Vitex with a normal cycle?

[Dill]

I have a pretty normal cycle - approximately 28 days, with a 13 to 14-day LP. I have pretty strong ovulations and get positive OPKs for usually 2 days each cycle. I chart with FF and not only use OPKs but also temp daily, check my CP & CM, and basically do all of the things I possibly can.

That said, we are on cycle #8 of actively TTC #2. I've had 2 CPs during this time. I am prone to first-trimester losses and I'm up to 9 pregnancies, with only one child resulting.

I have not had any hormonal testing performed. I don't think my insurance will start to cover any interference until we've been TTC for at least a year, although I did just turn 35 last month, so I'm officially AMA. But I've heard it said repeatedly that these first-trimester losses might be the result of low progesterone, or possibly caused by a thin uterine lining (I have had very short periods since having child #1).

I ordered a tea with red raspberry leaf and vitex. I'm reading mixed things about whether or not women with otherwise normal cycles should use vitex, though. I do get wicked PMS and premenstrual anxiety, and I'd love to see if the vitex can help with that. If it helps me to get pregnant, all the better! But I'm wondering if there's a big chance of it messing up my cycles and making things worse?

 

[bookworm7]

I'm starting to take Agnus castus/vitex as I'm suffering with a lot of pms symptoms lately and I have had a chemical pregnancy too. I'm hoping that it will help my pms and boost my overall menstrual health and fertility.

There's conflicting advice about taking it some people say don't take after you've ovulated and some take it all month but I figured it's worth a try for me.

 

[Dill]

What I've read says to take a break during AF and then go back to taking it daily, and skip a full cycle every 6 months or so. I've only got a few more cycles before I go see a doctor about this.

Do you have regular cycles?

 

[bookworm7]

What I've read says to take a break during AF and then go back to taking it daily, and skip a full cycle every 6 months or so. I've only got a few more cycles before I go see a doctor about this.

Do you have regular cycles?

So just stop taking it during your AF

My cycles were every 21 days but since trying to conceive my pms symptoms increased and my cycle is anything between 21 to 30 days I know I had one chemical pregnancy and so I'm trying it to see if can make me a bit more predictable less pms symptoms and I heard could also help with healthy lining and if you have low progesterone. I'm guessing an increase in my pms and my chemical pregnancy could be due to hormones being unbalanced

 

[Dill]

That's the plan!

So you've been dealing with very short cycles, in addition to the PMS and possibly thin lining. That all does sound like a possible hormone imbalance to me, so I bet you'll get some good results from the vitex!

 

[Dill]

Thanks. I'm just not sure if my insurance will cover any testing at this point since we haven't been trying for a year yet. So I'm just sort of trying to get things better through guesswork, which is kind of a shot in the dark, at best. I've now been pregnant 9 times that I'm aware of and only have 1 kiddo to show for it, but the losses are usually spread out enough that they don't technically qualify as "recurrent" according to some medical professionals. It's been very frustrating. I told DH we'd at least wait until I hit 9 failed cycles before I call up the midwife. I recently read that CPs aren't even considered problematic unless you have at least 3 in a row.