Hundreds of years before ovulation kits, doctors, ultrasounds or blood tests, couples have been consuming supplements to increase their chances of becoming pregnant.
Supplements are not all the same and while you might think the more, the merrier, this isn’t true. No matter how natural, even taking too many vitamins, minerals, and herbal supplements can cause more harm than good.
If you are taking any prescription medication or if you are under a doctor’s care for any type of health problem, always discuss with them first about adding any type of supplement to your diet to avoid unwanted complications or side effects.
What are the top fertility supplements that have been proven throughout the ages to work for both men and women?
- Red Raspberry Leaf Tea
Hands down, this has to be the longest used and most recommended fertility supplement in the world. You can drink this tea hot or cold, but you need about 3 cups per day to get maximum results. Men can drink it as well. After you become pregnant, you should stop drinking this tea as it can induce labor. When you get close to your due date, you can start drinking it again for an easier delivery.
- Nettle Leaf
Of course, you don’t have to get your lips and mouth stung by nettle to enjoy the benefits! Nettle is very high in minerals, vitamin K, and helps to reduce stress levels. You can drink this as a tea (add it to the raspberry leaf tea if you like) or consume supplements as directed. Both men and women can enjoy this tea.
- Maca
This is consumed by many body builders to help balance hormones and improve energy, but it’s also known in other countries as a powerful fertility treatment. You can consume this in a powdered form that is mixed into water or juice or by capsule. You should only take this supplement while you are trying to get pregnant and stop once you are pregnant. This is a good choice for both men and women.
- Chaste Tree Berry
Sometimes called Vitex, this natural supplement gives the pituitary gland some much-needed nourishment. It also raises progesterone, which is necessary for you to become pregnant. Take as directed on the package. Many women claim that they became pregnant after taking chaste tree berry supplements within a few weeks.
- Dandelion
If you aren’t actively trying to become pregnant but you are thinking about it in the near future (within 6 months) you might want to first try some dandelion tea or supplements. This plant, often considered a weed, has powerful detoxifying agents, vitamins, minerals, as well as being a natural diuretic. This can help to prepare the body for pregnancy.
- Red Clover
Both men and women can drink this tea as it can help to balance hormones and is packed with vitamins. Red clover contains almost every trace mineral known to man and has been long known to help improve fertility in both sexes.
Fertility Pills for Women
For women who have struggled to conceive a child, fertility pills can offer a bright ray of hope.
Most women believe that pills are the only options available, but there are actually several different options.
While they all basically do the same job, they aren’t all the same.
Typical Fertility Pills for Females
Your doctor will often try one of the two most common types of drugs which stimulate the ovaries to release an egg (or several eggs) including:
- Clomiphene – this pill works by stimulating hormones that tell the ovaries to release eggs. Common names are Biogen, Clomifen, Clomene, and Clomi.
- Gonadotropins – these pills work by stimulating the ovaries directly. You will find these sold under the names Repronex, Ovidrel, Pregnyl, and Novarel, to name a few.
Your doctor might combine one of the above drugs with intrauterine insemination or even in Vitro Fertilization. This will depend on your unique situation.
Many women find that simply taking a fertility drug, such as those mentioned above, for several months solves their problem and they are able to conceive naturally. Clomiphene is the most commonly prescribed drug and has been used for more than 40 years.
How Do You Use Clomiphene?
Although dosage varies from woman to woman, a typical starting dose is 50 milligrams. This is taken every day for 5 days, most commonly starting on the third or fourth day of your period.
Ovulation should take place about 7 days after the first pill is taken. If ovulation doesn’t occur, or if you fail to become pregnant, your doctor might increase the dose by another 50 mgs. A maximum of 150 mgs can be taken each day.
Clomiphene should be taken for no longer than 6 months. If you haven’t become pregnant after this time frame, your doctor will want to try something else.
What About Injections?
Hormone injections were fairly common in the past, but have dropped from popularity in recent years. While the injections did work, more than 30% of women conceived triplets or quadruplets, greatly increasing the risk of birth defects and pregnancy related high blood pressure.
These injections are still available, however. Speak with your doctor about how safe they might be for your particular situation.
What are the Differences in Fertility Pills?
Much of the difference will depend on the problem that the woman is having.
Women who suffer from PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) generally respond to clomiphene, but not all. For those who don’t, they often take metformin to help them ovulate.
Other women, who have too much of the hormone prolactin in their blood stream, will be given cabergoline or bromocriptine in an effort to stimulate the ovaries.
Are There any Risks to Taking Fertility Pills?
Almost all of the current fertility drugs have been used for more than 4 decades without any safety or health issues.
Perhaps the only drawback, if one wants to call it that, is that fertility treatments greatly increase the chance of having multiple births.
Approximately 10% of women taking clomiphene have twins and 30% of women taking gonadotropins end up with twins.
The more babies a woman has in her womb, the greater the chance of miscarriage and complications, but fertility drugs do not cause this increase in risks, but rather it’s the multiple fetuses which cause the problems.
References
Fertility Supplements for Couples https://www.fairhavenhealth.com/product-category/fertility/fertility-supplements
Fertility Treatment Options for Both Men and Women https://www.myfertilitysuccess.com/articles/fertility-treatment-options-for-both-men-and-women/
Fertility drugs for women https://www.babycenter.com/0_fertility-drugs-for-women_4091.bc
7 Fertility Pills for Women that Work https://www.checkpregnancy.com/fertility-pills-for-women/
Lora M. is the director of Fertility Health Services in San Diego, California and is the author of the different books and audio CD series. Lora’s work is marked by a ready warmth and deep empathy for all those she serves. People from all walks of life have benefited from her keen ability to help them connect with their deepest selves — and experience their fullest potential for health, happiness and wholeness.