Looking for Natural Remedies to Irregular Ovulation and Hormonal Balance

Updated on July 02, 2009
L.L. asks from Plano, TX
10 answers

Hi Mamas!

We have been trying for over a year to get pregnant. I recently went to the doctor and found out through some bloodwork and testing that I have very irregular ovulation and some hormonal imbalance including high LH levels(so ovulation indicators do not work because they are always positive) and low progesterone. He indicated my hormone levels were suggesting polycystic ovarian syndrome (pcos), but after a sonogram he felt that my ovaries are fine and the only symptoms that could point to pcos would be the hormone levels being out of balance (we are going to retest levels in another month) Clomid is what the doctor was recommending as next step when we are ready, but before going that route I would like to try something more natural. Please let me know if you have had personal experience with any herbs, vitamins etc that have worked to regulate ovulation and hormones. Thanks in advance for all of your help!

What can I do next?

  • Add yourAnswer own comment
  • Ask your own question Add Question
  • Join the Mamapedia community Mamapedia
  • as inappropriate
  • this with your friends

So What Happened?

Thank you for all your help. I have decided to meet with an acupuncturist's who specializes in fertility. She also has some hormone balancing herbal teas she puts together. I am going to give it a try for a month or two and have the hormones retested and then see where we are at. Thanks Mama's!

More Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

A.C.

answers from Amarillo on

WILD YAM CREAM is what worked for me when my periods were irregular. You find this at your local health food store. Once or twice day you put some underneath your breasts and on your stomach. I highly recommend this as it did regulate me. I am like you in the respect I did not want to take meds to normalize my situation either. My doc wanted me to get on birth control and at the time I was newly married and wanted to have kids. Try the yam cream and see if it helps you.

Make it a great day L.!
A. C
safenhappyhome.com
Canyon, TX

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.S.

answers from Dallas on

Hi L. :)
I had the exact same problem- tried over a year to get prego and learned the same thing, that I'm progesterone deficient, tried Clomid with no results. I was able to get pregnant in less than 2 mos by using natural progesterone cream. U can find many brands at health food stores, such as nearby Sprouts. I suggest buying a metered dose dispenser (pump) so that u get the same amt each time because u don't want to fluxuate ea day. I wud also suggest finding a D.O. for ur dr because they are holistic and tend to take everything into consideration moreso than mainstream MDs.
I hope this helps u! :)

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.D.

answers from Dallas on

I highly recommend you go get the book Taking Charge of Your Fertility. Start charting your cycles.

You MUST get off all caffeine!!! Caffeine can cause a ton of issues with your cycle. The book also list other factors.

Get your system to where the only thing you are taking is a prenatal vitamin and a DHA supplement. Make sure your diet contains fruits and vegetables and drink at least 1 glass of milk a day and keep hydrated.

GL! I am 37 and we are trying for our second now. It took me a lot to have my baby girl, age 2. :)

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.F.

answers from Dallas on

I had the SAME problem! I had irregular cycles since the beginning, so I can totally relate. I could even go more than 3 months without having a cycle, would then have to take Provera, which is like a chemical DNC, to make me have a cycle. When I first started trying to get pregnant, I went through all sorts of tests and followed all of the different do-it-yourself methods to figure out when I was ovulating. The cheap over-the-counter ovulation kits even told me I was ovulating when it was not happening. After 2 years of trying to get pregnant on my own, the doc put me on clomed. The issue was that when I would take the clomed and then take an ovulation test during the average/typical time frame as most women, my hormone level was low. After years of doing this, I decided to stop. The doctor basically told me that I was not ovulating at all - which was not the case. I ended up buying a ClearBlue Easy Fertility Monitor and figured out that I was ovulating 10 days later than the normal cycle. Once I figured that out, my husband and I would take advantage of my peak ovulating days. My first baby was conceived after the 2nd month of using the monitor and my second baby was conceived the first month we used it! I was almost convinced that I was not ovulating at all until I found this little device. Believe me, I tried for at least 3 years to get pregnant using every method possible. This monitor is about $150 (online) and then the test sticks are about $40 for 1 box . IT WORKS! My son is 3 and my daughter is 18mos - they should be poster children for this thing :) Good luck!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

L.S.

answers from Dallas on

I completely agree with Jodi (you go girl!) but can add to that. There is another book called What your doctor may tell you about premenopause (the time before menopause, not a disease) by Dr. John Lee. It's all about hormone balance and how to correct it. I have combined his info with the Taking Charge book info as well as the ccli.org system of charting your cycles and nutrition (I am a total nerd when it comes to research - a byproduct of being a cancer survivor!)

PLEASE call me. I have so much to offer on the subject of low progesterone and fertility. It may be easier to get together in person to get the right info in your hands. I'm not an expert, but that's why I bring my research with me so you can check it out yourself. It's changed my life - I have two kids to prove it!

Clomid will raise your cancer risks later in life, so please continue to look for answers before deciding on that harsh treatment.

One tidbit I can share is how to lengthen your luteal phase through monthly progesterone cream usage (bio-identical, completely safe for pregnancy) and how to sustain a pregnancy through and out of the first trimester to avoid the number one cause of miscarriage, luteal phase failure.

Interested? I would love to talk with you.
Sincerely wishing you the best,
L.
###-###-####
____@____.com

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

R.H.

answers from Dallas on

gotta go, so i'll be brief...
3 recommendations:
1) natural progesterone cream (the kind made in a lab, NOT synthetic, and NOT NON-laboratory made...the wild yam cream is the right idea, but the hormone is not identical; the synthetic hormone is technically identical but the dosage is way askew)
2) fertilityfriend.com AWESOME forum/resource
3) eating well & getting plenty of sleep

all 3 of the above helped me get past my short luteal phase (& terrible PMS!) & have 2 children -- hope they can help you too!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

C.M.

answers from Dallas on

Dr. Joel Wallach, of Dead Doctors Don't Lie fame, is a veterinarian and naturopathic doctor and founder of Youngevity, a direct marketing nutritional supplement company. "Doc" says he's gotten more women pregnant than any other man in history with nutritional supplements. You can talk to him by calling his "Dead Doctors Don't Lie" radio show daily M-F:
Phone #: 1-888-379-2552
Time: Noon-1 pm PT; 2-3 pm CT; 3-4 pm ET
To be sure you get on I recommend you call as close to the starting time as possible. Be prepared to be on hold for a while. Have your story ready; you need to be as brief, but as specific, as you can. I know that sounds contradictory but you only get a minute or two to talk. Doc may ask several questions so be prepared with as much information about the situation as possible. He will always ask for the person's weight; he may ask sex, height and age and he may ask about related conditions, although they may not seem related to you. Have pencil and paper ready. When Doc gets going he talks pretty fast. If you don't get it all down the shows are recorded and you can listen to it online the following day. Go to:
http://radiotime. com/program/ p_20163/Dead_ Doctors_Dont_ Lie.aspx
and scroll down to the date you want. It'll stay on there for about 3 weeks and you can listen to it as many times as you want until it drops off. You might even want to go listen to a day or two of the shows before you call in so you'll know what to expect.
Then to get wholesale prices on the products he recommends contact me at ____@____.com.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.R.

answers from Dallas on

I definitely recommend reading Taking Charge of Your Fertility. Also, a really great herb for female hormone imbalances is Vitex also known as Chaste Tree Berry. I levels out your hormones in whatever direction they need to be. Also, as other people have suggested, natural progesterone cream is a must if your progesterone is low. You *can* get it at the health food store, but you might ask your health care provider if they can prescribe you prescription grade natural progesterone cream. It is compounded in the pharmacy just for you at whatever strenght your health care provider prescribes.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

N.T.

answers from Dallas on

If you want to explore all of your options to conceive, look into natural adaptogens. In case you haven't heard of adaptogens, they are a category of herbs that help the body deal with stress, restore balance, and support normal metabolic processes. (A lot has been discussed recently about adaptogens, even Oz on Oprah).

To learn more about fast acting adaptogen sprays and watch "The Story of Adaptogens Documentary" 10 minute video, go to TunguskaMistNow.com

Click on the one called "Ignite". It not only enhances male performance, but also helps to increase libido in both men and women with key ingredients. Ashwagandha is a rejuvenate that helps maintain proper nourishment of the tissues, particularly muscle and bone, while supporting the proper function of the adrenals and reproductive system. This adaptogen is considered India's most potent sex-enhancing plant, boosting sexual desires of both men and women.

He Shou Wu is one of the most popular and highly revered tonic herbs in Asian herbalism. It contributes to the health of the immune system, neurological function, and reproduction. He Shou Wu is used to enhance sexual performance and is unsurpassed in its ability to provide deep primordial energy (Jing, essence) to the cells of the body via the kidney system as described in Chinese health philosophy.

A great book that I recommend is titled Adaptogens: Herbs for Strength, Stamina, and Stress Relief by Winston and Maimes.

Adaptogens help increase the body's resistance to physical, biological, emotional, and environmental stressors and promote normal physiologic function. (Help balance hormones!) Trying to conceive over a long period of time can be very stressful on your body. Adaptogens can help, and if it's God's plan for you to become pregnant, you will:)

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

L.S.

answers from Tyler on

Hey -
Everyone is telling you about a lot of options, but I have two suggestions:
1. have a heart to heart with your doctor. If he can't get on board with how you want to do it, then get another doctor.
2. If your doctor does get on board with going natural, then try it your way for X months. Then, if that doesn't work, try it his/her way for X months. He/She is the expert.

With my 2nd child, my doctor wanted me to put me on Clomid and I was upset about doing it. But, I got pregnant on the first try with Clomid. So, I credit that to his knowing what he was talking about and knowing what he was doing.

-L.

For Updates and Special Promotions
Follow Us

Related Questions

Related Searches