Over 40 Natural BFP with DHEA CoQ10 Vitex Black Cohosh Low AMH

[LLbean]

Congrats!!!!

 

[LuckyW]

Congrats!

 

[LuckyW]

Question to anyone who might be able to help:

I started taking Vitex this month, and was somewhat alarmed to see my temps drop mid cycle to pre-ovulation numbers. So I quit taking them, and my temps rebounded.

I had been expecting to see temps rise, if anything, I thought it would help increase progesterone.

I was also expecting some decrease in libido if anything, and Vitex seemed to have the opposite effect. Suddenly started feeling frisky at the office of all places, not at all convenient or productive.

I would just walk away from the Vitex, and decide they're not for me, but one good thing that has happened is that my cycle did get longer, which is why I started taking them to begin with. My cycles tend to be on the shorter side (25 days). Right now I'm on Day 28 and have only had a bit of spotting. (Not preggy, checked!)

Anyone have any thoughts or advice?

 

[BBbliss]

Hi ladies! I just found this blog a couple of nights ago and just come back to read more. Thank you all for so much info.

I'm 43.6 years old, I have a 15 and a 16 year-old. But just became engaged my future DH never had kids and I have had IUDs since 1997. 2mirenas for past 10 years with no periods. Just had mirena removed on April 23. Had light period on May 11.

I'm doing yoga, Accuponcture, coQ10, prescription pre-natals, and last 3 days started on evening primrose oil and mucinex for CM

I had an ultrasound to check IUD position before removal. And they saw a lot of follicles and now the lab suspected I have PCOS and they want me back on CD3 for hormone testing. But PCOS at 43? Will see.

For now we are TTC. Im on CD12!! Fingers crossed. I hope my hormone levels are good and I don't have PCOS. For the next cycle I think I'm adding black cohosh to my supplements.

 

[Blythe]

Hi bbbliss be sure to only take the bc on CDs 1-12. I am currently on a bc cycle and stopped on cd 10 but that's because I ovulate cd13 usually. So far so good. Fingers crossed for you and I hope your time on these boards is short and you are off to the pregnancy section soon

 

[Happypregnant]

Hi ladies! I just found this blog a couple of nights ago and just come back to read more. Thank you all for so much info.

I'm 43.6 years old, I have a 15 and a 16 year-old. But just became engaged my future DH never had kids and I have had IUDs since 1997. 2mirenas for past 10 years with no periods. Just had mirena removed on April 23. Had light period on May 11.

I'm doing yoga, Accuponcture, coQ10, prescription pre-natals, and last 3 days started on evening primrose oil and mucinex for CM

I had an ultrasound to check IUD position before removal. And they saw a lot of follicles and now the lab suspected I have PCOS and they want me back on CD3 for hormone testing. But PCOS at 43? Will see.

For now we are TTC. Im on CD12!! Fingers crossed. I hope my hormone levels are good and I don't have PCOS. For the next cycle I think I'm adding black cohosh to my supplements.

Hi you are welcome into the group of course. If you do have pcos, they have stuff you can take to help like metformin. They gave it to me because they suspected the same thing, although never confirmed. I am 43 and 9 months and almost 4 months pregnant with my miracle baby! I took a lot of the stuff notrusty took but I think at our age, DHEA is key. Lots of baby dust!!

 

[BBbliss]

Girls thank you so much for such warm welcome. I'm so glad I found this board. I've been doing a lot of research and found you girls to have the in common with me, being 43 and btw my Future DH is 42.

Blythe, thank you! Yes I'm waiting for my next cycle to start bc. I'm on cd13 and to be honest I'm still on my first c after mirena and don't know when I ovulate yet. I did have ovulation pain 13 days before my period. Today is my one month anniversary of mirena removal. So this is the first time I try to chart.

Happypregnant, congratulations this is so exciting to hear! My own OB does not sound encouraging... Do I star with DHEA now and take it everyday or do I start with a cycle and take it with BC. Sorry I'm so new to this but I'm going to try everything I can, I know I don't have time to waist I'm 44 in November.

I'm also taking omega3 with DHA. And the evening primrose with mucinex don't seam to be making a difference with cm yet. Like I said I'm on cd13 and no ewcm in sight. Just a little watery.

Thank you for that baby dust

 

[Blythe]

bbbliss - alot of girls try fresh [not concentrate] grapefruit juice....i usually down a bottle of cough medicine [containing Guaifenesin] around ovulation time to help thin cervical mucas. I have got into the habit of using ovulation predictor sticks and temping before i get out of bed in the mornings to give me more info on my cycles.......i didnt my first year of ttc but over the months i became slightly more desperate so im not saying this is a good thing. Sometimes its better to take a more natural approach to these things

 

[BBbliss]

bbbliss - alot of girls try fresh [not concentrate] grapefruit juice....i usually down a bottle of cough medicine [containing Guaifenesin] around ovulation time to help thin cervical mucas. I have got into the habit of using ovulation predictor sticks and temping before i get out of bed in the mornings to give me more info on my cycles.......i didnt my first year of ttc but over the months i became slightly more desperate so im not saying this is a good thing. Sometimes its better to take a more natural approach to these things

This is only my first month trying and sometimes I feel I'm trying to hard but I am 44 in November and it makes me feel it will be a miracle if I do conceive. Thank you for the info on grapefruit juice I'm now on cd14 and yesterday I felt some mild ovulation pain. No cm We did the bd with preeseed and an mentruation cup overnight.

I started the DHEA yesterday too 25mg for now until I get my hormones checked.

I'm glad I found this board. It's good to talk and get advice. Thank you so much for your reply

 

[Blythe]

Hi everyone,

Am exactly 43.7 years with this natural BFP. Told it would never happen, but here to offer some hope and inspiration to those over 40 and wondering if they will ever hit the Golden Egg jackpot. We were TTC for almost 2 years, got more serious after nothing happening first 6 mos. This is LONG, but hopefully helpful to some!

A liitle about me. A few years after my now 12 year old daughter was born my husband was in a very debilitating accident. Another child was out of the question. Fast forward after many years of painful operations, my husband and I decided to try once again before it was too late. We were hopeful. My grandmother had my mom at 44, conceived again at 45, but miscarried. She was married to a 10 year younger man, my hubby 10 years older unfortunately. Decided to go to my OB to get checked out due to age.

At age 42 my day 3 hormone levels were:

FSH 5.04
LH 2.4
Estradiol 31
TSH 2.5
Prolactin 9.5
AMH 0.16 ng/ml US scale

Though my OB said hormones were “good” after 6 mos. TTC, she gave me practically no hope of conceiving on my own especially once she saw my AMH (.16 ng/mL US Scale) = Very low fertility, but AMH is quantity NOT quality, so I DEFINITELY believe the CoQ10 helped with quality. I didn't need bucketloads of eggs, I only needed ONE! More proof of quality will be when I get Down's syndrome and other tests and they come back Negative....due to get new Harmony genetic test after Thanksgiving...

My main supplements:

Mother To Be by Pure Essence Labs– a whole food prenatal, w/best bioavailable iron, (I have really low ferritin)

Fish oil or Cod Liver Oil 2 Tsp daily

CoQ10 400-600 of Ubiquinone form, divided doses, taken w/fatty meal (aids absorbtion) Past few months upped to 600 based on Dr. Schoolcraft from CCRM rec. for DOR/AMA

Vitex/Chasteberry took one Oona brand PMS (green tin) tablet/day. 225 mg chasteberry best one I have tried. Except began omitting CD 1-5 past 6 mos or so, esp older women w/declining estrogen. I was getting more night sweats during early cycle days, like CD3-5, which was weird for me. Before Vitex I would get a night sweat or 2 couple days before period, NEVER after. With Vitex, I just wanted to trigger a stronger ovulation, not reduce my already declining E2.

Organic Wheatgrass Tablets 6 XL “choker” pills!

Vit E 400 plus most days ate 2 TBSP/day Wheat Germ

DHEA micronized, past 7 mos. Nature's Plus sells Micronized in 10 mg and 25 mg caps. started out really low 10 mg every OTHER day. Next month went up to 10 mg/day, no side effects, following month tried 20 mg/day, but I O on CD 10 which was early, and had VERY short period, basically 1 day w/icky blk/brown spotting prior, so back down to 10 mg/day. Time passed, again, got desperate, tried 20 mg again, seemed to tolerate better (see my post pg 8, hot lemon water helped me process DHEA) month I conceived I had finally switched to the 25 mg caps, and for 5 days before O used 50 mg but immediately got bad facial acne/cysts. Also, clitoris felt weird/uncomfortable from increased testosterone, sorry TMI) Felt wrong so I stopped, had DHEA-S levels checked day after O and it was 374.88 ug/dL, which is upper range for 18-19 yr old females. I basically had success with low dose DHEA over many months.

*New this cycle: Black Cohosh CD 1-12 120 mg. Again used Oona Brand (yellow box for menopause), has 60 mg Black Cohosh, took 2/day. Also has small amt of Vitex in it as well 30 mg. Definitely had more progesterone/better/higher BBT charts with the Black Cohosh. First month I tried got a triphasic chart, next time I tried it (a few months later) BFP! See below study on Black Cohosh:

Black cohosh from days 1 to 12 improved pregnancy rate by 170%, boosts progesterone
Patients with unexplained infertility and recurrent clomiphene citrate induction failure, were randomly divided into two groups. Both groups received clomiphene citrate 150 mg per day (days 3 to 7). Group I received additional oral phytoestrogen (Cimicifuga racemosa - black cohosh) 120 mg/day from days 1 to 12. There was a non-significant shortening of induction cycles in group I. Oestradiol and LH concentrations were higher in group I compared with group II. Endometrial thickness, serum progesterone and clinical pregnancy rate were significantly higher in group I (8.9 versus 7.5; 13.3 ng/ml versus 9.3 ng/ml; 36.7% versus 13.6%, respectively). It is concluded that adding Cimicifuga racemosa rhizome dry extract to clomiphene citrate induction can improve the pregnancy rate and cycle outcomes in these couples.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18413068

I wasn’t on Clomid, (OB wouldn’t give me) but Vitex is like a very mild natural clomid, so I used above mentioned one.

Used an OTC Natural Progesterone Cream (Natpro is most concentrated OTC, has 2,000mg/tube, Pro-Gest only 450) 1/2 tsp 2x/day (= 160 mg progesterone had spotting/short LP) It's also not greasy at all and I was using a lot, so appreciated that.

I tried to eat healthy, but I didn’t eat all organic or vegetarian. Switched to organic milk/eggs though. Had 2 hard boiled eggs every day (excellent protein for building our own), had a powdered greens drink at least 4x/wk, tried daily, but forgot sometimes (my DD called it Fertility Barf!) I like one by Trader Joes, not too terrible. I basically ate a Zone type diet, but with more fat than allowed. Added avocados, virgin coconut oil for cooking. I don’t count calories. Used tofu as protein substitute, maybe once or twice/week. It increased EWCM if I ate it a couple days before O, but there is controversy over it being helpful or harmful. Randine Lewis advises it for Kidney Yin deficency, so I included it. No processed soy protein isolate though. Drank Grapefruit juice/ 1st half of cycle, as well as a small (maybe 1/3 cup, as 8 oz, has 700% DV for vit.A) carrot juice, all month, hubby too.

Another thing I did different was NO exercise this month. Since TTC I really got into exercising again, 3-4 times a week at least pretty high intensity. Later read in Randine Lewis’s book about how too much exercise depletes Yin (estrogen) and I think that was definitely happening. In fact I probably would have conceived sooner if I wasn’t so hardcore with the aerobic workouts. (I did this after reading some ladies post that they got their BFP after exercising DAILY, and that was what they did differently, but one lady in particular had PCOS, so maybe they had excess hormones which at my age I def, did not have) I also read about exercise neg affecting implantation, so at least maybe stopping after O would have been wiser. I read in Inconceivable about Julia Indichova jumping rope, and I had a rebounder so I did that every day to O. but month of my BFP. I didn’t work out at all.

Something I DID do to increase blood flow to pelvic region was to use heating pad on lower belly. I used it on High though some say low, and really heated up ovaries before bed. Sometimes I fell asleep and woke up sweaty, so time would vary, but usually 1/2 hr... Stopped once we DTD, so as not to cook DH spermies or a developing embie! Also had an orgasm daily. And no, at my age, didn’t always feel like it, but forced myself, thank you Hitachi magic wand. Hey, couldn’t afford acupuncture!

Had less sex this month too, only day before O, day of O, skipped one day then one more time. Used Preseed as well, but used this all TTC. Usually we start sooner, when CBFM goes to High, usually CD 9 for me. This month began later, CD 12. O’d CD 13. After we DTD, made myself O and slept all night w/sperm inside.

One more thing. This month, had ZERO caffeine around implantation time, (the week after O). After that I just had a few sips of coffee or green tea, didn’t finish my mug, just enough to get me going a little. I’m not a big caffeine drinker, but always had 1 cup of green tea or coffee. . Read that caffeine can slow muscle contractions in fallopian tubes transporting egg, and made myself do without. Had hot lemon water instead. Also ate core of one pineapple cut up, over course of 5 days.

That’s all I can think of for now, I’m REALLY tired, but today I am 7 weeks and praying I will go to term with a healthy LO.

PS Things I tried that had no effect or negative effect for me:

Myo-inositol I do NOT have PCOS, made my periods very light/short (= no lining) increased/more night sweats

Maca (1st it has to be gelatinized), but it seemed to dry up my EWCM the longer I was on it, Initially had opposite effect, increased CM, but after 2 mos. I was not getting much noticable EWCM. I lowered dose and was only taking ¼ tsp gelatinized powder at time of BFP. It did work wonders for DH sperm quantity though! He used Maca capsules with DIM in them.

Soy Isoflavones (these actually messed up my cycle)

PS I just found out (12/20/12) that I have Hashimoto's Thyroid. My antibodies were 710!!! My TSH in first Tri. is still OK 2.99, so not on synthroid (yet). When I found out I was pregnant, I made an appt to Endocronologist just to cover all my bases (thyroid issues can affect fertility/MC etc). as I had been having symptoms like major hair falling out, cold all the time, MD belittled symptoms and said I'm fine but would do the antibody test just for my "peace of mind" since I was pregnant. Luckily I know, because now he said make sure we test every 3 mos/in each trimester.....

Hi notrusty....im on my first cycle using black cohosh and my post ovulation temps have been great although no signs of pregnancy yet. Im mentally already preparing for next cycle and thinking about maybe incorporating vitex....did you just take it pre ovulation? I think you took it post period....is that right? Also what dosage were you taking? Thank you

I hope you are well and all goes well with your little girls delivery.....i think i read somewhere you are having her around 38 weeks so v.soon. Such an exciting time for you all

 

[gingmg]

Blythe- I took black cohash too this cycle and clomid, my post o temps are overall a little higher too. I didnt pay attention to the dosages from this post, just got too eager and went to the store to get some, only to realize later the pills I got were a lot more than what was in that study. I hope i didnt hurt anything.

 

[Blythe]

Do you think you will do another round of black cohosh after this cycle? I think I will. Obviously I hope you don't have too and you get your bfp

How was clomid? I have have not tried it yet and wonder about side effects......I was thinking about adding done vitex to boost ovulation as happy had suggested in her original post.

 

[gingmg]

I had a few warm flushes, not really hot flashes, from clomid. But nothing else. Ovulation was more noticeable, more twinges, but that's it. I usually tolerate meds pretty well though. If I don't get a positive this month, will take a break for a couple of months and then try again with clomid and black cohash. We do IUIs. I think I need a mental break. It's heartbraking every month. Might need to recharge. Hope the clomid did the trick though. From this thread vitex sounds like a good option.

 

[Happypregnant]

Happypregnant, congratulations this is so exciting to hear! My own OB does not sound encouraging... Do I star with DHEA now and take it everyday or do I start with a cycle and take it with BC. Sorry I'm so new to this but I'm going to try everything I can, I know I don't have time to waist I'm 44 in November.



Thank you for that baby dust [/QUOTE]

Hi Sorry I thought I had replied.(or did I? I was using my mobile phone to reply and its a bit harder so maybe I did lol) About the DHEA you start taking it now. Make sure is micronized, try to take Co-Q10 400mgs daily. Research it for fertility. Make sure that your DHEA is pharmaceutical grade and don't buy cheap stuff. The dosage is 25mg 3 times a day. I tried one from a shop on the web and I could handle 75mg but when I bought the best one possible, and most expensive one called Fertinatal, it gave me bad headaches. Which tells me that it was the real thing. I could only handle 25mg per.day! That's the one that Got me this baby plus the Co-Q10. The baby is chromosomally perfect. And I believe it was those two things. Lots of baby dust!

 

[Blythe]

I had a few warm flushes, not really hot flashes, from clomid. But nothing else. Ovulation was more noticeable, more twinges, but that's it. I usually tolerate meds pretty well though. If I don't get a positive this month, will take a break for a couple of months and then try again with clomid and black cohash. We do IUIs. I think I need a mental break. It's heartbraking every month. Might need to recharge. Hope the clomid did the trick though. From this thread vitex sounds like a good option.

yes it is heartbreaking. I have everything crossed that this will be your month

 

[Nolagyrl1913]

Hi everyone.....
I have been silently stalking this page for awhile. I am 42 trying for my first. Suffered 2 miscarriages last year. I have been trying since November to get pregnant but it seems to be more difficult than the first 2 times.
I am going to invest in the DHEA and Co-Q10 if my cycle comes this weekend - the two week wait is so frustrating......
Anyway, just wanted to say hello and to all the ladies trying and congrats to all the pregnant mommies!!!
Gina

 

[Briss]

I was reading natures' best mazazine the other day and they reported that they stopped producing black cohosh because it's not popular and their customers prefer soy isoflavones instead. I did not know these two do the same thing so I thought I'd share. also did you know that apparently red clover contains more isoflavones than soy? I did not but I am drinking red clover before O (not sure if it has the same effect when you drink it as tea though)

 

[notrustyyet]

Hi everyone,

Am exactly 43.7 years with this natural BFP. Told it would never happen, but here to offer some hope and inspiration to those over 40 and wondering if they will ever hit the Golden Egg jackpot. We were TTC for almost 2 years, got more serious after nothing happening first 6 mos. This is LONG, but hopefully helpful to some!

A liitle about me. A few years after my now 12 year old daughter was born my husband was in a very debilitating accident. Another child was out of the question. Fast forward after many years of painful operations, my husband and I decided to try once again before it was too late. We were hopeful. My grandmother had my mom at 44, conceived again at 45, but miscarried. She was married to a 10 year younger man, my hubby 10 years older unfortunately. Decided to go to my OB to get checked out due to age.

At age 42 my day 3 hormone levels were:

FSH 5.04
LH 2.4
Estradiol 31
TSH 2.5
Prolactin 9.5
AMH 0.16 ng/ml US scale

Though my OB said hormones were “good” after 6 mos. TTC, she gave me practically no hope of conceiving on my own especially once she saw my AMH (.16 ng/mL US Scale) = Very low fertility, but AMH is quantity NOT quality, so I DEFINITELY believe the CoQ10 helped with quality. I didn't need bucketloads of eggs, I only needed ONE! More proof of quality will be when I get Down's syndrome and other tests and they come back Negative....due to get new Harmony genetic test after Thanksgiving...

My main supplements:

Mother To Be by Pure Essence Labs– a whole food prenatal, w/best bioavailable iron, (I have really low ferritin)

Fish oil or Cod Liver Oil 2 Tsp daily

CoQ10 400-600 of Ubiquinone form, divided doses, taken w/fatty meal (aids absorbtion) Past few months upped to 600 based on Dr. Schoolcraft from CCRM rec. for DOR/AMA

Vitex/Chasteberry took one Oona brand PMS (green tin) tablet/day. 225 mg chasteberry best one I have tried. Except began omitting CD 1-5 past 6 mos or so, esp older women w/declining estrogen. I was getting more night sweats during early cycle days, like CD3-5, which was weird for me. Before Vitex I would get a night sweat or 2 couple days before period, NEVER after. With Vitex, I just wanted to trigger a stronger ovulation, not reduce my already declining E2.

Organic Wheatgrass Tablets 6 XL “choker” pills!

Vit E 400 plus most days ate 2 TBSP/day Wheat Germ

DHEA micronized, past 7 mos. Nature's Plus sells Micronized in 10 mg and 25 mg caps. started out really low 10 mg every OTHER day. Next month went up to 10 mg/day, no side effects, following month tried 20 mg/day, but I O on CD 10 which was early, and had VERY short period, basically 1 day w/icky blk/brown spotting prior, so back down to 10 mg/day. Time passed, again, got desperate, tried 20 mg again, seemed to tolerate better (see my post pg 8, hot lemon water helped me process DHEA) month I conceived I had finally switched to the 25 mg caps, and for 5 days before O used 50 mg but immediately got bad facial acne/cysts. Also, clitoris felt weird/uncomfortable from increased testosterone, sorry TMI) Felt wrong so I stopped, had DHEA-S levels checked day after O and it was 374.88 ug/dL, which is upper range for 18-19 yr old females. I basically had success with low dose DHEA over many months.

*New this cycle: Black Cohosh CD 1-12 120 mg. Again used Oona Brand (yellow box for menopause), has 60 mg Black Cohosh, took 2/day. Also has small amt of Vitex in it as well 30 mg. Definitely had more progesterone/better/higher BBT charts with the Black Cohosh. First month I tried got a triphasic chart, next time I tried it (a few months later) BFP! See below study on Black Cohosh:

Black cohosh from days 1 to 12 improved pregnancy rate by 170%, boosts progesterone
Patients with unexplained infertility and recurrent clomiphene citrate induction failure, were randomly divided into two groups. Both groups received clomiphene citrate 150 mg per day (days 3 to 7). Group I received additional oral phytoestrogen (Cimicifuga racemosa - black cohosh) 120 mg/day from days 1 to 12. There was a non-significant shortening of induction cycles in group I. Oestradiol and LH concentrations were higher in group I compared with group II. Endometrial thickness, serum progesterone and clinical pregnancy rate were significantly higher in group I (8.9 versus 7.5; 13.3 ng/ml versus 9.3 ng/ml; 36.7% versus 13.6%, respectively). It is concluded that adding Cimicifuga racemosa rhizome dry extract to clomiphene citrate induction can improve the pregnancy rate and cycle outcomes in these couples.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18413068

I wasn’t on Clomid, (OB wouldn’t give me) but Vitex is like a very mild natural clomid, so I used above mentioned one.

Used an OTC Natural Progesterone Cream (Natpro is most concentrated OTC, has 2,000mg/tube, Pro-Gest only 450) 1/2 tsp 2x/day (= 160 mg progesterone had spotting/short LP) It's also not greasy at all and I was using a lot, so appreciated that.

I tried to eat healthy, but I didn’t eat all organic or vegetarian. Switched to organic milk/eggs though. Had 2 hard boiled eggs every day (excellent protein for building our own), had a powdered greens drink at least 4x/wk, tried daily, but forgot sometimes (my DD called it Fertility Barf!) I like one by Trader Joes, not too terrible. I basically ate a Zone type diet, but with more fat than allowed. Added avocados, virgin coconut oil for cooking. I don’t count calories. Used tofu as protein substitute, maybe once or twice/week. It increased EWCM if I ate it a couple days before O, but there is controversy over it being helpful or harmful. Randine Lewis advises it for Kidney Yin deficency, so I included it. No processed soy protein isolate though. Drank Grapefruit juice/ 1st half of cycle, as well as a small (maybe 1/3 cup, as 8 oz, has 700% DV for vit.A) carrot juice, all month, hubby too.

Another thing I did different was NO exercise this month. Since TTC I really got into exercising again, 3-4 times a week at least pretty high intensity. Later read in Randine Lewis’s book about how too much exercise depletes Yin (estrogen) and I think that was definitely happening. In fact I probably would have conceived sooner if I wasn’t so hardcore with the aerobic workouts. (I did this after reading some ladies post that they got their BFP after exercising DAILY, and that was what they did differently, but one lady in particular had PCOS, so maybe they had excess hormones which at my age I def, did not have) I also read about exercise neg affecting implantation, so at least maybe stopping after O would have been wiser. I read in Inconceivable about Julia Indichova jumping rope, and I had a rebounder so I did that every day to O. but month of my BFP. I didn’t work out at all.

Something I DID do to increase blood flow to pelvic region was to use heating pad on lower belly. I used it on High though some say low, and really heated up ovaries before bed. Sometimes I fell asleep and woke up sweaty, so time would vary, but usually 1/2 hr... Stopped once we DTD, so as not to cook DH spermies or a developing embie! Also had an orgasm daily. And no, at my age, didn’t always feel like it, but forced myself, thank you Hitachi magic wand. Hey, couldn’t afford acupuncture!

Had less sex this month too, only day before O, day of O, skipped one day then one more time. Used Preseed as well, but used this all TTC. Usually we start sooner, when CBFM goes to High, usually CD 9 for me. This month began later, CD 12. O’d CD 13. After we DTD, made myself O and slept all night w/sperm inside.

One more thing. This month, had ZERO caffeine around implantation time, (the week after O). After that I just had a few sips of coffee or green tea, didn’t finish my mug, just enough to get me going a little. I’m not a big caffeine drinker, but always had 1 cup of green tea or coffee. . Read that caffeine can slow muscle contractions in fallopian tubes transporting egg, and made myself do without. Had hot lemon water instead. Also ate core of one pineapple cut up, over course of 5 days.

That’s all I can think of for now, I’m REALLY tired, but today I am 7 weeks and praying I will go to term with a healthy LO.

PS Things I tried that had no effect or negative effect for me:

Myo-inositol I do NOT have PCOS, made my periods very light/short (= no lining) increased/more night sweats

Maca (1st it has to be gelatinized), but it seemed to dry up my EWCM the longer I was on it, Initially had opposite effect, increased CM, but after 2 mos. I was not getting much noticable EWCM. I lowered dose and was only taking ¼ tsp gelatinized powder at time of BFP. It did work wonders for DH sperm quantity though! He used Maca capsules with DIM in them.

Soy Isoflavones (these actually messed up my cycle)

PS I just found out (12/20/12) that I have Hashimoto's Thyroid. My antibodies were 710!!! My TSH in first Tri. is still OK 2.99, so not on synthroid (yet). When I found out I was pregnant, I made an appt to Endocronologist just to cover all my bases (thyroid issues can affect fertility/MC etc). as I had been having symptoms like major hair falling out, cold all the time, MD belittled symptoms and said I'm fine but would do the antibody test just for my "peace of mind" since I was pregnant. Luckily I know, because now he said make sure we test every 3 mos/in each trimester.....

Hi notrusty....im on my first cycle using black cohosh and my post ovulation temps have been great although no signs of pregnancy yet. Im mentally already preparing for next cycle and thinking about maybe incorporating vitex....did you just take it pre ovulation? I think you took it post period....is that right? Also what dosage were you taking? Thank you

I hope you are well and all goes well with your little girls delivery.....i think i read somewhere you are having her around 38 weeks so v.soon. Such an exciting time for you all

Hi Blythe, I used Black Cohosh from the first day of bleeding (CD1) through CD 12. with this pregnancy I O'd CD 13. I used the Oona for menopause tabs 60 mg each 2x/day (standardized 2.5% triterpene glycosides)
In a normal menstrual cycle, bleeding usually lasts 4-7 days w/heaviest bleeding on day 1, and by day 5 endometrium is 2mm thick. Black Cohosh helps women esp who are perimenopausal with falling estrogen levels build thicker endometriums. I think a lot of people don't know about black cohosh but t/soy isoflavones get the most publicity. Soy is also a heavily subsidized crop, so tons available....
BC is stronger, more estrogenic from my experience, w/o any of the negative effects of soy...and regarding soy, natural food sources are far better than using soy protein powders/isolates. I ate tofu (you can now get a fermented one that is easier to digest) not in excess, maybe 2x/week.

PS I have to have a scheduled C-section (DD, 13 was natural) on June 13, (at 39 weeks) so only 16 days until she is here! I'll let everyone know how the 2 compare....

 

[Blythe]

Cheers NoTrusty il do bc again next month and be sure to add done Tofu pre o.

 

[Milty]

Ok so I'm starting a new plan but have a question.

I am currently taking the following:

CO Q 10
DHEA
Prenatual
D 3
Fish Oil
Zinc
B complex

This has helped a lot as I can now get pg but can't make it past 5 weeks if that.

So I'm adding Vitex and Black cohosh. I'm very regular so I'm just looking for the other benefits.

Currently I am at CD 12 and will O tonight or did today. I know this because I'm regular and have a pattern, I'm temping and I have the worst O cramps I've had in a really long time. I'm actually concerned I have another cyst. (had one last summer).

So my question is do I start the Vitex now or wait till next cycle? The Cohosh I know to wait since you only take it days 1-12.