chinese herbs or anything else that helps ?

[molsxox]

Hi

im really clutching at straws now and wondering if anyone has any success stories

weve been ttc for 18 months now, had a MMC in july 2020 at 11 weeks, since my MMC iv been very emotional, tired, and my boobs would hurt from ovulation day all the way to my period coming, and i also wouldnt have much CM at all !

I started seeing a fertility acupuncturist weekly and she also prescribes me herbs. i take one type days 1 to 14 and after i have my ovulation i move to another herb till my period or a BFP.

She originally told me it would take 12weeks to fully work, after only 4 weeks my CM started coming back and i was having EWCM around ovulation, 8 weeks in my boobs stopped hurting and i had my energy. But now we still are not having any luck

Im doing all i can, i have 2 brazil nuts a day to help with selenium

take mucinex around ovulation

a slice of pineapple including core from 1-5 dpo

can anyone just talk to me about there success stories please with herbs or anything else that can help ? we really wasnt expecting this to be such a emotional lonely journey.

Im also getting my bloods taken at 8dpo this week to check for progesterone and then maybe go down the IVF route :(

How old are you OP ?

hi there im 28

What herbs are you taking? I've just started acupuncture, my periods were messed up after a miscarriage last year. I haven't been given any herbs however.

Its great news you're getting back to normal though, and hopefully it'll happen now your hormones are more balanced 🤞

I've started taking soy isoflavones, I'm only on my second month of them, but am trying them because I read lost of positive stories about them helping people to conceive. I was spotting before my period (since the miscarriage), which apparently indicated lower progesterone, so I'm on high dose vitamin C (1000 mg) and B vitamins to try to help with this.

My acupuncturist specialises in fertility (I’m not ttc I’m suffering peri symptoms) and she’s had success using acupuncture with lots of women ttc. Last one I knew if (she doesn’t discuss her patients business) was a pal, 41 or 42 at the time. Three mcs. Has a daughter now. All good.

If your acupuncturist isn’t helping you could always try another one in your area? Like all professionals you get ones that are better than others. Good joiners bad joiners, good hairdressers bad hairdressers etc. You could shop around?

@molsxox I've just done some research on vitamins and diet for healthy hormone balance during cycle and www.cytoplan.co.uk have a good booklet on it if you go to "practitioners " tab then scroll down to fertility. It's meant to be for professionals but I found it useful. I've ordered their pregna-care tablets as I've also read that all of the vitamins included in them are important and some are hard to get through diet alone. I need a longer luteal phase hence my interest in hormones.

@gigchic what luteal phase are you aiming for? I couldn’t access the link for practitioners on the site. I have been taking proceive for the last three months, but looking at the It Starts With the Egg plan now so looking at the Zita West vits, antioxidant booster and DHA (pricy though). And even then I would still need to top up the other stuff like vit C, B, ubiquinol etc and iron - so many pills

@A1b2c3d4e5f6g7 oh I'll see if I can download and attach it. There wasn't any login yesterday when I read it! It was very useful. At the moment I'm ovulating cd 15 and my cycle is only 24 days so I need to ovulate sooner. I stopped taking calcium, magnesium and zinc tablets when we started ttc and I've realised yesterday that may be why my ovulation is delayed. So I need to bring ovulation forward to cd10 (where I was first month) or lengthen cycle by 2 days. Sounds like you've done as much research into it all as I have been! I don't want to go to the doctors until I've changed diet/ vitamins/ lifestyle etc.

@gigchic thanks so much! Ah okay so I have got mine up to 12 days now, from 9-10 days previously. I think that's probably the max I can get it to. I called the Dr's as over 35 and been eight months now. I've got a blood test booked for next month to check hormones and thyroid etc but otherwise I'm not thinking they'll help much. My friend is only just getting IVF after three years ttc and over 35 also. And another was only offered clomid after two years. So trying to fix as much myself as I can!

@A1b2c3d4e5f6g7 yeh I'm 38 and my cycles are slowly getting shorter and shorter. To be fair my doctor has been really good and done a full "MOT" already - full bloods when I was 5 days late, ultrasound and internal probe (lovely!😆) yesterday so I'm operating as I should do 😂. Think I've got to be patient as I've only just started ttc and I think my cycle has been messed up with various things. I can't attach the file from cytoplan but I've just accessed it on my laptop fine again but can't on my phone... it's well worth a read. A lot of people either who've been through infertility scares or medical professionals have told me to stop tracking stuff and stressing and jus have sex every other day. I think the nhs doesn't advocate opk or bbt because the stress involved actually causes infertility! It's very hard though. I want the data incase I have to go to the doctor in the future. 🤦‍♀️

@gigchic I remember you saying your Dr was good, that's great you've had the tests already! I had an internal probe at EPU, and she said all's looking as it should there 🤣 phew. I'm doing the same as you I think - tracking for data, and to ensure I'm ovulating etc. But yeah having sex every day from after my period til post ovulation anyway. Tbf the tracking has been really useful because my Dr and acupuncturist wanted to know the info and I had it all recorded. My BBT's are a bit crazy though - very up and down.
Well the vitamins are supposed to take three months to work, so maybe can try to have as much fun as possible til after the summer 😁

@A1b2c3d4e5f6g7 ah I'd do acupuncture too if I don't conceive in the next 3 months or so. Sounds like we have the same method of attack! 😂 I really hope it doesn't end up down the IVF route for us as I'll be getting too old very soon! 😆. My OH hasn't had any checks as yet so that'll also be the next step. We are both healthy and always have led a healthy lifestyle so keeping everything crossed!

@gigchic It might be a waste of money, we'll see, but I felt really good and positive after my 1st session. I'll commit to the six she wants to do. I get it, a bit worried as well, but we aren't that old and it'll hopefully be fine! Same here, we are both healthy and active and good bmi, eat mostly plant based diet. But the alcohol is not what I want to be cutting out, so hope it doesn't get to that stage 😬😆 Esp now its sunny and everyone is out

@A1b2c3d4e5f6g7 I have responded amazingly well to acupuncture in the past. It cured tendinitis in my Achilles over night when 9 months of physio couldn't. So I think it's very powerful. 👌. The alcohol is a killer for me too! I have a drink every night normally, plus our local has just opened again 😭. I've discovered a really nice alcohol free beer that I love and also a kombucha I get online which is like drinking a gin and tonic it's so refreshing. Then also turning old and drinking decaf tea in the evenings! 😂🤦‍♀️. Trying to only have one drink a few times a week in the pub for now!

@A1b2c3d4e5f6g7 how have you been doing on the soy isoflavones? Are they working? Any side effects?

@gigchic ahh that's amazing! I am hopeful for it. Have heard a lot of good stories as well, similar to the one above.

For me they're working really well so far - I ovulated 6 days early on the first cycle on CD 14 (taken days 2-6) and had a 12 day luteal phase with no spotting (was spotting 3 days before period). Taken again this cycle and just got a positive opk this morning (CD 13) so expecting ovulation tomorrow at CD 14 again. Weirdly my periods have become shorter on it, but with a longer luteal phase. So I don't mind that - more chances to get pregnant and less waiting around

@A1b2c3d4e5f6g7 ah that sounds perfect! I'm not sure they are the right thing for me as my cycle is fine apart from need to ovulate 5 days earlier. It sounds like your cycle issues was the exact thing they are good for and sure enough they've done a great job. It's hard to get good info on them and I'm assuming the doctor wouldn't be keen on helping 😬

@gigchic I actually did ask the GP, and he didn't seem bothered if I use them or not. He just said don't take anything before the hormone blood tests that will skew it! I asked acupuncturist also, and she said keep taking it. I don't know - its just such a faff taking all of these things, and because you're taking a few things at once, can't isolate what's working and what's a waste of money and time!

Was this that made me take it, but again, who knows what other supplements these people were taking also community.babycentre.co.uk/post/a12154345/bfps-with-soy-isoflavones

@gigchic I think the issue is if I just knew it was going to happen in say 4 months that'd be fine!! Its because I have no idea if or when it'll happen, I can't relax. Which is the wrong frame of mind for trying to conceive anyway!!! 🤣

Do be careful with herbs - I don’t know if there is regulation as to whether they are safe or may interact with some western meds (st John’s wort can affect the metabolism of some meds). But it is a good idea to let the fertility docs know what you are taking.

@A1b2c3d4e5f6g7 ah that's good to know the doctor was ok with it all. Think I'm going to take the pregna care vitamins next month and that's it for a good few cycles. I'm only cycle #2 really. I'm a research scientist so I have an addictive personality for trying to control controlables and data collection so many sanity is screwed anyway! 😂 I'm stressing about other stuff at the moment too which needs to go away sharpish as the more I read the more I think stress is a big part of not conceiving. Would be so fun to turn some of these group chats into zoom calls. Everyone is so friendly and we are all in the same boat 👌

@gigchic exactly, I think to be honest a conception multivit is all you need, and yes you're only a couple of months in.
Totally get it, I think its a control thing for me also 😆 and a complete lack of patience! Yoga maybe?

Haha that'd be great!

@A1b2c3d4e5f6g7 I used to do yoga a lot but stopped 5 years ago. Definitely need to start it up again! 🤪

It's not herbal, but have you tried something like Conceive Plus Lubrication. The two times I used it I ended up pregnant (I have PCOS and was on Clomid for my first)...it may have been complete luck, but worth consideration? Sending lots of good luck! Fingers crossed for you.

@molsxox hello! sorry this is quite an old thread, but I have also been trying since a miscarriage a year ago at 11 weeks and wondering whether to go down the ivf route. Just wondering, did you end up having any luck with chinese herbs/ acupuncture?

Hello yes I did after 8 weeks of herbs and weekly acupuncture I'm currently 15 weeks pregnant with a healthy bubba 💖 defo recommend traditional Chinese medicine !