a diva cup with lime any more successful than the ladder options?

1)Totally understand and I wasn't trying to stress you out over DH's weight loss, just wanted to be sure you knew (you may have already mentioned it but it's hard for me to keep everyone straight.)

2)If you're at your smallest ever when TTC, you may not even NEED to lose 2-3 lbs. It may be better for you just to maintain.

3)Have you experimented with the antihistamine/RepHresh combo for EWCM and pH? Also, you may find that on diet, you have a lot less CM, this has been true for several people. Lime tampon is even worse than douching because it stays in there for so long.

4)It's not necessarily overlooking the research, to take a calcium supplement rather than drinking the milk. Personally I think the research is very shoddy and the best research points in the other direction, but the fact is that some have gotten girls taking cal supps so I don't blame anyone for wanting to go that way. Just be careful. I want you to get your DG and so I want you to know that there is not a consensus on dairy and swaying pink. I ate tons of dairy with all my boys.

5)I don't feel the lime Diva would be any better at all whatsoever for your vjj balance and it ~may~ be worse for your sway by keeping a lot of sperm close to your cervix. Without the Diva, at least you can do a J and D and remove some of the sperm. With the Diva, you are relying totally on the pH theory to sway for you, which is great if it really sways in the way that IG claims it does, not so good if pH really sways by lowering sperm count because you'll keep more sperm than you would have, had you done a J and D.

1)Totally understand and I wasn't trying to stress you out over DH's weight loss, just wanted to be sure you knew (you may have already mentioned it but it's hard for me to keep everyone straight.)

2)If you're at your smallest ever when TTC, you may not even NEED to lose 2-3 lbs. It may be better for you just to maintain.

3)Have you experimented with the antihistamine/RepHresh combo for EWCM and pH? Also, you may find that on diet, you have a lot less CM, this has been true for several people. Lime tampon is even worse than douching because it stays in there for so long.

4)It's not necessarily overlooking the research, to take a calcium supplement rather than drinking the milk. Personally I think the research is very shoddy and the best research points in the other direction, but the fact is that some have gotten girls taking cal supps so I don't blame anyone for wanting to go that way. Just be careful. I want you to get your DG and so I want you to know that there is not a consensus on dairy and swaying pink. I ate tons of dairy with all my boys.

5)I don't feel the lime Diva would be any better at all whatsoever for your vjj balance and it ~may~ be worse for your sway by keeping a lot of sperm close to your cervix. Without the Diva, at least you can do a J and D and remove some of the sperm. With the Diva, you are relying totally on the pH theory to sway for you, which is great if it really sways in the way that IG claims it does, not so good if pH really sways by lowering sperm count because you'll keep more sperm than you would have, had you done a J and D.

Thanks atomic!

The only reason I'm optimistic about DH's weight loss is that , like me losing weight, it's opposite what we've done in the past. I'm not gonna stress about it.

In the past few months, I've only gotten a yeast or BV infection around O time (I'm ASSUMING) my ph naturally rises like I've learned on this board. I'm going to confirm this with PH strips in Jan. after Christmas shopping and spending is over :) Can't order them just yet.

I don't think DH would be at all into the diva cup thing anyway, so no biggie. I REALLY want to get pregnant in April or May and not draw it out, so I don't want to be too harsh in there.

I'm going to experiment from Jan. on with the zyrtec/peppermint tea and all the other voodoo to see how my cycle's go.

I'm a little nervous about taking Vitex.....how important is it do you think? (in regards to swaying) I'd love to o earlier as well.....but in teh past I took it for 1 month only and it make me o later and wacked up my cycle majorly. I know taking it for one month isn't the best (I miscarried that one too)...

Makes sense to me!

I don't think vitex is critical in any way (and I conceived a boy on it) but it is something that people have seemingly had success with. The wacky cycles seem to sway pink, maybe by reducing fertility a little bit, so really, that's actually the vitex working for you.

I took vitex for about 5 mo before TTC and it didn't do anything with my cycles. Then last month i started SP and this month I am due to O on CD 14! This is huge because I have LOOOOOOng (6 weeks!) cycles so I am excited that I can get more chances at pg into a shorter period KWIM? So I think vitex and SP are very important!

EWCM--after being on the diet for 3 weeks and taking zytrec, baby aspirin, and using repHresh, I have NO EWCM AT ALL! Not even around O! None at all for the last 3 weeks! Just a little creamy. Plus my pH barely rises at O (thanks to the repHresh) so I am feeling pretty good about my upcomming (first!) attempt!

Carmelle...DH and I are also High school sweethearts! :)

Which diet are you on?