Natural Herbs To Help Get Pregnant

For centuries, herbal treatments have been used traditionally to treat fertility issues. Today, although herbs are generally not part of the standard western physician's medicinal treatments, because alternative medicine has become so popular, they are beginning to accept and recommend these treatments to their patients to help them achieve pregnancy, according to "Natural Health" magazine. "Three years ago, most reproductive endocrinologists were very closed-minded, and pooh-poohed [alternative medicine] as voodoo," says William Schoolcraft, M.D., founder and director of the Colorado Center for Reproductive Medicine in Denver, but so many patients come in wanting to try it, the patients are driving their doctors to be more accepting."

Shatavari

Shatavari is an Ayurvedic herb from the asparagus family that is used by women to increase fertility and support the body's sexual system. The herb's name is the Sanskrit term for "one who possesses a hundred husbands." Shatavari is said to support the health of reproductive fluids and blood and can help balance a woman's menstrual cycle. It can be used during any time from puberty until menopause.

Chasteberry

Chasteberry, also known as vitex, is an herb that supports hormonal balance and aids conception. A shrub in the verbena family, chasteberry bears a fruit that has been used to treat reproductive health issues for centuries. In recent years, the herb has been shown to help regulate the hormonal imbalances that cause infertility. Chasteberry can be particularly effective against infertility caused by high levels of the hormone prolactin, since chasteberry can inhibit the release of prolactin from the pituitary gland, according to "Natural Health" magazine. The recommended dosage is 400 mg once per day.

Tang-kuei and Peony Formula

Tang-kuei and Peony Formula, also known as Dang Gui Shao Yao San, is a Chinese herb formula made with six herbs recommended for women's fertility and may be particularly effective for women trying to conceive in their late 30s. The Institute for Traditional Medicine in Portland, Oregon, reports that the formula has been used regularly in Asia for the past 1,800 years, and is available in the United States by prescription only as a tea, powder, capsule, tablet or tincture.

Avoid These Herbs

A study published in "Fertility and Sterility" revealed that three popular herbs--St. John's wort, echinacea purpura, and ginkgo biloba--interfered with laboratory induced egg fertilization. Researchers, led by Richard Ondrizek from Loma Linda University School of Medicine in Loma Linda, California, applied the herbs to hamster eggs and sperm in concentrations based on fractions of industry suggested daily doses. Researchers said the results should alert couples who wish to become pregnant to discontinue using these herbs during the conception process. This recommendation is especially relevant for St. John's Wort, which caused sperm mutations in the experiment, according to "Health Inform."