I just wanted to post about my success of taking saw palmetto.
We have been trying for our second child since coming off the pill in December. I had noticed that in all those cycles I never had any fertile mucous, whereas I used to have lots when TTC our first. (I am now 40 and our son is 2 and a half.)
I happened to read a little book about saw palmetto which is primarily used herbally to treat prostate problems in men. I know some women take it for PCOS. However, I read in this book that it is also used by herbalists for fertility in women generally, plus to treat vaginal dryness in the menopause. So last month I took it from my period until ovulation. I had about ten days of fertile mucous(!) and I did get pregnant, although it was a chemical pregnancy. (I had four miscarriages before my first child so this is sadly nothing new.)
But I am really encouraged by this and am now on my second cycle and have lots of fertile mucous again. I am sure it is due to the saw palmetto as nothing seemed to help before. I tried drinking lots of water, the guaifenesin cough medicine, evening primrose oil, etc., but nothing seemed to help. (Incidentally, saw palmetto is also used as an expectorant, for coughs and colds, so it makes sense that it would help to produce cervical mucous as well.)
I should point out, though, that my fertility specialist told me not to worry about fertile mucous as there isn't much evidence to say that it's vital, but my gut feeling is that it did help me get pregnant this last cycle.
We have been trying for our second child since coming off the pill in December. I had noticed that in all those cycles I never had any fertile mucous, whereas I used to have lots when TTC our first. (I am now 40 and our son is 2 and a half.)
I happened to read a little book about saw palmetto which is primarily used herbally to treat prostate problems in men. I know some women take it for PCOS. However, I read in this book that it is also used by herbalists for fertility in women generally, plus to treat vaginal dryness in the menopause. So last month I took it from my period until ovulation. I had about ten days of fertile mucous(!) and I did get pregnant, although it was a chemical pregnancy. (I had four miscarriages before my first child so this is sadly nothing new.)
But I am really encouraged by this and am now on my second cycle and have lots of fertile mucous again. I am sure it is due to the saw palmetto as nothing seemed to help before. I tried drinking lots of water, the guaifenesin cough medicine, evening primrose oil, etc., but nothing seemed to help. (Incidentally, saw palmetto is also used as an expectorant, for coughs and colds, so it makes sense that it would help to produce cervical mucous as well.)
I should point out, though, that my fertility specialist told me not to worry about fertile mucous as there isn't much evidence to say that it's vital, but my gut feeling is that it did help me get pregnant this last cycle.
