Different Kinds Of Herbal Supplements For Fertility

Some women often turn to herbal and natural ways to enhance fertility or to increase their chances of conception. Whether it be because they are not quite at the 1 year mark and are trying to help things along so they don't have to resort to fertility drugs, or if they just don't want to do fertility drugs period, or they are taking a break from the fertility drugs, or, like me, trying something to fill in the time until we can afford an IUI, it has become a very common and often times successful route.

I don't have statistics on success rates so you guys will just have to use good old google for that one, but I can give you a list of some of the most commonly used herbs/supplements women have been using while TTC.

Vitex/Chasteberry- Very popular fertility herb. Often used to regulate hormonal imbalances and is especially helpful for those with PCOS.

Maca-(For men and women)- Great for increasing sex drive, regulating hormones, and increasing energy levels. Supports thyroid function, sexual function, can improve sperm count and motility, and is very safe. MUST be the root as that is the beneficial part for fertility.

Royal Jelly- a substance secreted by nurse worker bee glands helps to balance hormones and support the endocrine system. Royal Jelly has been shown to mimic human estrogen which may help if you suffer from low estrogen. Also may strengthen uterine lining.

Dong Quai- Used as a health tonic for many generations in Asia, this is used for overall health of the uterus and regulating menstrual cycles. Also helps with stress relief. Women with endometriosis can also use this for pain relief associated with endo especially when mixed with Chasteberry, Black Cohosh, or Ginseng.

Red Clover Blossom- Very good for women with endometriosis. High vitamins and protein help with the uterus. Also high in calcium and magnesium which relaxes the nervous system. Also can help with fibroids and balancing hormones. 

Red Raspberry Leaf- Tones the uterus and pelvic muscles. Try mixing with Red Clover to enhance results. 

Evening Primrose Oil (EPO)- Has anti-inflammatory properties which helps with PMS, menopause, breast pain, cramps and it's best known for improving cervical mucus. Taken only from menstruation to ovulation.

Black Cohosh- Used to help stimulate ovulation. Taken only from end of menstruation to ovulation. 

Ginger Root- Aids in moving blood to organs. Reduces cramping and can help with ovarian cysts and endometriosis. 

Flaxseed Oil-(For men and women) Perfect for not only fertility, but overall health. Helps keep sperm healthy and helps improve the uterine lining and helps stabilize estrogen and progesterone. 

On top of these herbs, you can buy pills that contain combinations of these herbs for specific reasons. For example, I'll be using FertileCM while hubby tries Maca. There are a ton of different kinds that you can find either here  or  here for just about anything.

Proof Your Temps Are Unreliable For Indicating Pregnancy

I'm on CD32 and 13DPO. Pregnancy test status BFN. Chances are...I'm not pregnant. Unless I implanted REALLY late (which is unlikely), AF should be here in 2-3 days.

But that's not the point of this post. The point is chart obsessing. I LOVE analyzing my chart for every little thing (and there's nothing wrong with this. Do what makes the 2WW go faster for you). And Fertility Friend has a nifty little feature that allows you to search charts and then overlay yours on top of theirs. So that's exactly what I did. And this is what I found.

My temps are the ones in purple and the chart I compared it to is in green. That person was pregnant and got their first positive test on 10DPO. I was more and more hopeful by the day. Our temps were SO similar, especially during and right after ovulation. Looking at my chart I had what everyone wants to see. High temps that kept rising and maybe even a possible implantation dip around 10DPO. But unfortunately, I am not pregnant and it doesn't seem likely that I will get a positive in the next few days. (I would love it if it would happen though and would gladly eat my words!) If my temps stay high past 16DPO and I haven't gotten my period yet, I can start to assume that I am in fact pregnant but the timeframe they usually tell you to stick with is 18DPO. If you are 18DPO or more and still haven't gotten AF and your temps are high, you can pretty much be sure you're pregnant. I expect my temp to dive very soon.

Bottom line is, you can obsess all you want over your chart but the only thing that will tell you that you are pregnant is an HPT or a blood test.

What Does This All Mean?

When you first start charting, it can all seem a bit overwhelming. There are a lot of different things you can see on a chart from when you "BD" to what kind of cervical fluid you have.

Let's start with the data input. (Click pics to enlarge)

This is where you put all your info in. You get here by clicking the day of the month you are on. On the main screen, you have a spot for your temp, what time you took your temp at, what kind of cervical fluid you have (Dry, Sticky, Creamy, Watery, Egg White), whether you have your period or spotting (with options of spotting, light, medium, and heavy) and whether or not you "BD'd" or had insemination (Yes, AM, PM, Both, No, IUI, IVF Retrieval). You also have the option to make any notes that could pertain to that specific day (ex. Had HSG today).

On the Secondary tab is the page to record what your cervix is like that day.

For position you have Low, Medium, High. For texture you have Firm, Medium, Soft and with opening you have Closed, Medium, Open.

Next is the Tests tab

On this page you can mark whether you got a postive (+) or negative (-) OPK (ovulation test), a + or - pregnancy test, if your fertility monitor is at Low, High, or Peak, if your ferning test is None, Partial, or Full and if your OV Watch is at Non Fertile (NF), Fertile Day 1,2,3,4  OV Day 1 or 2 (ovulation day) and Less Fertile Day 1or 2.

Next is the Specific tab

First off, yours will not look this long. I've added different signs as I've been charting (as you can as well by clicking the Add/Remove Signs link at the bottom) so initially, yours will be a bit shorter. This section is self explanatory. You have a symptom, you click the box. That's all. All of these signs will be color coded and numbered and put below your chart. And you can put your mood and energy levels in there too.

Up next, the Meds tab

Simply click the box of what med you are taking on what days. You can also add your own (I've added Birth Control and Soy Isoflavones).

Custom tab

This is where you can add whatever custom data you want using the Add/Remove link.

And finally, the Appointments tab

Put in any appointments you want to remember (although honestly we all use our phones for that these days!).

The 28 Day Cycle Is More Of A Myth

We're made to believe from day 1 that a woman's menstrual cycle is 28 days long with ovulation occurring on CD14. Some women do fit this but the majority don't. This could be one reason as to why you aren't conceiving. In order to conceive, you have to time intercourse properly. If you think you ovulate (or "O") on CD 14 and time intercourse accordingly and are shocked to end up "late" but not pregnant, it could be that you are wrong about your "O" date. This is why from TTC day 1 it is a good idea to keep track of your cycles (Try Fertility Friend!) Some women "O" before CD14 and some "O" much later. (When I conceived my daughter my ovulation day was CD49). You've got about 12-24 hours to fertilize that egg and if you aren't having sex at the right time, you are missing out on a chance to get pregnant. (Keep in mind a healthy couple only has a 20% chance each cycle) And once you ovulate, your chances are done. You're fertile in the 3-5 days leading up to ovulation, but not after.

So basically the time from your period to ovulation can vary. Whether it's cycle to cycle or once in a while, you may not ovulate on the same day every month. However, the time from ovulation until your period (luteal phase) should not vary much. Varying 1-2 days is not much of a concern but if your LP is jumping between 10 days and 16 days, you should bring it up to your doctor. Also if your LP is short (less than 10 days) your body isn't giving a fertilized egg enough time to implant before shedding the endometrial lining so you should bring that up to your doctor for sure.

When Is Cycle Day 1?

Many women don't know it, but the first day of your cycle is the first day of full red flow. Spotting does not count.

I'm Sure We All Have Felt This Way