Herbs For Fertility

If you are dreaming of starting a family, you are probably looking for the ways that you can improve your health and increase your fertility. There are many methods, from changing your diet to using fertility massage to maintaining a healthy weight – but have you ever tried using herbs?

There are a number of herbs out there that have a beneficial effect on fertility and will help to improve the health of your reproductive system. Taking herbs is a much safer approach and it will have fewer possible side effects than other medical options or taking pharmaceuticals. Women have taken herbs to improve conception chances for centuries.

Before you begin, keep in mind that you should not mix herbs with certain medications and you should consult your physician beforehand to make sure that you are taking the herbs in a responsible and effective manner. Alternative references are WebMDs Interaction Checker and Drug Herb Interaction Chart. Also, it is a good idea to take a prenatal vitamin as well, so that you can be better prepared for when you do conceive. There are a number of herbs out there that can contribute to improving your fertility, but the one that will work the best for you will depend on the specific challenges of your body.

Here are some of the herbs that you can try in order to improve your reproductive health and boost your fertility.

Red Raspberry Leaf

This herb is great for women who are trying to conceive and it is high in calcium, which is what allows it to improve your fertility health. The red raspberry leaf will strengthen the lining of the uterus, tone the muscles of the uterus, lengthen the luteal phase and help to improve the overall environment for the fetus within the womb¹. There are red raspberry leaf teas that you can drink if you are trying to improve your fertility. By strengthening the uterus, this herb can also help to prevent miscarriage.

Red Raspberry Leaf is also great for pregnant women, so it can be used after you conceive and all throughout the pregnancy. It contains an incredible amount of very healthy nutrients and vitamins, such as phosphorus, calcium, iron, potassium, silica, vitamin A, citric acid, carotenoids and much more².

Agnus Castus

This herb has been shown in a number of clinical studies to support fertility and to treat common disorders of the reproductive system. It is great for dealing with cycle irregularity and hormonal imbalance and it has a very long and safe history of human use. It was traditionally taken as a supplement for disorders of the menstrual cycle and it is becoming popular as a nutritional fertility supplement³.

This herb works by affecting the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus, which are both responsible for releasing hormones within the body or triggering specific hormone responses. Regulating estrogen hormones is very important within the first two weeks of the cycle and they help to prepare the system for ovulation. The progesterone is important in the second half of the cycle, because it helps to maintain the pregnancy. The Angus Castus will help you to regulate your hormones and restore a balance to your system⁴.

Black Cohosh

Another herb that you might want to try when it comes to improving your fertility is Black Cohosh. It works by improving the hormone function in the body. Estrogen provides feedback to the brain regarding which other reproductive hormones to release, such as luteinizing hormone and follicle stimulating hormone. The Black Cohosh will increase the release of the hormones to assist with ovulation⁵.

The Native Americans would use black cohosh to promote menstruation, as well as to provide pain relief and stop muscle cramping. Black cohosh can also be very helpful when it comes to treating menopausal symptoms, such as vaginal dryness and hot flashes⁶.

Dong Quai

Dong Quai is another great herb that can be used to help improve your fertility. This herb will help to tone your uterus and it will also help to regulate your female hormones. It will increase your circulation and it will also purify the blood ⁷.

Dong Quai has been used since the first century and in Asia it is a very important supplement in women’s health. It works by promoting blood flow to the pelvis, which will help to stimulate an absent or irregular period. It will also help with anemia and iron deficiency. It will stimulate the uterus, so it should not be used during pregnancy. Overall it is a very healthy and helpful herb that will improve your entire reproductive system.

Evening Primrose Oil

You might want to also try Evening Primrose Oil when trying to conceive, as it has a wide array of benefits for fertility. It can help with PMS and inflammation, can increase the production of cervical mucous and can improve uterine health⁸.

The reason why it is so helpful is because it contains omega 6 essential fatty acids, such as Gamma Linolenic Acid, Linoleic Acid and much more. It is also one of the only plants that contains GLA. These acids will contract and relax the smooth muscle tissue of the uterus, which will help to tone the muscles in preparation for being pregnant⁹.

This herb is taken in a capsule pill form, as the seeds are cold pressed for their oil.

False Unicorn Root

This is a herb that will help you with vaginal dryness, which will help to facilitate having more intercourse. Also, it can be used to treat ovarian pains and can be helpful for infertility problems that are caused by follicular formations. It can also help to regulate menstruation and prevent miscarriage. It has also been used to heal women with uterine prolapse.

It is one of the most popular fertility herbs and it has a lot of amazing healing powers. This herb has been used by midwives and Native Americans for hundreds of years, as it is native to eastern Canada and the USA¹⁰.

Liquorice Root

When you think of licorice, candy might come to mind. However, the same plant that is used to make the candy can also be used as a herb to treat fertility problems. This herb helps to support your key body systems that will directly affect the quality of your fertility health. Licorice root has been shown to be very powerful when it comes to healing and protecting your reproductive system¹¹.

This herb contains isoflavones and is a known phytoestrogen. It will protect your estrogen receptor sites from xenohormones, which will help to protect your body from endocrine disruptors.

Motherwort

Motherwort is a sacred plant that is used for female health and it has a lot of benefits for women who are trying to conceive. In many ways, this can be one of the greatest healing herbs for women because it helps to calm anxiety and stress while preparing the uterus for childbirth¹².

Motherwort is easy to grow in your garden – it is hearty and spreads easily. This plant is also used to treat painful menstruation, stress associated with the menstrual cycle, anxiety, uterine fibroids, ovarian cysts and endometriosis. It will mildly stimulate the uterus, while also helping to relax the smooth muscle.

Pycnogenol

If you struggle with endometriosis and it is affecting your fertility, this herb can be better than anything that your doctor can give you. Endometriosis is a condition that occurs in the situation when the endometrial lining becomes implanted outside the uterus and it is considered to be one of the leading causes of infertility.

These types of tissue deposits can happen nearly anywhere in the abdominal region and during the monthly cycle they shed and bleed the same amount as the lining of the uterus. This results in inflammation, scarring and other issues anywhere the lesions exist. This causes excessive pain and results in a lot of fertility issues.

According to a study in 2007 in the Journal of Reproductive Medicine, Pycnogenol revealed promising results for its use in the treatment of endometriosis. It was found to significantly reduce the symptoms of endometriosis in the study participants by up to 33 percent. If you are suffering from endometriosis and you are looking for a solution, try giving Pycnogenol a try before you opt for some of the other harder drugs. You should begin to notice a difference in your overall symptoms and pain levels after taking the herb for around three months¹³.

Red Clover

Another herb to try if you are having trouble conceiving is Red Clover. This is a natural herb that has been used as a remedy for female infertility for centuries. It can be consumed in a number of forms, from tinctures to supplements to extracts to teas¹⁴.

Red Clover has compounds such as phytoestrogens and isoflavones which will help to improve your hormone balance. The Red Clover will cause an estrogen surge in the body, which will assist in egg and follicle production and will prepare the body for ovulation.

Red Clover is also very good for you because it contains healthy vitamins and minerals such as vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, chromium, thiamine and niacin. These nutrients are very helpful for maintaining a healthy body and they also help to relax the nervous system – which will improve fertility. Red Clover will also thin the mucus and increase blood flow. These nutrients will be very helpful in washing out harmful teratogens from the body which will prevent a healthy pregnancy.

Saw Palmetto

Saw Palmetto has a long history of being used to aid with fertility issues in both males and females. It is a type of shrubby creeping palm tree that is native to the coastal regions of the southern USA and it has been used as medicine by the Native American tribes for many hundreds of years. It has been found to benefit people who suffer from depleted vitality and weakened reproductive function.

The berry of the saw palmetto plant looks like an olive and it is considered a “food” herb, similar to other herbs such as nettles, ginger, red clover and dandelion. It is nutritious, non-toxic and it can be taken over the longer term in substantial quantities¹⁵.

Saw palmetto benefits fertility in a number of ways. It normalises reproductive function and it can be used for cystic acne, ovarian and uterine pain, pelvic congestion, low sperm count in males, low libido, elevated levels of androgens, anxiety and irritation, low cervical mucus, endometrial hyperplasia, delayed puberty, prostate problems and much more. It works for men to, because it is nourishing to the entire endocrine system.

Wild Yam

The root of the yam is used for medicinal purposes and it has been a popular reproductive herb for many years. There is a misconception that this herb is only for women who are in their menopause years, but it can also be very helpful for women who are in the childbearing phase of life.

This herb contains a substance that is known as diosgenin, which is a product that has been discovered to be converted to progesterone in the lab. The progesterone will help the lining of the endometrium grow and thicken. If taking wild yam root after ovulation could aid in increasing progesterone, this could enhance the environment that is needed for implanting a fertilised egg. Also, the way that wild yam will equalise some of the hormones in the body will make it easier to predict your ovulation when you are trying to conceive¹⁶.

It has been proven over many hundreds of years that herbal remedies can increase your chances of getting pregnant – so why not try using some of these herbs if you are looking to conceive a child?

Herbs are natural and safe and they are a great alternative to the emotional and physical turmoil that is caused by using strong fertility drugs or undergoing highly expensive treatments. If you are interested in giving herbs a try, contact your doctor to find out more about which ones are right for you.