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Conception

When's the best time to get pregnant? Use our interactive ovulation calculator to work out when you're most fertile and most likely to conceive.

Original poster

Agnus Castus for TTC

36 replies

AaronPurrSir · 20/02/2018 15:37

I’d read some articles online saying that taking Agnus Castus is great if you are TTC, as it regulates hormones, increases progesterone and improves fertility. I bought some today, and have just read on the back of the box “do not use if you are trying to conceive”! So now I am totally confused.

Has anyone else used this? Is it really bad for TTC?

OP posts:
SpadesOfGlory · 20/02/2018 15:44

After a 89day cycle I took a tablet a day up until I got a positive opk (on day 21). Then 14 days later I started spotting and that's where I currently am, trying to figure out if it's AF or implantation bleeding. Either way, i definitely think it had a part to play in shortening my cycle as it was the only thing I did differently.

Original poster
AaronPurrSir · 20/02/2018 17:38

My cycles are already fairly regular at 28-30 days, I’m worried AC might mess them up.

I’ve been reading that it’s only not recommended when you are actually pregnant, and some people take it from AF up until ovulation and then stop. I might give this a try...worried about possible knock on effect with ovulation though.

OP posts:
SqidgeBum · 20/02/2018 17:47

I am thinking this too. A woman in work said to me to take Agnus Castus for getting pregnant. Although when I did the research I couldnt find much about it being very beneficial. If anything I read it can be problematic for your cycle. It would be good to see if it has helped anyone.

Original poster
AaronPurrSir · 20/02/2018 17:57

That’s the thing squidgebum, I would love to try it if it helped, or at worst it did absolutely nothing. But I would hate for it to mess up my cycle or make things worse!

OP posts:
allegretto · 20/02/2018 17:59

My cycles are already fairly regular at 28-30 days, I’m worried AC might mess them up.

This is exactly what happened to me. Regular cycles. I took AC for PMS symptoms and I got a period on day 13 instead of 28! I would be very wary.

Tronkmanton · 20/02/2018 18:00

It worked for me Smile

HoldTightPretendItsAPlan · 20/02/2018 18:52

I have a friend who believes Angus castus extended her cycle and helped her to conceive. I'm trying it now - I've used it one cycle that I ovulated day 23. I normally Ov sometime between day 20 and 40. I'm going to see what happens this month then make a decision.

If you search for Vitex there are a few fairly recent studies, mostly from Germany, that look promising for regulating cycles.

thisisouryrfx18 · 20/02/2018 19:00

I read evening primrose oil helps ttc is that right? Ive read about angus cactus doing the same thing..who knows ul try anything when ur desperate lol how long have all of u being ttc?

SqidgeBum · 20/02/2018 19:04

I have started to take evening primrose and DH is on Vitamin C. I am on cycle 8 now. TTC #1. I have had a lot of people announce pregnancies around me lately on their first cycle, so it has got the fire under me. I wasnt as active about things before this month. Was just sort of seeing how it went.

Original poster
AaronPurrSir · 20/02/2018 19:19

Evening primrose is good for increasing cervical mucus to help get the sperm to the egg, and AC is more for increasing progesterone so your body retains/implants the embryo (I think?! Please correct if I’m wrong!) so it looks as though they both help, but at different stages with different roles.

I’ll be doing EPO and grapefruit juice this month to help on the CM front, and I want to boost progesterone too for after ovulation. Attack on all fronts as it were Grin

OP posts:
Owlpatrol · 20/02/2018 19:24

I tried evening primrose oil last month but no word of a lie I stopped after 2 days after my af finished as it made me soooooo weepy so I switched to omega 3 and although I'm still not pregnant it hasn't altered my otherwise normal hormones at all

thisisouryrfx18 · 20/02/2018 19:24

I was exactly the same sqidgebum just tryin to bd as much as we could lol just naively assumed we d get pregnant as soon as we ttc you spend soo much of ur life trying to prevent it i sumtimes wonder why did i bother

thisisouryrfx18 · 20/02/2018 19:28

AaronPurrSir think thats the tactics i ll follow i tried the grapefruit juice soo sour dnt know if i could drink that just trying to drink as much water as i can. Gonna order preseed. Feels like a full time job researching all this fertility stuff think we could get a job in a fertility clinic lol

SqidgeBum · 20/02/2018 19:34

thisisouryrfx I have bought preseed. I am only on CD3 so havent tried it yet. Fingers crossed it will work!

Original poster
AaronPurrSir · 20/02/2018 19:36

Yep I’m doing Pre-Seed, OPKs, evening primrose and pre-natal vitamins this month. I’ll need to take out a mortgage to pay for all of this!

OP posts:
Praisebe · 20/02/2018 19:38

I take 1000mg. Your only supposed to take it from the day your period starts to the day it finishes and you start your first cycle of it once you start your next period after getting it. Taking too much of it can stop your period and halt ovulation altogether

Praisebe · 20/02/2018 19:40

Soy iso is supposed to be the same as clomid and raspberry leaf tea tastes amazing and is brilliant for fertility I'd try those if your not sure what to do with Angus castus because you could end up doing more damage than good

Original poster
AaronPurrSir · 20/02/2018 19:44

@praisebe so you only take it on your period days, and no other?

OP posts:
thisisouryrfx18 · 20/02/2018 20:28

Im on cd 20 normally 42 day cycles makes the wait even worse! Heard gd things on other threads about the preseed sqidgebum try it as soon as doesnt hurt to practise lol yup damn expensive AaronPurrSir what does OH think of u buying all this stuff mine thinks im nuts lol

MynameisJune · 20/02/2018 20:32

There is very little real research into AC, it’s mostly anecdotal. I know a fair few people who took AC and conceived after months and months of TTC. I know people who took it all the way through and into the first few weeks of their pregnancy. Because there is little research no one can say for definite what the effect on pregnant women is. Hence the blanket ‘do not take’. I tried it after TTC for a while but have stopped as it actually made my cycles longer. Most people I know who took it had irregular cycles and that’s why they took it. If you have a normal cycle I probably wouldn’t bother.

kaytees · 21/02/2018 13:55

Hi guys, new to Mumsnet and very interested to find this thread!

We are ttc #2 but after a long few months of trying have realised I've a short luteal phase (6-7 days). Anyone had any luck using AC to lengthen their cycle?

Doublechocolatetiffin · 21/02/2018 14:00

I took it, along with evening primrose oil from cd1 to ovulation. Just did it for one cycle because that was the one I actually got pregnant! I’m convinced it did something as my period was much lighter.

Based on my experience, I’d say to anyone to give it a go!

LoveB · 21/02/2018 14:15

My periods were all over the place, took AC which instantly made them 29 days and I conceived very easily. I thank it for getting my cycle regular, which in turn helped me conceive. I'd be a little wary if you're already regular

kaytees · 21/02/2018 14:32

@Doublechocolatetiffin that sounds like it worked for you! Did you just get it from H&B? (Sorry, id never heard of it until today so that may be a dumb question!)

Doublechocolatetiffin · 21/02/2018 14:39

I think it did - I’d had a missed miscarriage before and surgical management. My theory is that my hormones were just not quite right and the Agnes castus and evening primrose oil helped to rebalance them.

I did just get them from Holland and Barrett Smile