Community post

Hello,
I've done 3 IUI's and one IVF and hopefully will be doing IVF starting day 21 of my next cycle which will put the IVF in early December.

I am taking Maca root and CoQ10 on my own as well as the prescribed prenatal vitamin and Synthroid. i was looking into DHEA and Vitex and decided against both.

I just started acupuncture for the first time last week. Paying someone to stick needles in me felt a bit surreal the first time. The second appointment, I enjoyed the 30 minutes in the darkened room and the chance to mentally drift.

I have a gigantic cyst this cycle and last cycle, so for that I am drinking chamomile tea, taking a spoonful of apple cider vinegar daily, and if I can remember I will start placing a hot water bottle over it at night.

I am eating 2 boiled eggs every day and I got a cappuccino maker so I could make myself drink 8 ounces of milk a day (steamed, with decaf espresso). I am also eating ice cream a few times a week to help with the dairy intake.

I cut out caffeine, alcohol, sugar (trying, haha), and trying to cut out carbs but that is not working. I eat leafy greens, veggies, chicken, shrimp, salmon, nuts, seeds, sweet potatoes, etc. I walk 30-90 minutes a day with my dog. I changed jobs to reduce stress.

I don't know if any of it will help. My doc said not to take any herbs or supplements.

What I read online is contradictory. Some advise to cleanse and take no dairy. Others insist the calcium and vitamins in milk and yogurt are highly beneficial.

The only really useful thing I have to pass on is I've noticed I get a pimple with my LH surge each month. I had never paid any attention to that. It's great, it reminds me to test. If you get one, it's helpful.

Other advice would be to write down everything when you're talking with your doctor or nurse and to research everything online. Become an expert on the process and be ready to supervise your own healthcare. The medical professionals are not going to hold your hand through this in my experience.

Start considering what you will do if your present course of action is unsuccessful. It is very difficult to consider and discuss things like moving to IVF from IUI, deciding how many attempts to make, and possibly using donor eggs or sperm when you are full of grief and frustration at failed attempts or miscarriages. It is not a good frame of mind for decision making.

The reality of life after these decisions can differ greatly from the anticipated reality. Try to have as many discussions with your partner as you can while you are calm and clear eyed - and write down your thoughts and reasoning - before you get caught up in the process. Things happen fast once they get started and cycles go by quickly. You need to have done your thinking in advance to be able to make good decisions that are consistent with your goals.

As your perspective and experience evolves, so will your thoughts on this, but it helps to do some initial research and for you and your husband to start turning things over in your mind, especially the question of: "What do I really want? Do I want a baby or do I really only want our baby?" Talk to one another to clarify your values and goals.

This will also help you when you're looking back and thinking, "Why in the world did we not do x right away?" It helps "future you" to know for sure "present you" make a diligent effort to think things through and make good decisions. My husband and I rehash the things we did a lot. It is not always pleasant, since we both feel great sadness at our continued failure to conceive and sometimes guilt or frustration over decisions that we made or the inability to come up with more money. Being able to trace the reasoning is enormously helpful.

I was surprised on how uninformed my husband was about most things related to human reproduction in the TTC context. Be prepared to help him understand how your cycle works, and especially the many things like cysts and blood work that can cause delays.

Probably the most critical advice I can give you is to look up the SART data on clinics in your area and choose a place with reasonable success rates for your age and diagnosis.

Good luck and baby dust to all!

I am almost 44. 9wks 2days pregnant naturally. I took 400mg of ubiquinol a day. As we age we do not absorb coq10 and need the more absorbable form which is ubiquinol. I was taking that with 500mg of vitamin C and my bariatric vitamins. Good luck and tons of baby dust to all.

WATER:
Sounds obvious but try drink 6 glasses a day on top of other drinks.
OVULATION TESTS
Woman are most fertile 3-4 days leading up to ovulation, the day of and the day after. If you can pinpoint ovulation you know when to put most effort in.
FOLIC ACID
At least 400mg a day. New studies suggest folate can increase pregnancy rates, prevent miscarriage and can help sperm to have the correct balance of chromosomes. Avoid taking drinks containing tannin while taking folic acid or aspirin as it blocks absorption.
EVENING PRIMROSE OIL
High strength, take until ovulation as it can cause your period to start. Improves the quality and effectiveness of cervical mucus and produces more "egg white cm". Good quality cm helps the sperm reach the egg easier.
Can make uterus a less hostile space.
COUGH MEDICINE
(Robitussin) or any with guaifenesin as only active ingredient. Two teaspoons (200mg) three times a day. Take a glass of water with each dose. Take five days before and on day of ovulation, this is used to loosen and thin mucus. Good to improve cm. Sperm can swim up to meet the egg easier when your mucus is slippery. Clomid can cause hostile mucus in over 30% of women using it, this can reverse it! Helps provide optimal environment to help the sperm survive and get to where they need to go. If taking Clomid don't take until day after last Clomid pill is taken.
COENZYME Q10
(2 x 35mg) Promotes blood flow to the ovaries, creates great quality eggs (especially age related decline), helps prevent miscarriage (so take throughout pregnancy). Q10 can also protect sperm from cell damage. Reduces the risk of preeclampsia. Be careful no other ingredients or supplements are added. Most Q10 in the body is in a form called UBIQUINOL, whereas most supplements are in the form of ubiquinone which is cheaper to produce but poorly absorbed. Be aware which form you are buying if you want to improve egg quality!
SELENIUM
1 X 200ug a day. Helps promote implantation, helps embryos to stick. Helps prevent miscarriage so take straight away and throughout pregnancy (especially in two week wait).
VITAMIN C
500 - 1000mg a day. Helps improve pregnancy rates and miscarriage so take straight away and throughout pregnancy (especially in two). Can also protect sperm from cell damage.
ZINC
15mg a day before and throughout pregnancy. Helps EVERYTHING! Helps with implantation and helps prevent miscarriage, especially good in 2ww.
IRON:
14mg a day. Take before and throughout pregnancy (especially in 2ww). Helps quality of blood.
VITAMIN B COMPLEX: (rda)
Take before and throughout pregnancy. Balances out hormones and encourages pregnancy. Balance B12 with B6.
VITAMIN B6
10mg a day (throughout). Helps produce progesterone. Vitamin B6, zinc and magnesium can help reduce risk of miscarriage as they are needed to produce the high levels of oestrogen and progesterone needed to secure the pregnancy (especially in 2ww). Low levels of progesterone can lead to literal phase defects. Can also reduce morning sickness. Improves mucus quality. Works best when taken with other B vitamins, balance with B12. To increase literal phase 100 - 200mg is usually recommended in the short term (2ww).
ROYAL JELLY
3 X 500mg a day. Helps produce fantastic eggs!!! Can increase sperm count so it's great for both your fertility.
BEE PROPOLIS
500mg a day. Can be beneficial to women with endometriosis. Natural antibiotic, gets rid of minute, harmless to us germs but harmful to a tiny embryo.
L-ARGININE
500mg a day. Helps embryos implant. Helps sperm motility and count.
ALPHA LIPOIC ACID (ALA)
Helps embryos divide and continue to make cells. Good for egg quality. Enhances the effect of vitamin c. Good in 2ww.
FISH OILS
200 - 1000mg a day. From body, not liver as they contain mercury. Helps the quality of blood in uterus which encourages embryos to grow there. Take lower dose if on blood thinners.
BETA CAROTENE
Helps literal phase defects.
MAGNESIUM: (rda)
We need B1 and magnesium for needy production. Take with selenium, calcium, B6 and D to aid in absorption. Take with protein foods. It helps to produce hormones needed for pregnancy to be secured. Helps reduce risk of miscarriage.
MANGANESE:(rda)
Deficiency leads to defective ovulation and inhibits synthesis of sex hormones. Take with vitamin C.
BRAZIL NUTS
Take a handful every day after ovulation for the 2ww. Helps embryos implant, contains natural SELENIUM.
PREGNACARE CONCEPTION (HIS AND HERS)
Will provide a good balance of what you both need and you can adjust levels to your own personal needs. I take these in the morning and spread the individual supplements and vitamins throughout the day.
VITAMIN A
700 - 900IUIs a day. Promotes better cervical fluid and assists in follicles maturing properly. Contains important antioxidants, also important for DNA replication. Avoid synthetic level of vitamin A. Do not exceed dose, high levels have been shown to increase the chances of birth defects.
VITAMIN E
200IUIs a day. Improves egg quality.
MYO-INOSITOL
2g twice a day. Helps restore fertility in women with PCOS. Improves egg quality.
MELATONIN
3mg at night for 1-3 months prior to conception. Improves egg quality by reducing levels of an oxidizing agent called 8-OHdG. Don't take long term.
ASPIRIN
75mg a day until 2nd or 3rd trimester. Anti inflammatory. Stops minute blood clots forming in the uterus, which could starve embryo of oxygen.
DHEA
25mg three times a day. Start on low dose and build up.Stop when pregnant or EC in IVF. Improves egg quality. Usually for older ladies with diminished ovarian reserve's, greatly improves chances of success.
VITEX AGNUS CASTUS
400-800mg twice a day from CD1 until ovulation. Normalises your menstruation cycle.Restarts periods which have stopped. Lengthens literal phase defects. Lowers prolactin levels. Don't take with Clomid.
My luteal phase went from 8-12 days

I have been taking this:
600 mg ubiquinol daily taken in 3 doses
L- arginine
L- carnitine
Prenatal vitamin
Vit B complex
Selenium
PABA
folic acid
Vit D
Zinc
Calcium and magnesium
Royal jelly capsules
Spirulina
Wheat grass capsules
Low dose aspirin
Antioxidants: ALA, astaxanthin, grape seed extract, pycnogenol
Fish oil
Borage see oil during the first part of the cycle
Pineapple core (Bromelain) after ovulation
Chinese herbs prepared by acupuncturist
Maca Root capsules (take a break with it every now and then so it continues working at its best)
Rhodiola rosea to combat fatigue, stress, increase energy and fertility

I teaspoon myo inositol powder in the morning and in the evening
Mayo inositol works best in combination with melatonin, so I take 3 mg melatonin before going to bed
Used to take 75 mg DHEA per day (don't take if you have PCOS). Stopped taking it as it causes severe acne for me. Don't take for more than 3 months straight.

Acupuncture once a week especially important during the first part of the cycle
Acuscope treatments
Castor oil packs during the first part of cycle
Acupuncture, acuscope, and castor oil packs are important to improve blood circulation in the reproductive organs. Since having started these treatments I am getting more follicles ready/eggs mature and have fewer (if any) cysts.

Limit alcohol, no caffeine, reduce sugar, eat lots of berries, aroniaberries, nuts, avocados, eggs, carrot juice.

If taking DHEA make sure to purchase micronized DHEA for good absorption!

So let's not forget that men can do a lot to improve their sperm, it takes three months to make seamen so please don't expect miracles overnight.

ZINC 15 - 50mg
Very important for healthy sperm. Higher sperm count.

VITAMIN C 200 - 1000mg
Less clumping of sperm. Higher quantity (up to 140%) and better quality sperm. IMPORTANT! Take lower doses with short boosters of higher doses periodically. High doses may negatively affect sperm quality if taken for long periods. DO NOT take high doses of vitamin c with high doses of vitamin e as can induce sperm DNA damage!

VITAMIN E 400 - 800IUI's
Improves sperm quality and motility by up to 2.5 Times. Don't take high doses of vitamin e and vitamin c at the same time (see above).

VITAMIN D. 600 - 1000IUI's
Vitamin D3 is best. Improves sperm mobility and morphology. Balance with vitamin A and K. Problems arise when you have too much vitamin D and too little vitamins A and K.

VITAMIN B COMPLEX
Very important for healthy sperm.

VITAMIN B12 10 - 1000mcg
Helps balance testosterone and LH/FSH secretions. Very important for healthy sperm.

L'ARGININE 200 - 1000mg
A natural cigars. Improves erectile function and increases sperm by up to 250%. Improves sperm motility and health. Avoid if you have herpes as can cause an outbreak.

CO ENZYME Q10 30 - 300mg
Only take if you have poor sperm motility, take lower doses and do booster amounts.

PYCONOGENOL 25 - 200mg
Improves sperm morphology by up to 40%.

SELENIUM 70 - 200mcg
Can double sperm count and improves quality of sperm. Toxic in high doses so I would advise to take lower doses or adjust your diet to give you sufficient selenium.

L-CARNITINE 1 - 3g and L-ACETYLE CARNITINE 500mg (twice a day)
Significant increase in motility, live sperm count, membrane integrity and linearity of alternative movement after 3 - 6 months of use.

VITAMIN A rda
Improves sperm production.

OMEGA OIL 200 - 1200mg
Take a mix of flax seed oil and fish oil. Improves sperm count. Avoid cod liver oil as it can contains mercury and has too much vitamin A in it. Be careful to not take too much if on blood thinners.

Good luck to everyone and please add to list for men and women if you can.

I take:
All month:
Rainbow Light, Women's One Multivitamin
Vitamin C 1000mg
Vitamin D3 5000iu
Methyl B12 5000mcg (2x a week)
360 EPA/240 DHA

Up to ovulation:
Evening Primrose 1300mg
Plain Mucinex 1x per day, after work (during 3 days before I think I am going to O)

After ovulation:
Folic acid 5mg
CoQ10 100mg
low dose aspirin

I use the clearblue fertility monitor, daily temps and OPK strips.
--------------------------

My husband takes (low motility and morphology)
Multi Vitamin
L-Arginine 500mg,
Pycnogenol 100mg
L- Carnitine Tartrate 1000mg
CoQ10 100mg
Zinc Gluconate 50mg
Super E Caps Plus Selenium 200mcg
Vitamin C 1000mg

Hi ladies,
Anyone out there got some tips to lengthen the luteal phase? I have had some success with vitex but really need an added day or two to give my body the best chance to build up progesterone. Unfortunately I seem to implant around day 10 past ovulation so extra days after that will be critical for success.
Thankyou

Hi Kerzie, I used to be on the boards a lot, and have just made my way back after taking 9 months off of ttc. At 47 I still have the need to try for a baby, so I am back. IVF and IUI are not in the cards, so I am going all natural. I've tried just about everything under the sun. I found Vitex has really helped me. For the last 2 months I am also trying this homeopathic remedy called Welcome Womb which is a tincture with Black Haw Root, Wild Yam Root, and False Unicorn Root. It is supposed to be a Uterine tonic and help with progesterone levels, and recurrent early miscarriage.

I haven't been on it long, but my LP is usually about 11 days, and I'm at 11 days right now and no sign of the witch.
Here's a link to where I found it. I got the idea from some other older women on other fertility sites and boards. https://www.wishgardenherbs.com/herbal-remedies/Welcome-Womb-Quiets-The-Uterus-697

I'll keep you posted on if it helps me after this month!

Hi pixandpoetry,
Thanks for your reply. Vitex is also responsible for lengthening my luteal phase. I take it from cycle day 1 until I ovulate but have been reading different opinions of when to take it. Some say take it all through your cycle without stopping, others say take it from cd5 until the end of your cycle, or to take it from ovulation until the end of your cycle. Now confused, should I be taking it from ovulation until end of cycle as this is the part I want to produce more progesterone? That would kind of make sense. What do you think?