Assuming you’ve had all your checks, and there is no physcial reason you can’t conceive, you need to take a look at your lifestyle. Stress alone can prevent you from conceiving. Trying all the time, instead of having fun enjoying sex, to get pregnant, is the WORST stress. Another factor is nutrition. If your body does not feel healthy enough to support growing a baby, it won’t. Period. Look into total nutrition, enzymes, and healthy organic lifestyle, cut down on meat, and have a look at your hormones to make sure you’re not teetering over an edge. Additionally, do you know that you ovulate? And when? The moon cycle is called that for a reason! Readjust your period to the moon by having your bedroom totally dark, no streetlights etc shining on you, nail your windows shut if you have to, but this is vital. On the three consecutive nights of the full moon, walk in its light for an hour or longer. Your cycle will readjust within a few months, and you will begin ovulating if there was a problem. If you can’t get moonlight for some reason, fake it (small lightbulb burning on the three nights of the moon while you sleep – not as good, but better then nothing). But be aware of the moon phases, and attune your body to it. Below you will also find a collection of what to do countering other problems. Green Blessings, Sorcy |
Thank you Vicki for the incredible job on compiling below research!
Damaina, ginseng, sarsaparilla, saw palmetto, and yohimbe enhance sexual function in men. Astragalus extract has been reported to stimulate sperm motility. Avoid vigorous exercise, hot tubs, and saunas, as they may lead to changes in ovulation and reduced sperm count. Commonly known fertility ‘herbs’: Angelica, Chaste Tree Berry, Wild Yam, Fo Ti. Eat pumkin seeds, bee pollen, or royal jelly, and Selenium 200 - 400 mcg. daily.. |
1. Vitamin E - 500 to 1,500 Units per day in divided doses for several months. Vitamin E taken by the male partner may also be helpful in preventing birth defects. 2. Calcium - 1,000 to 1,500 milligrams per day, taken after meals. 3. Magnesium - 500 milligrams per day. 4. Zinc - 10 to 15 milligrams per day. This is important for proper development of the reproductive organs and the prostrate gland. 5. Beta-carotene - 50,000 Units per day for 2 weeks, starting from the day menses begins. Then 15,000 Units is taken until the period (or through pregnancy). Males can take 50,000 Units throughout the month. Now, About Herbs Used For Infertility: For women: Angelica tincture, which is a liquid herbal extract, taken with Licorice Root tincture - 25 drops of each tincture per day may help regulate menstrual periods. Do not use during menstruation. Steep 1/2 ounce of Red Clover blossoms, 1/2 ounce of Raspberry leaves, and 2 teaspoons of Peppermint leaves in a quart of boiling water for 20 minutes. Drink 1 or more cups per day for several months. False Unicorn Root is used as a uterine tonic - 15 to 20 drops of the tincture per day. If there is a problem with repeated miscarriages, 3 drops of the tincture 5 times per day are taken during the entire first trimester. Sometimes, infertility involves a history of repeated miscarriages. If there is persistent cramping or bleeding, indicating a threatened miscarriage, call your physician and take the following mixture. Simmer in 1 quart of water for 20 minutes: 1 ounce of Wild Yam Root, 1 ounce of Squaw Vine Leaf, and 1 ounce of Cramp Bark. Take 1/4 cup every 4 hours until symptoms cease. For males: Ginseng Root is a tonic for the male reproductive organs and may help with hormonal imbalances - 1 standard dose twice daily. See the product label. Avoid commercial teas made of the leaves, which are less effective . Regarding the Proper Diet: 1. Maintain an overall healthy diet - Use fresh foods as close to the natural state as possible, avoiding prepackaged and processed foods. Eat daily servings of leafy green vegetables, whole grains (such as brown rice and rolled oats), fresh fruit, and proteins with a minimum of animal fat. Avoid sugars (such as in pastries and candy) and refined carbohydrates (such as white bread and white rice). Drink at least 8 cups of fluids daily. For more infor mation, listen to our program on healthy diet (number 343). 2. Emphasis in cases of infertility should be put on avoiding artificial colorings and flavors commonly added to food. Read the labels to become acquainted with the product content. 3. Avoid caffeine-containing foods such as coffee, tea, sodas, and chocolate. 4. Avoid alcohol, smoking, and the use of recreation drugs. Regarding Stress Reduction: Stress Reduction is essential - You may not be able to eliminate stressful situations in your life (such as a busy schedule or a stressful relationship), but you can learn to cope better with the stress by following these guidelines: Regular physical exercises - at least 30 minutes 3 times per week. Relaxation exercises - 20 minutes once a day. Tapes can be purchased at one of your local bookstores. Yoga, practiced on regular basis, can serve the same purpose. Deep Breathing - most of us tend to hold our breath or breathe shallow breaths during stressful situations. This can cut down the amount of oxygen available to the body with every breath. Try to have a few 1 minute intervals of breathing and relaxation during the day. At these times, pay special attention to relaxing your shoulder muscles and breathing deeply. Copyright 1991 Natural Health, Inc. This program is for educational purposes only. Any application of this information is at the user's sole risk. |
Failure to achieve conception by couples who have not used contraception for at least 1 year. Inability to conceive after at least a year of regular sexual intercourse without the use of contraceptives, can be due to causes that lie either in the man or the woman or both. Identification of the underlying causation is the key to successful treatment, but is extremely difficult. It often occurs in women who have a history of conceiving and then losing the baby before the foetus is old enough to support itself outside the womb. Infertility can be either temporary or, in a small percentage of cases, permanent. Male Infertility Sperm count. The commonest cause in men is no sperm or a low sperm count. This may be caused by numerous factors including an infection after puberty which was accompanied by a high fever, unrepaired undescended testicles, taking certain drugs, trauma to the testicles, or exposure to large amounts of X-ray. For the most part however, a low sperm count tends to be related to more easily reversible conditions. A long illness or a chronic infection may lower general health, as could poor diet, strenuous physical exercise, lack of exercise, too much smoking and drinking, over-weight, overwork, tension and fatigue. A common reason for a low sperm count is abnormal temperature regulation in the testicles, which function at a temperature slightly lower than the rest of the body. Low sperm motility. This makes them unable to travel from the vagina, through the fallopian tubes to fertilize the ovum. This tends to be related to some of the above factors, and may also be due to enlargement of the prostate gland, as well as an imbalance of male hormones in the body. The vessels along which the sperm travel in men could be blocked by an inflammatory or infectious process or by varicosity in the area. Female Infertility A wide variety of factors can be at work here. One may be in play or a complex of interrelated factors may be at work. Common causes include: Endocrine problems. Difficulties of the pituitary, thyroid or adrenal glands, which together regulate the menstrual cycle, may cause a failure of ovulation. To establish whether you are ovulating at regular intervals you can keep a record of your body temperature using a chart and a sensitive thermometer. Before ovulation, when there is normal secretion of oestrogen, the basic temperature on waking will be a little below normal, 97 or 97.8deg.F, 36deg.C. After ovulation it should rise by half or one degree and stays the same for the next two weeks. Fallopian Tube problems. They could be blocked, sometimes because of an inherited difficulty, or because of an infection of the womb or other diseases such as salpingitis (inflammation of the fallopian tubes), endometriosis, and TB; these may cause thickening of the tubes which either narrow or completely block the passages, or they can cause the tubes, uterus and ovaries to become matted together by adhesions, or in the case of endometriosis, by growths of tissue from the uterus. Prolapse & Fibroids. There could be malposition of the uterus or fibroids which can lead to sterility. The latter can also cause miscarriage early on, or a difficult labor. It is best to sort out this problem before conceiving. Their origin is largely related to a hormonal imbalance with an excess of oestrogen. Cervical problems. The cervix can also be affected adversely and cause sterility. Infection or excess mucus from inflammation can expel the sperm, or polyps may prevent the sperm from entering the uterus. Non-physical causes. In many women there are absolutely no physical problems to be found. There may be a slight hormonal imbalance or a poor state of health through faulty diet and fatigue. In perhaps a quarter of all infertile women it is emotional problems which are to blame. There are in addition some causes of infertility which are shared by both the man and the woman. There can be antibodies to the sperm in either partner which can destroy the sperm. Occasionally there can be lack of knowledge about fertile times in a cycle. Phytotherapeutic approaches to infertility. There is much that herbs can contribute to supporting fertility, but there is no `wonder cure' here. The suggestions given here will help, but the practitioner is encouraged to be creative and intuitive in remedy selection. Each individual woman and man will have plants that suit them best. Identifying them is part of the skill of the good herbalist. Hormonal imbalance Hormonal problems, in either partner, are readily treated herbally. Whilst not containing hormones themselves, some herbs stimulate the glands concerned, bringing about production of the right proportions of hormones and in their right sequence in the menstrual cycle to promote conception. Vitex agnus castus is the key to success here. Research carried out in the University of Gottingen in Sweden, found that although it does not contain the hormone progesterone, it affects the pituitary gland in such a way that it corrects and regulates the secretion of progesterone from the ovaries. Vitex also corrects any hormone deficiency of either oestrogen or progesterone. Chamaelirium luteum also has the effect of correcting hormonal imbalances. In Britain, the most frequent use of this remedy is for female infertility, as well as impotence on the part of the man. Herbalists have been known to warn people of the potency of this plant should they not want to conceive! It is an effective tonic to the uterus and ovaries, and is useful to redress almost any imbalance in either male or female reproductive systems. It helps to prevent miscarriage, uterine hemorrhage and over-relaxed conditions of the uterus, even to the extent of prolapse. Debility Where illness, malnourishment, fatigue, and conditions such as anaemia, anorexia and kidney problems have lowered vitality and produced a state of debility which has affected fertility, there are many herbs which can help to build up the strength of the generative organs. Bitters, tonics and adaptogens are actions to consider. The specifics will depend upon the individual concerned, but application of the model for remedy selection will usually clarify this. True Unicorn Root (Aletris farinosa) is considered beneficial for habitual miscarriage due to chronic weakness. It can be used safely throughout pregnancy. It acts to stimulate the uterus and ovaries and is commonly used for infertility and impotence. Emotional problems Where emotional problems cause tension and anxiety, or when just wanting to conceive is producing psychological blockages to conception, herbal remedies may well be helpful. Perhaps some of the success of herbal remedies for infertility is related to the fact that both partners often feel they can relax a bit now that they have sought help and found a herbal remedy they feel they can rely on. Important remedies to consider, discussed in more depth in the section on the nervous system, include: Anemone pulsatilla Leonurus cardiaca Scutellaria spp. Viburnum opulus V. prunifolium Malposition of the uterus There are no herbal remedies for infertility caused by this problem. It might be advisable for structural work to be done. Appropriately trained osteopaths or chiropractors will be able to give gynecologic manipulation along with both pelvic exercises and breathing exercises that will enhance the circulation and improve the function of the reproductive organs. © David L. Hoffmann B.Sc. (Hons), M.N.I.M.H. |
