This post has been medically reviewed by Dr. Sarah Mathis, D.O.
When you are taking the long route to baby it can be so easy to start going crazy with pills that might help you become more fertile. I’ve seen so many women trying to get conceive who take dozens of vitamin pills a day, along with their teas, powders, and sometimes their hormone shots! It’s not that I don’t believe that all these pills and powders are helpful- in many cases I do, and I take some myself. It’s just that I think they aren’t the miracle bullet cure that many people think they are.
In this blog post I’m going to tell you why it is important to not be obsessed with supplements, how to choose your supplements wisely, what supplements I took, and what supplements are recommend for everyone trying to conceive.
If you just want a quick guide to my favorite female fertility supplements, click here!
Table of Contents
Are You Obsessed with Fertility Supplements?
We’re starting this post with a little tale about Supplement Sally (don’t hate me for the alliteration). Sally is concerned about her advancing age and wants to lower her FSH and increase her egg quality. She googles what supplements to take and starts doing everything she reads about- wheatgrass, CoQ10, DHEA, Maca, Vitex, Royal Jelly, Bee Pollen, L-Arginine, Inositol, Melatonin, Vitamin E, VItamin C, VItamin D3, Ashwagandha, Antioxidants powder and Green Powder in her fertility smoothie, plus her regular probiotic, prenatal, folic acid, calcium, and Omega 3/DHA. She starts drinking red raspberry and red clover tea. Then she goes to her acupuncturist and gets a load of chinese herbal medicine on top of all of that. Maybe she also finds my website and starts making my herbal fertility infusion and lemon drink.
What do you think is going to happen? Is Sally going to get pregnant?
Maybe. Best case scenario, Sally gets a little overwhelmed with all the pills, has some new unexplained stomachaches, but gets pregnant. Worst case scenario, she actually makes her situation worse! Let’s imagine some ways that might happen . . .
If before she started the supplements Sally had regular ovulation and a normal cycle some of these supplements that are meant to improve egg quality might have actually made her cycle irregular (like Vitex).
If previously Sally’s hormones other than FSH were at normal levels after a couple months of DHEA, Red Clover, and Melatonin, they are totally out of whack. Now Sally’s doctor wants to put her on new western medicine to try and correct the hormones.
Some of the chinese herbs from Sally’s acupuncturist might be interacting, or over-amplifying the effects of other supplements she is taking. Sally could wind up out of whack in other crazy ways- her blood pressure might go so low she passes out, her appetite might disappear, or she might have no sex drive.
See the problem?
Sally thought what most people think, “Here is my diagnosis, what pills can I take to correct it?”
It is a pretty normal response. And in some cases it works- and you might get pregnant either because of or DESPITE all the supplements you are taking. BUT you might still be unhealthy and/or unhappy- thus leading to increased chances of pregnancy or birth complications, and continued imbalance.
So what is the alternative?
Finding health and balance
Finding health and balanceLet’s start with a general statement that I want you to accept as a premise:
In our ideal state, we are completely healthy, happy, and in balance with ourselves and nature.
In our ideal state we eat the perfect diet, we aren’t exposed to harmful toxins or chemicals, and we are one with the world.
In our ideal state we don’t have traumatic pasts or presents that haunt us and color our choices, beliefs, and feelings.
In our ideal state we are perfectly and optimally fertile.
This doesn’t mean we don’t get sad or sick occasionally, but it means we are fully nourished, our immune systems are robust, and our “resting” place is one of peace and happiness.
So, why aren’t we in our ideal state? Well because since we are born sh** happens. We are fed unhealthy food and learn to eat a diet that doesn’t nourish us and is filled with health-depleting sugar and white carbs. We spend our lives assaulted by environmental toxins, some of which we can’t control, and most of which we aren’t aware of until now. We’ve had ups and downs, traumatic situations, disappointments, and fear that has crept into our lives.
So, here’s the bottom line. You want to fix all that sh** as much as possible. You want to return yourself as close to that ideal fertile state as you possibly can.
Can supplements help you? Yes, certainly. Can 25 supplements help you? Maybe, but you’re missing the point.
What you need is to fully nourish yourself with a clean, organic, whole-foods fertility diet, reduce fertility-harming chemicals and toxins from your life as much as possible, and develop a fertility mind-body practice that helps you acknowledge your emotional baggage and begin to heal.
So where do supplements come in? Fertility supplements should be part of your plan to completely nourish yourself to idea health. Ideally, you are fully nourished through food. That is why I prefer every supplement I can in a food-based way. I drink my wheatgrass and my red raspberry instead of taking pills. I eat my Selenium in 2-3 Brazil Nuts a day, and I am diligent about getting enough sunshine for Vitamin D.
Diet & Lifestyle first, pills second.
How to decide if you need a fertility supplement
Here are some questions to ask yourself before you add a pill to your supplement regimen:
- Is this something that I cannot get through a whole-foods diet?
- Is this something that will bring balance to my system and bring me closer to an ideal state?
- Have I researched this supplement sufficiently to feel comfortable taking it?
- Is this something I need to consult with my doctor or naturopath about?
Even though I have diminished ovarian reserve, low egg quality (suspected because of multiple early losses), and High FSH, I didn’t take DHEA, red clover, or vitex, even though they are all recommended for those conditions. Why? Because as I researched them in depth I started to feel like they weren’t right for me. For example, there is some concern that DHEA might worsen hormone-sensitive conditions like endometriosis (which I have!), PCOS, or uterine fibroids. I didn’t want to risk that! Both red clover and vitex can regulate cycles and improve fertility, but they are generally recommended for women whose cycles NEED regulation. At the time my cycles were a perfect 28 days with ovulation on or near the 14th. I didn’t want to mess that up.
Also- Add things to your regimen one at a time so you can tell if you have an adverse reaction. For example, royal jelly gave me awful stomach aches, but I only knew because I added it on its own, not the same day I started 5 different things.
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So what pills SHOULD I take?
Honestly, the basic fertility supplements are simple- a whole foods prenatal, an omega 3 & DHA supplement, and a good probiotic. You also need a calcium supplement since you are a woman, and you are probably avoiding dairy to get pregnant. Beyond that you are supplementing for your personal conditions. Get guidance from your acupuncturist, naturopath, doctor, and any other healer. Then, research, research, research. Never trust any one healer or doctor to understand 100% of your health. Only YOU can understand 100% of your health. YOU make the decisions.
The Four Fertility Supplements Everyone Should Take When Trying to Conceive!
The Four Fertility Supplements Everyone Should Take When Trying to Conceive!Prenatals
Everyone trying to get pregnant needs a good prenatal. Check out my in-depth blog post on picking the best prenatal when trying to conceive. It is also important to make sure you have a prenatal with folate and not folic acid. Most people cannot process folic acid and it just builds up in the body- it can even lead to INCREASED miscarriages for some. Play it safe and take folate- it gives all the benefits you need from folic acid (decreasing neural tube defects) without the sides effects.
My Favorite Prenatals for Getting Pregnant Quickly
- Ovaterra Advanced Prenatal Vitamin– Y’all, this is the gold standard, and I do mean GOLD, as in you will spend all of yours on it. These are some of the best prenatals out there. Pros: The only prenatal vitamin on the market with the full recommended daily value of baby brain-building choline. Great folate, and lots of Vitamin D which is awesome. Cons: Will break the bank.
- Ritual Essential Prenatal Vitamin– These vitamins contain high levels of 5-methyltetrahydrofolate, iron, choline, omega-3 DHA, iodine, and vitamin D. Pros: Comes in capsule form, relatively affordable, tested for heavy metals AND plasticizers (YAY!), and made with recycled packaging. Cons: Comes in citrus essence or mint essence, which is achieved through a food-grade plastic tab in the bottle, scented with essential oil. This could really be a pro or con, depending on how you look at it. Seems weird.
- MegaFood Baby and Me 2 (Amazon link) has one of the highest quality folates. Note that their “food based” means simply the synthetic vitamins are packaged with food, not that they are derived from food. Pros: Low in plasticizers, great amounts of l-5-methyltetrahydrofolate, iodine, and choline. Packaged with real food. MegaFood tests their supplements for pesticides and heavy metals, which is huge, and they are certified glyphosate residue free. They have a mini version that is easier to swallow. Cons: 2 large horse pills. Not grain-free (if you care, I’m not saying you have to), as it has some rice products as fillers, as well as some random yeast extracts.
- Thorne Basic Prenatal Vitamin– The MTHFR-mutation folks rave about this prenatal vitamin, but those are some super high doses of B12. Might only be appropriate for those with methylation issues. Talk with your doctor if you choose this one, please. You might want to stop when you become pregnant. Or maybe your doctor will have you stay on. A functional doctor would be smart to have here. Pros: The MTHFR wellness thought leaders love it, and it’s got a ton of great quality l-5-methyltetrahydrofolate. Capsules, instead of horse pills. Cons: Worry about going over daily value of B12. No choline.
- Mama Bird AM/PM Prenatal- Good amounts of vitamins, good methylfolate. Pros: 800 mcg L-Methylfolate, good Iodine and Choline. Nothing outrageous in amount. Has a basic probiotic (though you need more!), has enzymes to help you digest it, has no rice in the fillers so it’s grain-free, and I think AIP-compliant. Cons: Expensive!!!
- Garden of Life myKind Organics 3 a day– The only prenatal vitamin from Garden of Life that has enough of the required nutrients, has natural folate sourced from food, and is completely organic. This company replied to my inquiries and said that their folate is actually from lemon peel. This is what I started taking after I found out MegaFood lied about the folate in their prenatals. Pros: Actually made from food, the only one on my list that is. A good company that I trust. Cons: Expensive. 3 big horse pills a day. Has a bunch of food and herbs in it so if you, for example, get a stomach ache afterward, you’ll have no idea from what. Not AIP or Grain Free. No Choline which you need in pregnancy, so switch when you get pregnant!
- FH Pro for Women– Pros: Designed to support ovarian function and egg quality, it includes safe folate, Myo-inositol, CoQ10, Alpha-Lipoic Acid, Choline, D-Chiro-Inositol, Grape Seed Extract, trans-Reversatrol, N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine, Melatonin, and Benfotiamine. Whew! Given the Melatonin I’m not sure I would take this if trying naturally, but only with IVF or a medicated cycle. (Available on Amazon as well) Cons– Expensive. It has both CoQ10 and Melatonin, so are you supposed to take it in the morning or nighttime? Confusing.
- FertilAid– Pros: A full multivitamin with plenty of good folate+ Vitex, Red Clover, PABA, Eleutherococcus, and Ginkgo Biloba. Like the one above, only with fewer items and more suitable for natural conception because of no melatonin. Cons: You still need to grab your COQ10 and other supplements per your needs. (Also available on Amazon)
- Pink Stork Fertility– Pros: Designed to boost general fertility, it includes most of your usual multivitamins, including good folate, plus Vitex, CoQ10, Inositol, Choline, PABA, Shatavari, Stinging Nettle Leaf, Ashwagandha, and Black pepper extract. Cons: They don’t say how much CoQ10. Weird.
Omega 3 & DHA Supplements
You need to be taking these for yourself, your overall health, your fertility, and the health of the baby you are going to conceive. If you can, take a high quality fish oil.
Now, if you’ve gone down the google rabbit hole of trying to find the ideal EPA/DHA fish oil pill you’ve probably gone a bit crazy. It is very difficult to find clear guidelines on appropriate amounts for fertility. In the book Fully Fertile the authors suggest 1000-1200 mg EPA and 400-500 DHA based on a study by Wakefield in 2008 (although all I see in that study is how important it is not to overdose on EPA).
However, there are other experts suggesting that the best options are when the DHA intake is at least three times more than the EPA. In my opinion the best option for a fish oil is Nordic Naturals. If you are going with the Wakefield version, then the first option is good. If you are going with the DHA 3x amount then you’ll want to Pro-DHA or Prenatal options!
Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega– A good solid fish oil supplement with Omega 3s and DHA. Hubby can take this one too!
Nordic Naturals Prenatal DHA– A fish oil supplement that is specifically tailored to the needs of pregnancy.
Algae-based Omega 3/DHA – This is actually what I take because I have a shellfish allergy and need an algae-based product for safety. Also good for vegans!
Probiotic
Get a high quality, multi-strain probiotic. The more strains the better. Make sure it has an expiration date (if it doesn’t have one, you shouldn’t buy it). Ideally you want a potency count of CFU (or colony forming units) of 50 billion or higher. Make sure it has at least Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus plantarum, Bifidobacterium lactis, Bifidobacterium longum, and Bifidobacterium bifidum which are important good bacteria in your small intestine, large intestine, and lower bowel.
I use the Daily Synbiotic from Seed, and I think it is the best probiotic on the planet. It has 24 human-sourced bacteria strains, each of which is clinically researched in human trials and shown to provide benefits in one of these areas: digestive health, gut immune function, heart health, skin health, reproductive health, gut barrier integrity, and oxidative stress. And there is a strain that boosts folate production. And it is shipped in a glass container protected by compostable packaging. 100 thumbs up! Get 15% off with code TOMAKEAMOMMY.
CoQ10 For Fertility
CoQ10 – Because of my egg health issues (suspected because of reoccurent early miscarriage/chemical pregnancies, low AMH, low antral follicle count, and high FSH) I took 300mg daily of CoQ10 for egg health. You need to take either an Ubiquinol CoQ10 or a highly bioavailable Ubiquinone variety like the one I take now. Either is going to be expensive. Avoid the discounted (i.e., cheap) Ubiquinones. They will work but you will have to take twice as much, thus making them more expensive. I used to buy this Ubiquinol brand at BJs wholesale club for a big discount, but its not the cleanest option out there. There are plenty of options out there!
For dosage- Some research suggests 300mg daily of Ubiquinol or a highly bioavailable Ubiquinone (like the one I take now) or 600 mg daily if you get a less bioavailable Ubiquinone. But, listen to your body. The higher the quality of CoQ10 you are taking, the lower the does you’ll need to take. 600mg may be too much. Here are some tips for taking CoQ10: only take 100mg at a time, anything more and you’ll just pee it right out; take it early in the day- it can give you so much energy you’ll get insomnia if you take it late at night and; take it with some healthy fat to help absorption, such as olive oil, egg, meat, nuts, avocado, or coconut oil.
I 100% love the Pharmanord Bio-Quinone Gold– I can feel a difference like no other CoQ10 I’ve ever taken. I recommend it hands-down. When not trying to conceive I actually use it just as an energy enhancer (since I don’t drink caffeine). Please note it does contain a highly processed form of soy oil; Pharmanord says there is no protein or phytoestrogens left and that is good for me. Their more expensive Ubiquinol does not have soy- it uses coconut oil.
Other CoQ10s that are highly rated are Jarrow, Healthy Origins if you want one with no allergens at all, Theralogix NeoQ10, or Bluebonnet for a gelatin-free vegan option.
Check out my whole post on CoQ10 & its benefits for fertility here!
Other Supplements for Fertility that I Took
Vitamin E – I take a very, very small dosage of the antioxidant Vitamin E in a mixed tocopherol form for egg health. Make sure you ALWAYS take a mixed tocopherol Vitamin E if you are going to take it! I only take the Vitamin E on days I don’t drink my magical Lemon Fertility Tonic.
Vitamin C – To complement Vitamin E as an additional antioxidant I use a delicious whole-foods Vitamin C spray on occasion (not every day). Mostly if I feel like my immune system needs a little boost, or if I don’t think I’ve consumed enough natural Vitamin C in that day.
Folate– Because of my MTHFR mutation my body can’t process folic acid well. It is very important that I get enough folate in a bio-accessible form. My prenatal has 800 mcg of food-based folate, but when trying to conceive and during the first trimester I also take this Folate supplement to make sure I am getting enough!
Food supplementation I do, and did when I got successfully pregnant.
Wheatgrass– This is a food I drink in my fertility smoothies for lowering my FSH and providing overall nourishment.
Spirulina – This blue-green algae is a food I drink in my fertility smoothies for my High FSH and my traditional chinese medicine diagnoses.
Red Raspberry Leaf, Nettles, & Oatstraw – These are herbal foods that I drink in a daily herbal infusion to boost overall nutrition and improve the health of my uterus. When I travel and can’t make my infusion I take Red Raspberry Leaf capsules.
I also was taking mysterious chinese herbs given by my acupuncturist when I got pregnant, but I am not currently taking any.
Are you ready to discover YOUR perfect fertility diet?
Tired of all the conflicting fertility diet information? It is up to YOU to take control of your fertility journey and do the research to figure out YOUR perfect fertility diet. I've developed this free e-book as a guide to jumpstart the process. It includes tailored diet information for many infertility diagnoses, such as PCOS, Endometriosis, Anovulation, Luteal Phase Defect, Thyroid Problems, Fibroids, Unexplained Infertility, and more! It is completely free to download! Enjoy!
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Anna Rapp is a fertility journalist and non-toxic living expert. When Anna Rapp was struggling with infertility and recurrent early miscarriage, she was diagnosed with diminished ovarian reserve, High FSH, low AMH, low follicle count, endometriosis, and an MTHFR mutation. Despite being told donor eggs were her only solution, Anna used her graduate training in research methods and analysis to read everything she could find on fertility and egg health. Ultimately, she lowered her FSH and got pregnant naturally (twice). She blogs about how she did it and encourages her readers to take charge of their fertility journey and get happy, healthy, and pregnant!
My sister is trying to get pregnant right now. She has been having some difficulties, so she’s looking for ways she can enhance her chances. I didn’t realize that combining ovulation supplements with a healthy, balanced lifestyle can help you get pregnant more quickly. I’ll be sure to pass this info along to my sister.
I can’t wait as am been trying to get pregnant for four years now. am been having some difficulties pls pls pls be fast
Thanks for sharing the best information and suggestions they very nice and very useful to us. You made a good site it’s very interesting one.I am satisfied with your site and also your information.
Hi! Is there a probiotic that you recommend?
Hi Nicole! I like MegaFood, but there are a lot of brands out there that are good! Just look for it to meet that criteria I spelled out!
Thank you everything’s is helpful .
Hi! I’m 5 weeks pregnant at 44 and have been taking 800mg ubiquinol, 1600mg nicotinamide ribosome, and 800mg vitex. Would you advise titrating off these or stopping cold turkey? My OB has never heard of any of them. Thanks!
Congratulations!!! I’m not a doctor but my understanding is stop vitex asap, and you can eithet stop or wean of coq10. No more vitex during pregnancy. Keep your leftover coq10, some studies show it can help with high blood pressure in 3rd trimester If you need it. I don’t know about the other! Congrats again!!
What about primrose oil!?
Hi Elizabeth! My understanding is some naturopaths recommend it for the second have of the cycle, but I’ve never used it!
Hi Anna thanks for your article very I informative and helpful.
For evening primerose oil. According to my research needs to be taken at the 1 phase and stoped after ovulation as it can create contractions in the uterus. One of it’s benefits is it helps when you have shanty cervical fluid and this enables the sperm to travel through. It’s also a great source of omega 6 and nourish the skin. But must be stopped once pregnant and can be used again after 38th week as it can assist birth.
Hi! I ordered the Adora dark chocolate and noticed there is soy in it. Are these still okay to take daily?
Hi Gillian!
Ugh, it is so annoying that there is soy in them! I think they changed their formula. I am still taking them because I don’t know of a better option, and I’m serious about my calcium intake. I have emailed them to ask them to switch to sunflower lecithin- please do the same! In the meanwhile, if it is the only soy you are exposed to it is a very small amount, and its not the protein isolate, so that is a little better. But yes, it is less than ideal :(. I’ll put a note in the post.
Thanks! I will email them as well, so disappointing to hear they changed their formula because they definitely are yummy!
Hello!
Do you take both the fermented cod liver oil and the ultimate omega together? Or should I choose one over the other?
Thank you
Hi Molly! You just need one! I just took the algae-based DHA because I have the allergy that prevents me from taking the others!
Having a great supplement I think makes such a big difference. For me it helped so much. I took fertilemd (its a supplement for women and really helps when ttc) and I also tracked my cycle through the fertility friend app. A few months after my m/c I was finally able to conceive again.
Congratulations on conceiving again!! Pregnancy blessings!!
Hi Anna, thank you for this post. Seriously…I think I’m becoming supplement-obsessed. Been trying for 3 years with 1 miscarriage. My doc says all signs and levels are normal, though I haven’t done heavy-duty fertility testing. Always had a relatively normal cycle. After reading your post I am going to stop the fertility herbs and anything but a good prenatal/DHA for a while (though I do think I’ll stick with the CoQ10, to combat age and youthful indiscretions). Doc has recommended 800mcg methylfolate and that’s about it. My problem is that all the good food-based prenatals already have folate, but not methylfolate. You said you took both at the same time…so I assume that’s safe? Will that not cause the same kind of buildup as folic acid, or cause an overdose?
Hi Miriam! You made me laugh with the CoQ10 for “youthful indiscretions!” 😆. Yea, I took 800 folate plus 800 methylfolate when trying for this second. That was a nod to my RE who wanted me on a ridiculous amount of folic acid (ugh). My understanding is that those of us with MTHFR mutation can’t process folic acid but can process folate and methylfolate.of course, the best thing is to eat a TON of greens and high folate foods! Don’t forget mind-body work on your journey… meditation and visualization is some powerful stuff!! Baby dust!
Hi. I am deeply sad and heartbroken, I am so desiring to have another baby to give my daughter a sibling and best friend she always want for a long time. Two angel babies, 7 failed IUI, and doctor recommend me for IVF. I just turned 44 years old. I am really tired of doctors telling me age. I have been trying since 2013 after I lost my first angel and second angel, 2015. Now, no luck, yet, I am not giving u for trying another baby’s. I don’t understand why. It really hurts, my smallest endometriosis cyst sticking next to my left ovary is possible not helping me getting pregnant naturally, yet. My right ovary is good. I did tried for youcaring and befuddle program since last summer 2017 and I got ZERO. It brojke my heart. I don’t even have any friends or family at all. I kept praying for a miracles. 😢😢😢
I will pray for you my dear!!
hello
When you say you took mysterious chinese medicines, what happened to the research research research philosophy? isnt that dangerous? especially due to impurities that can be found in some TCMs?
Hi Rebecca! Yes, this was part of my journey where I had to hand over trust to my acupuncturist. I’m still frustrated by it! She wasn’t terribly adept at English and everything she gave me was written in another alphabet. It totally goes against the rest of my philosophy of both research and owning your baby journey. But in the end, she’s helped me tremendously both times. And I started trusting her when she texted me one night to say she was re reading my chart and realized she had missed a detail and she needed to adjust herbs and needles. I’ve never had a western doctor that was studying my chart after hours! I felt like age was truly conspiring with me to get me pregnant. So I had to hand over some of the reins! But, if I try to get pregnant again I think I will insist on at least knowing the names of what she gives me!!!
Hi I’m 28 and overweight been ttc for about 4 years now I have had 3 cycles of climid and still no luck my cycle is 31 days regular usually about 4 days I’m looking into starting a more natural plan I started taking Vitex last week what would you recommend? Oh and I love your blog thanks
Hi Nae!! Unfortunately I’m not a coach or a naturopath or doctor so I can’t recommend things for specific situations. Contact me directly if you want me to put you in touch with a fertility coach who does functional testing and can help you develop a supplement and diet plan!
Did you experience any side effects from the vitex? I tried it some months ago but it made me breakout all over my chin so i stopped it after just 5 days but I’m getting desperate with my low progesterone issues (i have spotting during all my lutheal phase) and nothings seems to be helping… for what I read vitex is the real deal for this so I’m taking bout giving it another chance along with evening primerose ( i heard you should take them together) I had 2 miscarriages in the past and both pregnancies took a long time to achieve… the second one was a year ago and still no BFP and the spotting continues…
I only took vitex for 2 weeks one month and then stopped because I was scared to take it during the 2WW! I don’t think I would take it again unless under the guidance of a naturopath or functional medicine practitioner. I didn’t notice any side effects. I hope this helps you though!!!
Hi Anna!
I just recently started following your blog, and my husband and I are getting ready to start the fertility diet! We have been TTC for 6 years now, 4 failed IUI’s 5 rounds of Clomid and next steps are IVF. We are trying to avoid IVF and felt like we needed to try this. I have endometriosis, but nothing severe, and we were basically told unexplained infertility.
I am getting ready to purchase the supplements needed, but did you also have your husband on supplements? If so, can you please share? 🙂 Thank you for the wonderful information, we are excited to try this in hopes that it works!
HI Kayla! I did! He didn’t take quite as many as me though! I have them all listed on this page, just scroll down till you find the Male Fertility Supplements section! https://www.tomakeamommy.com/non-toxic-products-safe-for-fertility-pregnancy-and-babies/ BABY DUST!
Hi! Which supplements did you continue when you found out you were pregnant? Can you continue to take the Adora, wheatgrass, Spirulina and raspberry leaf?
HI Jenny! I hope this means you are pregnant! I continued the Adora, but stopped the wheatgrass, spirulina, and red raspberry until third trimester! Probably could have continued, but it was out of an overabundance of caution! Here’s a blog post on everything I continued and changed when I got pregnant! https://www.tomakeamommy.com/yay-youre-pregnant-now-what/
Hi Anna! Thank you for the response! Did you also continue to take the vitamin e, vitamin c and extra folate? I haven’t started acupuncture but I would like to start. Is it safe during pregnancy? Sorry for so many questions!
Hi! Did you continue taking probiotics while pregnant and if so which one?
Thanks,
Andrea
Yes ma’am, for sure!!! I took Megafood MegaFlora https://amzn.to/2KMsHvV They also have one specifically for pregnancy, but it was a bit more expensive!
I love your blog, thanks. My question is: What are the best ways to lower FSH levels?
Mine is at 17. I’m already taking Vitex. I saw that you took Spirulina to improve yours? How does that help? Thanks again.
Hi Julie! I need to write a post on this!!! The big one is wheatgrass, which has the most anecdotal evidence. Next is anything you can do to get your body super duper healthy. Think of high FSH as a way of your body saying, “hey!!! I’m having a hard time over here!!!! I’m working overtime just trying to stimulate your sleepy ovaries!!!” Then think, okay, how can I energize my body and my ovaries?
I’m not sure if Vitex is known to lower FSH, and I only used it once for half a month.
I think Spirulina is recommended because it is a nutrient dense superfood that also helps cleanse your body of toxins/heavy metals, etc. It was also recommended for my specific Chinese Medicine diagnoses (cold uterus/deficient yang/chi stagnation).
So . . . basically everything I did was to lower FSH levels and improve egg health. The diet, the mind-body work, the removing of toxins. And of course acupuncture!!! Everything was to try to energize my body, ovaries, and make gorgeous eggs. Sorry this isn’t more help!!
Basically– how can you get yourself as healthy and happy as possible? Then you FSH may just sort itself out! Baby dust!!
My herbalist told me that women with high FSH and low AMH should never take Vitex. It’s a “drying herb” that will constipate and do nothing for women with these two diagnoses. I’m no pro but that was my experience and I got off it immediately. Thanks for the other recs!
I was just diagnosed with the MTHFR mutations. The implications seem very alarming – birth defects, heart disease, inability to detoxify, Alzheimers, etc. I’ve been taking Thorne prenatal w methylfolate for 3 months. What other steps did you take? How can I find a specialist that is covered by insurance? Thanks!
HI Julie! Did you have any follow up blood work done? Were your homocyteine levels measured? Mine were okay suggesting despite the mutation I wasn’t in bad shape. The other things I did, in addition to switching to folate were: fastidiously avoid folic acid (so sad, I had to stop eating my nutritional yeast!), eating a ridiculous amount of green leafy vegetables, lentils, beans, liver, and avacado (all which have high folate), and then lowering my total toxin load by eating organic, and avoiding phthalates, etc. My understanding is the effects of the mutation can be managed through lifestyle and diet (most of the time). I have no idea about the specialist!!!! Best wishes and baby dust!
I’ve read that avocados and other healthy foods are high in histamine – which is another problem for those of us with MTHFR. I’ve also read that wheatgrass has gluten and people with MTHFR should avoid gluten. Is your understanding different?
You mentioned that you took Chinese herbs that your accupunturist provided. Do you think this helped to get you pregnant? Is this something we should consider as well? I spent thousands of dollars going to an accupunturist and the herbs spiked my liver and I had to stop all vitamins and herbs so my liver can return back to normal.
Hi Melissa!! Yes, I do think the herbs helped tremendously. I’m so sorry for your experience though, how scary! Did your acupuncturist have an explanation??
I recently purchased the fermented cod oil. I can’t really find the recommended dosage for trying to conceive. Do you know the recommended dosage.
Thanks
Amanda
Me too! I can’t figure out how many pills to take. I bought the fermented cod liver oil you recommended.
The pharmanord Coq10 main ingredient is soybean oil, isnt soy a no-no?
Hi Elizabeth! This was the first question I had for Pharmanord! Their explanation is that soybean oil is hands down the absolute best carrier oil for the CoQ10 to be highly bioavailable- and that is their mission, making the most bioavailable CoQ10 possible!! They told me that it is so highly processed that anything that would affect hormones would be removed. They said even the proteins are removed! Since soy is something that would only affect estrogen in larger quantities (and this is all theoretical), I feel fine having small amounts of highly processed soy in my supplements if it makes them more effective. I would NOT do the same with gluten or dairy, however, since those are linked to inflammation. Does that make sense? Clear as mud? 🙂
Hi Anna, do you happen to remember the name of the chinese herbs provided by your acupuncturist? I’ve been seeing an Chinese acupuncturist for about 3 months now, and she gave me herbs to take (6 tablets 2x a day with warm water). It’s called Bai Feng Wan. I tried to do as much research as possible to find out whats actually in it before I start taking it. Naturally, I’m also pretty weary about things sourced from China. Apart of me just wants to trust the process, and take them as prescribed as I hear a lot of positives regarding TCM. What was your approach when taking herbs prescribed by your acupuncturist?
Lindsay,
This one the one part of my journey that diverged from the rest. I had to just let go and take the mystery herbs she gave me. And YES, they are still a mystery to me. Some were packaged in plastic (which I usually avoid), some were in packed but weird little balls, and who knows what was used to make them. But, I “kissed it up to God,” and took them. I think they can be so powerful and healing when your practitioner knows what they are doing and is tailoring them to your needs, that it is worth it. I know it was for me!
Anna
Hey Anna. Thank you for your amazing website. I love it and refer to it several times a week.
I have a quick question. I’m looking into purchasing one of the Organic Garden of Life prenatal vitamins you suggests. I also want to purchase the cod liver oil from Green Pastures. How many capsules of the oil would be ok to take so it won’t be too much. I noticed the prenatal vitamin has 5,000 IU for Vitamin A and 1,000 IUD for Vitamin D. Just don’t want to over dose on Vitamin A and D 🙂 I don’t know how IU and mg works.
Any advice would be greatly appreciate it 🙂
Hello Anna:)
Thank you so much for all this great information. I want to get pregnant, I have uterine fibroids and I want to begin talking supplements ASAP, however I must admit I’m a bit confused after reading the supplement section on your page. I really don’t know where to start and what to take. Could you please help me narrow it down?
-Di
Hi Anna
I really enjoy reading your blog. I love reading about infertility because I too have been struggling with it and have had 3 miscarriages.
I read quite a bit about natural health and its link to infertility. There are so many things out there which get really confusing so I have decided to create a fertility plan for myself.
I have a question around the prenatal vitamins, I also have a MTHF deficiency. I bought the baby and me prenatal vitamins. Its had 600mcg MTHF and they recommend to take it twice a day.
In your blog you mentioned that you also took folate (Solgar brand, 800mcg) in the 1st trimester.
Would that be necessary if I am taking the prenatal vitamin twice a day?
Many thanks for your advice
Josh
Why does in need to be refrigerated probiotics? I found refrigerated ones at blue bonnet (cause i have nut allergies and its the only nut free one I found) that I was looking into but wondering if it matters that its cold or not? Got my first acupuncture appointment this sunday! lots of prayers and working through Yet I will Rejoice bible study while we are in this hard time of conceiving of a baby, but God is bigger than infertility( we just keep repeating and praying and worshiping it through!)
Thanks!
Amen, yes God is bigger than infertility for sure!!! The science of probiotics has developed such that what really matters is that you do whatever the bottle says. If it says refrigerate, make sure you do. The research is unclear, because it is all done by the companies making the various probiotics!!! I still buy refrigerated!
Hi Anna,
my understanding was that you take the SEED probiotic you talked about on this page. However on their website it actually says that it DOES NOT need to be refrigerated? Did something change in their formulation? Are you still taking it now?
Hi Anna,
Really happy of what you acheived you proved that nothing is possible when you have faith and trust in your self , im 48 age and you really inspired me just i need to know that how did manage to take oall the supllemets you mentioned in your article to help you get pregnant my body will not tolerate all these sublement i m very sensetive to supplements can you advise me please thanks you can email me also on farah_turk@yahoo.com thanks
Hi Rola! I cannot advise individuals on supplements! I’d suggest you consult with practitioners that best meet your personal approach and needs- RE, naturopath, functional medicine practitioner, etc.! THey will be able to assist!
Thank you for this wealth of information and website. Has the discount on Seed.com changed? I tried it and it is not recognized right now. Thank you!
Sophie,
Ahhh, I had the discount code wrong! It should have been TOMAKEAMOMMY. And yes, it still works! Enjoy, that stuff is AWESOME. I take it, hubby takes it, I gifted it for Christmas to my mom!!
Hi anna! Thanks for all you do! You’re such an inspiration to so many and I personally am trying to optimize my fertility after having an unexplained loss at 12 weeks after my first child was born easily and healthy. Makes me think something has shifted. Which is scary. But no better time to get to the healthiest possible state for my existing and hopefully future family. My question is around the recommended CoQ10 particularly the Ubiquinol you take. I just purchased it and am excited to start taking, however the dosages you mentioned confused me. Are you saying to start out with 100 mg in the morning and then increase based on how you feel? To a maximum of 300 mg? But don’t take more than 100 mg at a time? But take it always in the morning? I’m just a bit confused on that piece. I’m planning on starting out with 100 mg in the am, but would love your clarification. Thank you! God bless you!
HI Annie! Looks like I need to clarify this! Did you see my latest post on COQ10- check it out here -> https://www.tomakeamommy.com/coq10-for-fertility-how-coenzyme-q10-improves-egg-quality-in-age-related-infertility/ Basically you would work up to taking 1 at like 7 am, another at 8:30am, and another at 10am, or something like that. You space them out for better absorption! I hope that helps!!
Thanks for sharing!
May I know what supplements you did continue taking while pregnant.
How about Maca, Is it advisable to continue during pregnancy?
Thanks..God bless!
Hi Ami!
Augh I really need to do a pregnancy supplements post I am asked for this all the time!! I didn’t use maca, I imagine you don’t continue it in pregnancy, but I don’t know for sure!
Hi Anna, i have been diagnosed with low ovarian reserve and im 32. Can i follow all your recipes step by step to help me get pregnant?
Hi Blessing!! My blog is just the story of my trying to conceive and my research. What I did won’t necessarily work for everyone. But if I were you I would certainly start doing many of the things I did since we had similar diagnoses and ages. But make sure you are thinking about all your other health issues, etc.! Baby dust!
Hello Anna,
Would you recommend the Ritual Prenatal vitamins? Why or why not? I am trying to decide which to go with. Currently taking New Chapter Perfect Pre-Natal but found out it does not contain enough folate.
Hi Claudia! I think Ritual prenatals are fine!
Hello ANNA, am really glad to be part of your information.
That is really a good work dear. All the informations on your website are all good for me and others too.
I promote healthy and green food also.
Good job
Thanks for this blog and all that you do! <3
This question probably comes out of left field — do you know much about CBD oil and TTC? I've been taking it off-and-on for two years, mostly to calm my nerves. Now my husband and are TTC for a few months and I keeping wondering if I should take it. Some studies indicate that it brings down levels of inflammation to support conception; others say that it's better to avoid going overboard with everything under the sun. Just wondered if you heard anything about this.
Hi Kerstin! So I think officially it isn’t for when TTC, BUT there are several well known Reproductive Endocrinologists who insist that their patients take CBD for exactly that reason- to lower inflammation! If you are going to take CBD, make sure it is a high quality brand, preferably organic and tested for heavy metals. In my opinion RE Botanicals is the safest bet on the current market.
hi dear
thanks for useful information , i am also going through same journey but at least I reach till ovulation cycle, thanks to god i have one baby doll want one sibling for her, trying hard , i am taking vitex maca vit e coenzyme omega 3 but still i am lowering my FSH it was almost 39 , then last month 37 now its 29 ,.i am lowering it with suppliments only. if something is there pl suggest thanks again,
Hi Anna
I love your blog and am finding it extremely helpful. I have gone through 5 IVF cycles and just went through a failed transfer recently. I’m realizing that I just didn’t research enough and will follow your recommendations. One question- what times did you take your supplements? I’m finding that with all the supplements I keep going to the bathroom so maybe 3 times a day is a stretch but probably needed?
Anna, I absolutely love everything I’ve tried per your suggestion! I am so happy to have found your blog! I am waiting on my doctors appt to confirm pregnancy! Thank you so much!
Do you have anything of supplements and vitamins to take once pregnant?? I am wondering about what I can and cannot take during the 1st trimester or overall pregnancy. Thank you!
Hello Anna,
I am currently thinking of taking Ritual Prenatal Vitamins. What do you think of them? Would you recommend them or not?
Thank you for your amazing blog and the hope you are giving to women!
Hi Anna,
I wish I had read this a few weeks ago. I started taking fertility aid and it had both vitex and red clover in it and I have not seen my period since. I’ve had a period every month outside of pregnancy and my miscarriage since I’ve been 12. I’m so concerned about when it would return since it’s over 10 days late. I do go to acupuncturist so she will probably get my rebalanced again but any suggestions would be helpful. It’s such a nightmare but I’ve learned my lesson for sure with supplements!
Hello Anna,
Thank you for Amazing information!
For probiotic do you recommend using “Prenatal 20 Billion Probiotics ”
Also please advice what is the best time of the day to take probiotics.
Should I stop taking probiotics closer to IVF?
You should check with your doctor for all of these questions! I am unfamiliar with that brand, but check to see if it matches my guidance for probiotics :-). Most probiotics you take on an empty stomach, but some might tell you to take with a meal. Ask your doctor, but I can’t imagine they’d tell you to stop close to IVF!