• Home
• In this Issue
• Competition
• Fact Sheets and Tips
• Healthy Recipes
• Previous Issues

• Ask the Expert
• Contact Us / Feedback
• Links & Resources
• Privacy Statement

Fact File
Improving your fertility naturally

Making healthy lifestyle choices before pregnancy can improve your chances of getting pregnant, as well as having a healthy pregnancy and baby. Delays in falling pregnant are not usually a reason to worry – they are more often an indicator that your body might need some fine tuning to get the desired result!

Infertility causes

While the list is endless as to what may cause infertility, there are two main factors that often play a role:

• Luteal phase defects: Many women experiencing delays in conception may have a dominance of the female hormone oestrogen, due to the impaired excretion of this hormone by the liver and bowel. This may be caused by diets high in fat and refined carbohydrates, as well as low levels of dietary fibre, obesity or even exposure to chemical substances with oestrogen-like effects (such as pesticides and plastic food wraps).
  
  Oestrogen dominance usually results in low progesterone levels, which can lead to a ‘luteal phase defect'. The luteal phase is the second half of a woman's menstrual cycle and begins after ovulation and continues until menstruation occurs. It should normally be around 14 days in length, however if this is shortened to less than 10 days, you cannot sustain a pregnancy because the uterine lining begins to break down, bringing on menstruation and causing an early miscarriage.

• Poor follicle production: When a woman ovulates, an egg bursts from a follicle. If conception has occurred, the corpus luteum (which is what remains of the follicle after ovulation) produces progesterone. This hormone allows a thick healthy uterine lining to develop, ensuring good implantation of the embryo. When inadequate follicle development occurs, the corpus luteum is of poor quality and the insufficient progesterone that results causes the uterine lining to be inadequate for the implantation of a fertilised embryo.

Herbal rebalance

If you are having trouble conceiving, there are two key herbs you should consider using.

• False Unicorn root (Chamaelirium luteum) : This strangely named herb is considered a uterine restorative. American Indians have been using it for hundreds of years to regulate and normalise the function of the ovaries, which produce the reproductive hormones necessary for optimum fertility including preparing the uterus and making it more receptive to implantation. False Unicorn moderates menstruation, and also improves progesterone production by stimulating hormonal precursors to trigger progesterone release. Of all the herbs, False Unicorn has one of the strongest reputations for promoting fertility, however it is a very powerful and rare herb and therefore more expensive to purchase. Fortunately in many cases False Unicorn may only be needed for a few cycles to achieve results.

• Chaste Tree (Vitex agnus castus): This herb is commonly used to correct hormonal imbalances. Most useful in the second half of the cycle, it can also assist in greatly reducing pre-menstrual symptoms and also in reducing hormonal acne in women. In a 1993 study of luteal phase defects, 52 women were given 20 mg of Chaste Tree daily, and after three months progesterone levels were normalised. There were no side effects and two of the women treated with Chaste Tree became pregnant.

Important note: If you suspect there may be a more serious cause for your delay in conceiving, consult your healthcare professional immediately.