I thought this might be the place to go for such a question. I have PCOS and took clomid to induce ovulation and was blessed with DS. I've been excited because I've been ovulating the last few cycles but they're still really long (I chart). Now that we're TTC, go figure I'm on day 33 and no ovulation in sight. I'm hoping this is just a fluke and I'll go back to ovulating, but either way I'd really like to regulate my cycle to something more predictable even if I do ovulate. I've heard there are natural and herbal remedies to help with ovulation. I've heard of vitex and also using vitamin B12 to help balance hormones and lengthen the luteal phase. Anybody have any experiences they can share with using natural remedies to regulate their cycle? Of course I need to talk to my physician, but I'd still like to hear some real-life stories. Thanks
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Re: Naturally jumpstarting ovulation?
B6, not B12
It helps by lengthening the luteal phase, but is also a generally good vitamin to take.
Green tea helps with CM production (increases it).
My midwife recommended I take red raspberry leaf (tincture, tea or pill), nettles (tincture or tea), and oat straw (tincture or tea) when I was charting to help regulate my cycles and help with anxiety (oat straw). I would make a tincture every morning (steep all the teas and let cool to room temp in an air-tight jar, then drink throughout the day) of all the teas, and it helped keep me hydrated and I assume it worked--I got my BFP the cycle I started with more than just green tea.
Acupuncture can also do wonders for anything fertility-related, though it generally takes 2-3 cycles to see results.
Good luck!
We'll always remember our angel baby: BFP 9/24/10, M/C 10/23/10 8w4d
http://www.jakeala.etsy.com
My friend with PCOS has had success taking soy isoflavones. It is like a natural clomid without some of the side effects. B6, baby asprin, pineapple, folic acid, red rasberry, and green tea (and I know there are more) have all been used to either strengthen ovulation or help with implantation (stop taking green tea and pineapple once o is confirmed though).
I personally have used B6, baby asprin, and folic acid with success. GL
9 angels in heaven-3 in my arms and 1 in the NICU
Mono/di twin girls: Josephine born to heaven and Evangeline born Earthside at 25w
I don't have PCOS but did have long cycles (typically 41 days), with a very weak temp jump after ovulation. I went to a naturopath/midwife and she put me on Fertility Blend, telling me it would take about three months to start to work. Sure enough, three months later and my cycles were close to 28 days, then month four I got my BFP. Also about a month before I found out I was pregnant, my nutritionist put me on GLA, so it could have been due to that too. She said she has more women get pregnant after they start taking that...
GL!
I drank red clover tea and took vitex. They both lengthened my luteal phase which was short, and helped me ovulate earlier in my cycle at a more "normal" time. I stopped taking vitex either when I got my period or obviously the day I got my bfp. I also drank green tea the week before I ovulated, my H took l-arginine, and we used pre-seed.
Oh, and my endo also had me taking about 2000IUs of vitamin D a day in summer and 3000 in the winter.
Caroline 5/15/11