TTC a Girl LIBRARY

[atomic sagebrush]

http://genderdreaming.com/forum/ttc-...ements-dh.html


SUPPLEMENTS FOR DH

*Licorice Root - 450 mg 3 times a day, only from AF - O (his body needs a break from the licorice root for best results), and it should only be taken for 6 months, then he will need a month‘s break from it (should be timed to include the 2 week break he would be taking anyway, plus an additional 2 weeks. Licorice root will lower testosterone and raise estrogen.

Licorice root has affected the ability of some men to get and maintain an erection. Also, it does carry some risks.

*Other supplements - Your husband should take any of the supplements that you are taking (particularly cranberry, calcium, and magnesium), with the exception of the herbs (he should NOT take peppermint tea, vitex, Lydia Pinkham, Saw Palmetto) Also, keep in mind that zinc sways blue when taken by DH. WARNING - If your husband is already taking a prescription blood thinner, he should not take cranberry or baby aspirin.

[atomic sagebrush]

http://genderdreaming.com/forum/ttc-...depth-how.html

Saw Palmetto

SP is a berry from a tree that grows in tropical locations like Florida in the United States. It’s been used medicinally for at least 200 years and it’s likely the Seminole Tribe used it for hundreds of years before that.

How does it work? Welll…not even the experts really know that. It seems to interfere in the process that turns cholesterol into the sex hormones testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone, among others. This we are fairly sure about because on SP, your cholesterol levels go up while your levels of hormones go down…kinda. So whatever it’s doing, is somewhere in the middle of cholesterol and hormones.

Note for those who are unaware of the big three sex hormones (testosterone, estrogen, progesterone) and how they may sway - we are quite certain and several researchers have theorized and have data supporting the idea, that high, yet still normal testosterone levels in both men and women sway blue (testosterone levels raised artificially via steroids in males actually seem to sway pink by shrinking testicles and damaging sperm), less certain but still seems plausible (based on one theory specifically but also because estrogen = EWCM and estrogen can feminize guys and lower their sperm count) that higher estrogen in men sways pink, while lower estrogen in women sways pink (and vice versa).

However, it is not at all certain that high progesterone in women sways pink. One theory claims it does (Google, “William James gender ratio“) and IG has incorporated this into their sway, but atomic is not convinced that a) high or low prog sways either way because I’ve seen people with short/normal LP with both all boys and all girls (I have never had a short LP and I have 4 boys!) b)that even if high prog levels do sway pink, that we should attempt to or even CAN artificially raise those levels by taking supplements - it may be the underlying REASON for high prog in proportion to T and E that sways, not the levels themselves and c) that we even CAN alter those prog levels in isolation without raising T and E levels. All three hormones are made from the exact same raw ingredients and it’s highly likely that our bodies use signals from the environment to decide how much of each to make from those raw materials - in other words, we DON‘T get a big boost of progesterone because there is progesterone in eggs. Our bodies use the fat and cholesterol in egg yolk to make whatever hormones it thinks you need and if it thinks you need testosterone to survive/thrive, it‘s going to MAKE testosterone even if eggs have some nominal quantity of progesterone in them.

Ok now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s look at the big 3 and see what SP does for them.

Lowers testosterone - well not really… We take SP ostensibly to lower our testosterone, but it turns out that SP does not actually lower levels of testosterone in the blood. What it does do is prevent the body from turning regular, garden-variety testosterone into something called “dihydrotestosterone” (DHT) which is the form of testosterone your body uses to perform a lot of functions. If you take SP, this is why it’s CRITICAL to follow an LE Diet approach or use skim dairy with the FGD/IGD and limit eggs, because the diet will help keep your cholesterol levels at least somewhat under control and the one-two punch of reducing your body’s raw materials while the SP interferes in the process of making DHT, will help get those T levels down. And if you lose some muscle mass via weight loss at the same time, even better because muscle is what sends your body the message to make testosterone to begin with. So SP needs to be PART of a larger sway - you can’t just pop a pill unfortunately.

Lowers estrogen - or does it? Some sources have SP listed as an anti-estrogen and in fact it has been shown to lower estrogen levels in the blood and can interfere with estrogen-based birth control pills by blocking their effectiveness. But at the same time, men taking SP have reported breast growth and some women have taken it for the same reason. Plus, I know of at least one person on this site who was taking a larger dose than is usu. recommended and ended up with very high estrogen levels. What is going on? Well, apparently at times, when our body cannot make DHT from testosterone, it decides to take that testosterone and use it to make estrogen instead. Yes, your body makes estrogen FROM testosterone!! And DHT is a form of testosterone that cannot BE converted to estrogen; in fact DHT is kind of a “testosterone bank account“ where it is protected from being converted to estrogen. In effect, you trade one good thing (lowering levels of circulating estrogen in your blood) for one VERY bad thing (your body begins to produce massive amounts of estrogen in lieu of DHT). This is why you sometimes see SP listed as having both estrogenic and anti-estrogenic qualities.

Here’s a simplified version from a weightlifting site.

Saw palmetto = Less DHT
Less DHT = less acne, less male pattern baldness, less prostate enlargement
Less DHT = more testosterone not converted to DHT
DHT cannot convert to estrogen, like regular testosterone can
More testosterone not converted to DHT = more regular testosterone able to convert to estrogen
Thus, Saw palmetto = potentially more estrogen

One crazy fabulous bit of info I saw on a weightlifting site claims that zinc prevents testosterone from converting into estrogen. So while I normally do not advise taking zinc because nutrients tend to sway blue (and DH should NEVER take zinc for pink swaying because he wants high estrogen) if you are prone to estrogen dominance and want to take SP to lower your testosterone levels, you ~may~ wish to take a zinc supp of 8-10 mg a day. Other than tahini, which is a great source of zinc, all three sway diets are rather on the low side for zinc and it‘s not stored well in the body like most other minerals are. Please note, I do not know how if this even works or how this will sway but I did want people to have the info.

Raises progesterone - not really!! IG has SP listed as a “phytoprogesterone” (plant source of progesterone) and claims that it will “gently raise prog levels”. This is totally untrue. First of all (as discussed above) your body does NOT get its hormones from the foods you eat, it manufactures ALL hormones from the fats and cholesterols in said foods. Vegans who never touch red meat (has testosterone) or chicken/eggs (has progesterone) can make AMPLE amounts of these hormones out of plant-based fats like palm oil, coconut oil, and avocado and they have both boys and girls.

Secondly, I have looked into the “phyto” hormone claims made by IG extensively (they also claim that soy is a “phyto”estrogen and therefore raises estrogen) and it turns out that this claim is entirely without basis in fact. Actually, “phyto” hormones can REDUCE the effectiveness of your body’s naturally manufactured hormones in several ways. A) your body may detect these “phyto” hormones and diminish production of its own natural hormones accordingly - so you end up with less of what you WANT for swaying and then your body uses any raw materials to make other hormones instead that you may NOT want. B) your body’s hormone receptors try to bond with the “phyto” hormones, but because they are NOT the same as your body’s natural hormones, the bond is incomplete/ineffective. These “phyto” hormones actually end up BLOCKING and interfering with the function of your body’s natural hormones, rendering them less effective and effectively lowering the amount of work they can do. C) flooding your body with abnormal levels of hormones of ANY type, be they natural or “phyto” can end up creating a situation where your hormone receptors become sort of overwhelmed and quit “listening” even to the natural hormones, just like our bodies can become insulin resistant after a lifetime of eating too much sugar.

So if you’re trying to raise prog, ’phyto”progesterones can be bad 3 times over - you may start making less natural prog and more T and E, the prog you do make will be less able to bond with hormone receptors because the “phyto”prog got there first, and your hormone receptors themselves may become less sensitive to all forms of progesterone. But don’t panic. Remember, we don’t even KNOW that we want high levels of prog for TTC a girl!!! And we DO KNOW that we want less testosterone and may want less estrogen too. I think it’s well worth the risk (esp. taking it for such a short time as we do.)

Safety and efficacy: It does work, we know this 100%, as well as prescription drugs and is even prescribed by doctors in Europe and Japan. It’s been studied somewhat and seems to be relatively safe, altho in the interest of full disclosure I want everyone to know that my FIL took SP daily for years (10-12 years) for his prostate and has now developed ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) which is a fatal disease. It is prob. unrelated but since I had used him as kind of my “canary in a coal mine” with SP safety, I just wanted to let people know this. The limited amount of time we will be taking the SP probably negates any risk, but with all sway tactics, it may behoove you to forgo some of the less-proven, pregnancy-preventing sway tactics such as strict timing and just try to get pg in the span of 3 months or so.

What has not been studied is the effect on a pregnancy and breastfeeding. SP seems to leave the body very quickly (1-3 days at very most and some studies reported it was gone in a matter of hours) and I believe that taking the SP AF-O in the months of our attempt is safe.

I would NOT take SP while BF and I would never ever ever ever take it when BF a baby boy.

Also, everyone, please be sure to take a pg test EVERY month before resuming your AF-O herbs, even if you are certain you’re not pg. Even if you have AF, you can still be pg and this actually happened to me.

WARNING - SP can act as a blood thinner altho it seems less effective than cran/baby aspirin. Take great care when using SP with baby aspirin, cranberry, or any prescription blood thinners you may be on.

WARNING 2 - You can’t take SP with Clomid - more about this in the dosage section.

Other concerns:

For anyone concerned about the environment and endangered species, SP is being collected from the wild using non-sustainable practices and sold illegally by people who have no concern for protecting the environment. This is wreaking havoc with the delicate environment of the area, harming growth of the SP plant itself and SP berries are a very important part of the diet of the endangered Florida black bear among other endangered species. Stick with a name brand SP (it’s safest to do that anyway) that is harvested sustainably.

DOSAGE: 320 mg of standardized extract per day from AF-O. Test for pg every month before resuming the SP even if you are certain you’re not pg (even if you got AF).

IF you want to, you CAN take it for a full 6 weeks prior to beginning your sway (so you would take it AF-AF-O) but I don’t want people going any longer than that. DON’T start taking it months in advance of your sway because we just don’t know how it will affect your body/fertility. Be sure to use reliable birth control and test for pg before you begin taking the SP.

If you’re on Clomid and would still like to take SP, you can take it the entire month before your first attempt AF-AF (be sure to take a pg test first) then stop on CD1 and take your Clomid on CD 3-5 as per your doctor’s instructions.

For DH??? Since SP may have some effect on lowering estrogen, it’s prob. best to stick with licorice root for DH.

[atomic sagebrush]

http://genderdreaming.com/forum/ttc-...depth-how.html

Peppermint/Spearmint Tea
If you decide saw palmetto is not for you, another option is peppermint or spearmint tea.
Mint has been used since ancient times both as food/drink and medicinally, across many continents. As herbal supplements go, is quite well studied and affordable and is sustainably harvested (you can even grow it yourself in your yard but be warned, it will take over!). Much less of an unknown than our other herbal supplements are. Dietary amounts (1 cup a day no more than 4 times a week, or 2 cups now and then) are believed to be perfectly safe, even in pregnancy.

I do not advise drinking STRAIGHT mint tea daily during pregnancy – I’m sure we all know many people who have done it safely and you may have even done it yourself, but I personally do not recommend it. Some pregnancy teas have mint in them, but this is in smaller amounts and should be safe. I also do not recommend drinking ANY mint tea or blends during the 2WW if you are already USING large doses of mint tea from AF-O because the hormonal effects will already be built up in your body and it may only take a small amount to continue that effect.

Breastfeeding – it is probably safe to use mint while breastfeeding a healthy toddler older than a year, but I would err on the side of caution and stick to only 1 cup a day (if you’re BF a 4 year old once a day, of course, you may use the full dose). ~Personally~ I would not use peppermint while BF a boy baby but it’s probably fine. I would not use peppermint while BF an infant with any underlying health issues at all or a child younger than 1 year of age. Peppermint has been proven to decrease milk supply even in pretty small amounts, so be on the lookout for any unexplained reduction in milk quantity.

I prefer that you guys drink the tea rather than using mint in supplement forms and particularly avoid straight peppermint/spearmint oils – the active ingredients are so concentrated that you will get too much. If you don't like mint tea, try mint water instead (this stuff is really tasty!) Metromint | pure water + real mint = refreshment beyond flavor.

How does mint sway? Some evidence indicates that mint teas help lower testosterone while still keeping LH and FSH high (one problem with some methods of lowering T, is that LH and FSH may also drop and that interferes with ovulation.) However, at the same time mint lowers testosterone, some evidence indicates that it may raise estrogen, which we DON’T want for pink. That having been said, if you’re losing body fat your estrogen will be dropping regardless and so mint tea may still be a viable choice for you.

Mints may sway in other ways as well – some research indicates that compounds in mint block absorption of nutrients (if you’re anemic to begin with, avoid mint!) and may help lower blood sugar.

How to use mint – Dosage for DW - 3 cups a day, AF-O only. You may want to take it with meals because it contains compounds that block absorption of nutrients from foods and also may lower blood sugar. After doing this research, it looks to me like it is good for DH OR DW and so if your husband cannot do licorice root due to being overweight or having high blood pressure, you may want to give him peppermint tea instead (men WANT higher estrogen and lower testosterone for pink, and mint also appears lowers sperm count/quality as well.) Dosage for DH – 4 cups a day thruout cycle.

Studies:
Elsevier (peppermint reduces androgens in rats)

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science...78691508004523 (spearmint reduces androgens in rats and may lower sperm count/quality)

Effect of spearmint (Mentha spicata Labiatae) ... [Phytother Res. 2007] - PubMed - NCBI (spearmint reduces hirsuitism in women with PCOS)

Spearmint herbal tea has significant anti-andr... [Phytother Res. 2010] - PubMed - NCBI (appears to refute the above study due to methodological problems)

Detection of estrogenic activity in herbal teas by in vitro reporter assays - Springer (peppermint may raise estrogen NOTE – if you have PCOS, you may also be somewhat estrogen dominant to begin with and so using mint as a way to lower testosterone may aggravate estrogen dominance.)

Peppermint is also commonly said to lower blood sugar levels, but if such a study exists, I can’t find it.

Can peppermint/spearmint cause harm? YES. Pep tea has been promoted as a safer, gentler version of Saw Palmetto but my research seems to indicate that while saw palmetto is more of an unknown (it has not been studied as much as mints have been) overall, it seemed equally safe as mint, if not even a bit more so.

Do not use peppermint/spearmint if you have gall bladder disease (it has been shown to increase production of bile which may aggravate your gallstones). If you have GERD or find that once you start using mint, you suddenly have severe heartburn, you need to stop using it.

Do not use mint if you have any thyroid issues or are taking medication for your thyroid.

Do not use mint if you are anemic, especially if you have given up meats for sway diets – mint will block absorption of the iron in your vegetables.

Mint is known to interact with MANY prescription drugs so if you’re on medication for any reason, please doublecheck with a pharmacist to make sure that it is safe (and let them know you are using more than dietary amounts. Mint should NOT be taken with Clomid because Clomid works by raising testosterone temporarily, and the mint interferes with that.

Mint is closely related to another plant called pennyroyal which was traditionally used to induce abortion and is not safe to use during the 2WW.

Effect of Mentha piperita (Labiatae) and ... [Toxicol Ind Health. 2004] - PubMed - NCBI (reduces iron absorption)

Investigation of biochemical and histopathol... [Hum Exp Toxicol. 2004] - PubMed - NCBI (may harm the liver)

The effect of Mentha spicata Labiatae on ... [Toxicol Ind Health. 2006] - PubMed - NCBI (may harm the uterus)

Investigation of biochemical and histopathol... [Hum Exp Toxicol. 2003] - PubMed - NCBI (peppermint does not seem to harm kidneys bu

[atomic sagebrush]

http://genderdreaming.com/forum/ttc-...depth-how.html

reserved licorice root

[atomic sagebrush]

http://genderdreaming.com/forum/ttc-...technique.html


Jump and Dump and the Semen Emitting Technique

Or, J&D and the SET!

These are techniques to reduce the amount of sperm and most importantly, semen, in your vagina. Semen is the male analogue of EWCM, it helps keep a lot of sperm alive and is high in pH. Since we want lower numbers of sperm and lower pH, it's important to get rid of as much semen as possible.

Jump and dump is really simple, you just hop up right after DTD and clean yourself up, wiping off whatever excess semen you can.

The Semen Emitting Technique (from Taking Charge of Your Fertility) is a slightly more complicated version of the same thing, but will get rid of more semen, and therefore sperm. Get up right after BD and go to the bathroom. Using tissues, wipe yourself off as much as you can. Gently push to expel as much semen as possible - no need to get carried away though. Then urinate (it's always a good idea to urinate after DTD anyway to prevent UTI's), while starting and stopping the ****** a few times and contracting your vaginal muscles (Kegels). Wipe away the semen after every contraction. Most of the semen will be gone by the time you're done urinating.

Some old wives tales claim that jump and dump sways for a girl because the Y sperm all fall out and the X stay behind to fertilize the egg. Obviously this is very silly. The point is to get rid of as much semen as possible and thin out the numbers of sperm, since lower sperm count seems to sway pink.

[atomic sagebrush]

http://genderdreaming.com/forum/ttc-...om-method.html


The Hole in the Condom method

This is an easy method that will help sway pink by reducing sperm count.

- Use a spermicidal silicone or polypropylene (NOT latex) condom and poke a hole in it with a safety pin. Try to get one with a "reservoir tip". Poke a hole in the TIP of the condom so it will be less likely to tear. (If you get it slightly on the bottom by mistake, don't worry about it. The odds are small that it will break, but you may want to use extra lube to make sure. It's the friction that causes the condom to stretch and tear. Or use another condom if that feels safer to you.)

- You may wish to put a small dab of spermicide about 1/2 dime INSIDE the condom, but this may be too much of a good thing. You can also douche, use Replens/Acijel/RepHresh, and/or even add a bit of additional spermicide with this method, but keep in mind that the more you do to make the environment hostile, the lower your odds of pregnancy will be.

- DTD for a few minutes before ejaculation to make sure the spermicide gets evenly distributed throughout the vagina. Using a lube such as Sylk will help distribute the spermicide, lubricate, and sways pink a little bit on its own too.

- Test beforehand to see how much semen comes out of the tip. Some people have had better results poking the condom OUT of the wrapper. If nothing seems to comes out, you may want to try poking a couple more holes, but each hole poked increases the odds that the condom will fail. And/or have your husband stay inside for five minutes after ejaculation to make sure some sperm have had a chance to make it through the hole. Remember, sperm are very very tiny so even if you don't see any coming out, it doesn't mean they're not there.

- DON'T use the leftover sperm in the condom for TBM. If you're relying on sperm count to sway, turning around and doing TBM with the remaining sperm is pointless.

- It is probably best NOT to take anything to reduce your CM with this technique (antihistamine, Sudafed, Clomid, etc) You may also wish to DTD every day you have EWCM through O to increase your odds of pregnancy. With so few sperm, you will need to enable them to reach the egg with as few losses as possible and the sperm will have little semen to protect them, so this is a rare case for swaying pink where you actually WANT a lot of EWCM. If you're really serious about swaying and want to do EVERYTHING, just be aware it may take some time for you to conceive using HIC without any fertile CM.

- Whether you go for deep or shallow ejaculation depends on how many other techniques you are using. If you're doing a lot that will prevent pregnancy, (drying up CM, using additional spermicide, douching) you will want deep penetration and orgasm very close to the safety of the cervix. If you're not doing anything other than HIC and you have a lot of EWCM, then you can try a more shallow ejaculation if you like.

- If the condom should break, don't panic. Use the Semen Emitting Technique http://genderdreaming.com/forum/show...ting-Technique to get rid of as much semen as possible and you can douche or use spermicide to kill off/wash away most of the rest.

[atomic sagebrush]

http://genderdreaming.com/forum/ttc-...periences.html


Spermicide for swaying PINK! And share your experiences!!!

The idea that spermicide may sway pink has been around for a LOONG time. I remember my mom talking about it 25 years ago. We all know some friend of a friend who had a spermicide failure and ended up conceiving a baby girl, it seems. Some scientific evidence seems to indicate that spermicide use really does sway pink. Spermicide use and pregnancy outcome. [Am J Public Health. 1988] - PubMed - NCBI FWIW, anecdotally, I have heard of WAY more girls conceived with spermicide/diaphragm failure than boys. Even my OBGYN remarked upon it.

That having been said, there is at least one other study that seems to indicate that spermicides don't sway Vaginal spermicides and outcome of pregnancy: ... [Contraception. 1982] - PubMed - NCBI

Regardless of this conflicting info, since spermicides are perfectly safe to use - the safety of spermicide was verified in the study above and in this study Are there adverse effects of periconceptional ... [Fertil Steril. 1985] - PubMed - NCBI and this metaanalysis Spermicidal contraceptives and poor repr... [Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1985] - PubMed - NCBI (a study of many studies LOL) and they DO lower sperm count which sways pink, I feel that spermicide is a GREAT addition to a swaying arsenal.

One more note about safety - spermicides really have gotten a bad rap over the last couple decades, but the main reason for this is because they don't protect against HIV and because hormonal birth control was more reliable and more profitable for manufacturers. They used to be the method of choice for married couples and are really quite safe. That having been said, you or your DH may be allergic to them. If so, stop using them.

Various types of Spermicides -

Jelly/Gel/Cream/Foam - Contraceptive jelly, gel, foam, or cream (brand names include Gynol II, Ramses, Ortho, Encare, VCF, Lanzas, Gygel, Contragel) come in tubes with applicators like Replens/RepHresh and are usually used with a diaphragm or condom for providing extra protection. (but we won't be ) Most contain nonoxynol 9, but Contragel does not. These products start working immediately - this may be a drawback for swaying (see below). However, their advantage it that you can easily use smaller amounts, mix them with other products like Sylk or Acijel, and better direct where in the vagina the spermicide goes. They can also provide lubrication which as we all know when swaying pink, can be an issue. The spermicidal effect lasts for 30 minutes-1 hour depending on the individual brand, and you are supposed to reapply it if you DTD more than once. The inactive ingredients in Gynol II, Ortho, Gygel, Contragel contain lactic acid, while the Lanzas brand cream contains citric acid, and the VCF foam contains benzoic !!!!!!and ACETIC!!!! acid, so these may also be good for lowering pH at the same time.

VCF - Vaginal Contraceptive Film (brand name VCF) is a thin sheet of film containing the spermicide nonoxynol-9. It melts into a thick gel so it will act as a barrier to immobilize sperm - you are supposed to insert it right in front of your cervix, but you may not want to do that for swaying. VCF must be inserted 15 minutes before intercourse to work effectively and it's good for up to only one hour after initial insertion. The benefits to VCF are that you can use smaller pieces than you are supposed to use, or even that you could insert it a short while AFTER DTD to prevent any more sperm from moving into the cervical crypts. WARNING - the main ingredient of VCF is glycerine which has a pH of 7.

Suppositories/Inserts/Tablets/Pessaries (Brand name Encare) - These are little nuggets of concentrated spermicide (nonoxynol 9) that melt or dissolve into a thick foam that blocks the cervix. The suppository is supposed to be inserted as close to the cervix as possible, which we may or may not choose to do depending on when we use them - you may choose to use one after DTD to prevent any more sperm from going into the vagina. After inserting them, you are then supposed to wait 10-15 minutes, so the contraceptive insert can dissolve into a foamy substance (another rule that may be made to be broken.) Suppositories are believed to be less effective than the other spermicides, because it is hard to know if they have fully dissolved (for swayers, that may be an advantage.) You can't break them up (well you can but it's kinda messy and difficult) so they may be more difficult to use in smaller amounts than other methods - although they are actually the easiest to use overall. WARNING - two of the ingredients in the Encare brand are baking soda and Cream of Tartar - this is to help them dissolve in your vagina but they may make you more alkaline.

How to use spermicide in swaying -

This is kind of uncharted territory here so if you can think of other/better ways to use spermicide, or if you want to share your personal experience with spermicide, PLEASE do!! These are just the strategies that occur to me and is in no way all-inclusive.

You ~may~ wish to avoid too many other methods of swaying when you're using spermicide. It may be too much of a good thing. You NEED to have some sperm, some EWCM, and for your cervix to be open and not blocked by thick foam, to be able to conceive. You must pick a strategy that allows you to reduce your fertility by as much as you are able to, while still enabling you to get pregnant.

Method #1 MIX AND MATCH - Using a small amount of spermicide along with your other products right before and/or DTD. Probably best with the jelly/cream/foams, if you use a tiny squirt of spermicide, like a nickel or even a dime-sized amount, along with the swaying gels/lubes, this may give you some additional benefit. Drawbacks - may kill off too many sperm, or conversely, may not even do anything.

Method #2 - THE WAITING GAME - Using the full amount (or less if you want) spermicide well in advance of DTD. All the different brands of spermicide advise DTD within 30 minutes to an hour of inserting the spermicide - so try waiting 2,3,4, hours afterwards and DTD then.

Method #3 - HURRY UP AND WAIT - Use a suppository or film, but DTD right away (or you could also use a TBM immediately) before it has a chance to dissolve. I believe this would be best at ovulation up through 0+12, NOT with a cutoff because we want the sperm to leave the vagina right away and not hang around in the crypts for too long. I also believe that you should avoid doing anything to dry up your cervical mucus (such as antihistamines or Sudafed) if you choose this method, because you want the sperm to be headed for the egg before that film/suppository dissolves.

Method #4 - AFTER THE FACT - Use a suppository or film but insert it immediately AFTER you have DTD. It will take 10-15 minutes to melt and by that time, some sperm will have swum to safety. You could even try this with the jelly/cream/foam if you insert it shallowly into the vagina and/or if you wait for 5 or 10 minutes afterwards to give the sperm a chance to swim to safety. This method is probably better if you are BD at O or O+12.

Method #5 - DO IT AGAIN - Have intercourse once using a spermicide exactly as designed on the label. Then, DTD a second time at least 1 hour later (or TBM with second ejaculation) WITHOUT using any more spermicide. This will work in two ways, not only because of the spermicide wearing off, but also because DTD twice will lower DH's sperm count.

Method #6 - WITH BARRIER - Use a diaphragm with spermicide or the Today/Protectaid/Pharmatex sponge as directed, but take it out after only an hour. (you are supposed to leave these in for 6 hours after DTD) This seems like a good strategy with a cutoff because you're removing most of the spermicide and leaving behind some of the sperm.

Method #7 - BE PREPARED - Use the full amount of spermicide every day for a week prior to your attempt. Do NOT use any spermicide the day of your attempt. (give it at least 12 hours, so you could do it in the morning if you were going to attempt late at night.) In one of the studies I posted above that seemed to debunk the idea that spermicide swayed pink, they did find that using spermicide in the days and weeks prior to conceiving a child (meaning, the women were actually trying to prevent pregnancy and used spermicide regularly, but got "swept away" or ran out of spermicide and DTD anyway without using anything). This may have been just a coincidence, or there could be something in the residue of old spermicide that sways pink somehow. This seems like a good strategy to try with a cutoff.

Method #8 - HOLE IN CONDOM METHOD http://genderdreaming.com/forum/show...ht=hole+condom This seems like a good idea with a cutoff because there will be very little spermicide left behind.

Method #9 - IN NO HURRY - Use the full amount of spermicide as directed whenever you DTD and EWCM is present. 25% of couples will be pregnant in a year (as opposed to 85% who try naturally). If you are a person who tends to stress over swaying and you don't think you can stick to the diet, I don't think you should discount this method.

[atomic sagebrush]

http://genderdreaming.com/forum/ttc-...cream-how.html


raising progesterone through diet, B-6 and prog cream HOW TO

Some research indicates that higher levels of progesterone may help to sway pink. High progesterone during avian meiosis biases sex ratios toward females (yes, this is in birds which I usually do not use because their reproductive systems are too far removed from humans, but I just thought it was interesting.) However, some research indicates the opposite http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2056485?log$=activity and it may very well be that you need to lower levels of ALL sex hormones to sway pink, while raising them all sway blue. (see the previous study cited and also Elsevier)

Overally, though, traditional swaying lore holds that higher levels of progesterone with lower levels of estrogen and testosterone in females, sway pink.

HOW CAN I TELL IF I HAVE LOW PROGESTERONE LEVELS?

A short luteal phase (less than 13 days between ovulation and AF) especially with spotting before AF is a good indicator of low progesterone, and if you are charting, your luteal phase temps might be on the low side...rather than seeing a big jump between your temps before ovulation and after, your jump might only be a few tenths of a degree different. You can get a feel for this by looking at a lot of other people's charts on Ovulation Calendar and Ovulation Chart - Fertility Charting

Here are some ways to up your progesterone level naturally.

1. Soy. Soybeans contain progesterone's precursor form called diosgenin.

2. Mexican Wild Yam. Also contains diosgenin. Yams and sweet potatoes sold in the grocery store are not the same thing.

3. Fenugreek, turmeric, thyme, and oregano. Said to lower estrogen while raising progesterone, correcting "estrogen dominance".

4. Cow's milk. Cow's milk has high levels of progesterone in it, BUT also contains high levels of estrogen. Also, many of the hormones are carried in the fat, so if you're drinking skim milk, you may not benefit from them. Watch the sodium levels in cow's milk, they're quite high.

5. Egg yolk. Egg yolk has progesterone, but it's not known if the human body can utilize it. High in cholesterol which may sway blue.

6. Vit. B-6 may help raise progesterone. It can affect your cycle either positively (if you are irregular or have a short luteal phase) or negatively (if your menstrual cycle is very regular). Start by taking 25 mg a day and move up from there. Do not take more than 200 mg and it is probably best to err on the side of less. You may want to buy pills that are in small increments and take several small doses throughout the day rather than one big one. Do not quit B-6 cold turkey if you get a BFP, wean yourself off gradually. Small amounts of B-6 are safe to take throughout the first trimester and may actually help with morning sickness. Traditional swaying lore holds B6 as a pink-friendly nutrient BUT the A-Gender company has stopped using it for pink swayers because they felt it was causing too many opposites to be conceived.

7. Poultry - White meat chicken and turkey has naturally occuring progesterone but it is unknown if your body can utilize it. High in protein, so they may sway blue by maintaining muscle mass and raising testosterone.

8. Beef testicles aka "Rocky Mountain Oysters" - They have high levels of progesterone but are loaded with cholesterol, which can help raise testosterone.

9. Reduce stress. Stress may elevate testosterone and estrogen while blocking progesterone.

10. Progesterone cream. Raises progesterone, not only for swaying purposes but also for lenthening luteal phase in women who are having problems with short LP. Can be purchased online or at a natural food store. The cream should contain 20mg of progesterone per 1/4 tsp.

Apply 1/8 to 1/4 tsp. once or twice a day (as with everything for swaying, it's best to start with less and work up from there) over an area of your body that contains fat, like the stomach, thighs, or upper arms. Do not apply the cream to your breasts or face and apply it to a different area every time you use it.

Start using the cream as soon as you are sure you have ovulated (this can be challenging to know because the prog cream might affect your temps). Some sources say to begin it on CD 10/12/14 regardless of ovulation, but if you use it in advance of ovulation, it may prevent you from ovulating. It's best to start using it 2-3 days after you ovulate, otherwise it can act like a birth control pill and prevent you from getting pregnant. If you're not TTC, stop using the cream a day or two before you expect your period (12-14 days after you began the cream), and you should start your period a couple days later.

If you're TTC and think you may be pregnant while using the prog. cream, it is VERY IMPORTANT to continue taking the same dosage of cream EVERY DAY throughout the first trimester. DO NOT skip a day or miss a dose because you will run the risk of miscarrying. DO NOT stop taking it without taking a pregnancy test at 14 DPO every month! EVEN if you get what you think is a period, because you can have something that seems like a normal period but you are still pregnant (this actually happened to me!) DO NOT stop using that prog. cream without a BFN at 14 DPO.

If you get a BFP you should run, not walk to your doctor's office and see what he/she advises you to do. You may be put onto a prescription level of cream.

Some people imagine that they could use the prog cream every day in the months leading up to TTC to raise their progesterone levels really high. I don't know if that's a good idea. Our hormones are in a very delicate balance and we are SUPPOSED to have low progesterone/high estrogen during the early part of our cycle. Those levels of hormones determine the quality of our eggs and whether we even ovulate at all. It's best to use it 2 weeks on, 2 weeks off, like Mother Nature intended our cycles of progesterone to be. It will be stored in your fat for later use even at this rate.

Hope this helps!!