herbs for infertility. Black Cohosh?? (infections, doctor, hormones, blood)

[zebrashoes]

my husband and I have been trying to have a baby for a little over a year now. We got pregnant the first time we ever tried but we lost it. I am thinking about taking black cohosh because I have heard good things about it as a hormone regulator. I think my hormones went wack after the first MC because my body has not been the same since. Does anyone know anything about black cohosh as an herb. I am hoping it will help. Our insurance wont pay for any infertility testing so we cant really go that route yet....I want to try herbs first before shelving out tons of money out of pocket on fertility drugs. Any advice on other herbs i should look into would be greatly appreciated also.

[coyoteskye]

Originally Posted by zebrashoes

my husband and I have been trying to have a baby for a little over a year now. We got pregnant the first time we ever tried but we lost it. I am thinking about taking black cohosh because I have heard good things about it as a hormone regulator. I think my hormones went wack after the first MC because my body has not been the same since. Does anyone know anything about black cohosh as an herb. I am hoping it will help. Our insurance wont pay for any infertility testing so we cant really go that route yet....I want to try herbs first before shelving out tons of money out of pocket on fertility drugs. Any advice on other herbs i should look into would be greatly appreciated also.

Here is a link to some information on Shatavari which may interest you.

Shatavari | Organic India Herbal Supplements

And that particular company makes very good products.

Also, i use a homeopathic remedy to help balance and revitalize my hormones.
Send me a private message if you are interested.
I cannot swear by it as homeopathy is very subtle and to be objective can be challenging but i do know that i continue to use it because, intuitively, i feel that it is helping.
I have noticed that my menstrual cycle has become more reqular again and that pms symptoms have been greatly lessened and that my libido is on the comeback.
But there are so many variables in my life (in anyones life) that it's difficult to point to just one cause of improvement.

Also, depending on where you live and whether or not you're open to it, a good acupuncturist may be very helpful for you.

[CleanCutHippie]

Maca root, Horny Goat Weed, Muira Puama.

[thebreadlady]

check out WestonAPrice.org , they recommend nutrient-dense foods and healthy animal fats.
i also go to a doctor who prescribes minerals, the most important being iodine. nobody gets enough of it.
i worked (on a committee, in passing) with a woman who specialized in nutritional counseling with women who were having trouble conceiving. my step-daughter had this problem, so i picked her brain well. she said one of the biggest concerns was a lack of animal fat in the diet of young women. she also said that if you don't eat fat, your ovaries shrivel up like raisins.
that made sense to me, because our step-daughter was raised in a house where the new step-dad was older and a heart disease candidate, so the whole household went to lo-fat, no-fat eating. this was when she was 3-18 years old. she never had periods, and eventually underwent 5 years of fertility treatment to get our granddaughter.
we are constantly working to get our daughter and our granddaughter good foods. food is so much more important than people think.

[chelso]

Originally Posted by zebrashoes

my husband and I have been trying to have a baby for a little over a year now. We got pregnant the first time we ever tried but we lost it. I am thinking about taking black cohosh because I have heard good things about it as a hormone regulator. I think my hormones went wack after the first MC because my body has not been the same since. Does anyone know anything about black cohosh as an herb. I am hoping it will help. Our insurance wont pay for any infertility testing so we cant really go that route yet....I want to try herbs first before shelving out tons of money out of pocket on fertility drugs. Any advice on other herbs i should look into would be greatly appreciated also.

ive been told to do this im trying it.i went to the herb store in boise where i live and they told me that its worked for alot of people.red clover,rasberry and nettle.i got some peppermint to cuz it needed some flavor u cant use honey or anything to sweeten it up the peppermint works ok .i also have been trying to get pregnant.its getting frusterating.good luck

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

I took Black Cohosh Root years ago when I went off hormone pills. I had to stop b/c it was too active, making my breasts too sensitive, which was the problem on the pill. I think it is strong and very similar to our hormones.

[Niners fan]

Be sure to try Black Cohosh and not Blue Cohosh. When used early in the pregnancy Blue Cohosh can cause an abortion. When used at the end of the pregnancy it can be used to induce labor, provided the body is ready. That is why the American Indians called it Papoose Root.

[sofiadavis1]

provided information on how to Use Maca Root for Health include informative info and that all I want to add one important point an adaptogen is a substance which raises the non-specific resistance in an organism.Adaptogens enable the body to enhance its power of resistance and adapt to external conditions.

[KylieEve]

Sorry about your loss. I had a miscarriage as well so I understand. Have you tried the clear blue fertility monitor? I'm pretty skeptical about using herbs.

[suzy_q2010]

Originally Posted by zebrashoes

my husband and I have been trying to have a baby for a little over a year now. We got pregnant the first time we ever tried but we lost it. I am thinking about taking black cohosh because I have heard good things about it as a hormone regulator. I think my hormones went wack after the first MC because my body has not been the same since. Does anyone know anything about black cohosh as an herb. I am hoping it will help. Our insurance wont pay for any infertility testing so we cant really go that route yet....I want to try herbs first before shelving out tons of money out of pocket on fertility drugs. Any advice on other herbs i should look into would be greatly appreciated also.

I am so sorry for your loss. I know it is devastating to lose a child.

This is a long post and may be Too Much Information for some people.

I do want you to know that the prognosis for a successful pregnancy is good. Though 90 couples out of a hundred will achieve a pregnancy within a year of trying, most of the 10 couples that do not do so in that time frame eventually will.

Infertility is not a diagnosis, it is a symptom with many causes. There is a simple equation for making a child: egg + sperm = baby. If anything interferes with the egg + sperm part, there is no baby. Since many things can happen to prevent those two from getting together, no herb is going to help.

As far as testing is concerned, many conditions which have infertility as a symptom will be covered by insurance, so do not rule that out quite yet.

There are some things that you can do that are relatively inexpensive.

First, any woman of childbearing age should take a multivitamin with folic acid. The folic acid helps to reduce the risk of certain brain and spinal cord defects in the fetus. Eat a well balanced diet and exercise regularly. No one would, I hope, attempt to run a marathon without training for it. The fitter you are, the easier you will be able to handle the physical challenges of pregnancy and labor.

Make sure you are immune to rubella --- German measles.There is a blood test for it. You probably have been vaccinated and you probably are immune. Rubella during pregnancy can cause serious birth defects. If you are not immune, take the vaccine. This will mean having to use some form of birth control for four weeks. There is a theoretical risk that the vaccine, which contains a live but weakened virus, might harm a fetus, but no cases of fetal rubella syndrome have been reported in pregnancies exposed to the vaccine. The same goes with chicken pox. If you have not had it or been vaccinated, ask to be tested. Consider the vaccine if not immune. Chicken pox can cause birth defects and make mom very sick.

Neither wife nor husband should smoke, use illegal drugs, or abuse alcohol while attempting to conceive. If you need to use over the counter products, know that most have not been tested on pregnant women but are probably safe, especially after the first trimester. I would be concerned about herbs and supplements. These products are not required to be proven effective in the USA and may contain substances not listed on the label. Save the money you would spend on the herbs and use it for other things.

Your husband to have a sperm count done. Since you did have one pregnancy, this will probably be normal. He should also see his doctor and make sure he has no medical conditions that might affect his ability to make sperm. The sperm count should not be expensive. If hubby passes his test and exam, it is likely that the sperm part of the equation is OK.

Next we look at the egg part of the equation. The average woman, having menstrual periods about every 28 days, will produce a ripe egg 13 times a year. The sperm has to get to the egg probably within 24 hours in order for fertilization to occur. Sperm can survive in the female system for about 3 to 5 days, but ideally we would like to have sperm ready and waiting as soon as the egg is ovulated.

So how does a woman know whether she ovulates --- produces a ripe egg --- or not and how do we predict the right day to make sure the sperm are ready and waiting?

A woman who has regular predictable periods that are about a month apart is probably ovulating.

There are commercial ovulation detection tests available, but an inexpensive option is a thermometer. Basal body temperature is the resting temperature taken by mouth first thing on rising in the morning. After ovulation, the temperature goes up a fraction of a degree. See here for a sample chart: Sample basal body temperature / cervical mucus chart | BabyCenter. The problem is that ovulation already happened before the temperature goes up, so it is not useful for timing intercourse unless the temp rise occurs in a predictable fashion. It can be used as presumptive evidence that ovulation is occurring, however.

So, if the temp chart suggests you are ovulating, then the over the counter ovulation predictor tests that can be used. Doing the temp chart first allows you to select the best day to do the ovulation test, which picks up hormones that trigger ovulation.

Now we come to the "+" part. Timing is everything. Both partners have to be available to perform that part of the equation. If the partners are not in the same town on the perfect day to make it happen, there's a problem. You've only got those 13 days per year to work with. And you do not want to use anything that might interfere with sperm doing their thing --- no lubes, douches, medications. The average couple will get pregnant within 12 months just by having intercourse when they feel like it, averaging 2 to 3 times per week. By timing it, we are just trying to improve the statistical odds a bit. Of course, you do need those "when you feel like it" times, too --- for practice, you see. You don't want having a baby to become a chore.

Now, suppose the temp chart does not look like you would expect it to if you are ovulating. No ovulation = no egg. You need to see a gynecologist. Most gynecologists can treat ovulation problems. (I am assuming you have seen your gynecologist and your exam and Pap smear are normal.) Take the temp charts with you when you see the doctor. The treatment varies with what seems to be causing the ovulation problem, but may be as simple as a medication taken 5 days each month.

There are more complicated problems that can place a barrier between the sperm and egg, such as cervical and vaginal infections and blocked Fallopian tubes. Diagnosing and treating these is more complicated and therefore potentially more expensive, but most couples do not end up needing $20,000 in vitro fertilization procedures.

As far as miscarriage is concerned, early ones are not likely to recur (1 in 5 pregnancies ends in miscarriage). And do not be concerned that you did something to cause it.

Forget the herbs.

Edited to add: any doctor you see should know you are trying to get pregnant before ordering tests or writing prescriptions.