Whether you're 6 months away or 6 months into trying to conceive, herbs may be able to help assist with conception or improve your overall health. Remember that you may not experience the same results with each herb as others. Everyone is different and reacts a little differently to herbs. These are more generalizations of the actions herbs have been shown to have. If in doubt, consult an herbalist who can work with you to find your perfect pre-conception regimen.
Take Your Daily Herbal Infusion
Susan Weed is one of the most well-known and well-respected herbalists of our time. I've listened to many interviews, taken many of her classes, and read many articles she has written and one thing she repeats over and over is that you need to be taking your daily herbal infusions! Whenever she gives a suggestion for health she always prefaces it by saying "I am assuming you are already taking your daily herbal infusion" before she gives her advice. Because the herbal infusions are the base of a healthy herbal diet.
Click here to see what an herbal infusion is and how to make it.
You can make an herbal infusion out of many herbs, I just recommend nettle to my clients and use it myself because it's a very nourishing herb (especially if you are trying to get pregnant) and because it's a pretty affordable and easy-to-come-by herb. Even my small town health food store carries it in the bulk herbs section. Folic acid, calcium, and magnesium are all present in nettle and all help in increasing fertility and grow a healthy baby. A few sources I found even say that nettle directly nourishes the uterus and helps tone it to be healthier for implantation, pregnancy, and delivery. DRIED Nettle LEAF is an herb you can during conception, pregnancy, labor/delivery, and even while breastfeeding. Many sources will say it's not suggested during pregnancy because it can cause uterine contractions, although my research found that most herbalists suggest against using the fresh plant or roots in high dosages in pregnancy for that reason. Dried stinging nettle leaf has been used by many during pregnancy with no issues. Of course, if you start having uterine contractions, cease taking the nettle infusion.
Then you can alternate days with a Red Clover infusion. Susan Weed says that Red Clover is the herb of fertility and "if you get pregnant while taking a Red Clover infusion don't blame me, thank me!". Since you are reading this article I am going to assume you are trying to get pregnant, so Red Clover is the herbal infusion for you!
However, while great for fertility, Red Clover should not be used during pregnancy. It can increase estrogen and should be avoided by those who have a history of breast cancer, either themselves or in their family, or if you are struggling with an estrogen-related fertility condition where you are experiencing too much estrogen.
Finally, throw in an Oat Straw infusion every few days (to keep things from getting boring). I don't feel it packs quite the nourishing punch that Nettle and Red Clover do, but it's actually kind of tasty (in my opinion) and a good way to keep from getting bored with your infusions. Susan Weed recommends it for helping to increase libido and increase cervical mucous.
Herbs For Various Ailments
There are lots of things that can cause conception to be a struggle, and my herbal recommendations are not to replace a doctor's treatment. If you are taking any fertility treatments at all you should NOT take any herbal remedies. They can counteract or even make a condition worse if mixed with medications. If you are not taking any medications then these things may help with some issues you might be experiencing. You should always speak with an herbalist or do your research before starting any treatment to learn the proper delivery method and dosage.
Low Libido: Damiana Leaf (for both), Vitex Berry (for her), Maca Root (for both), Oat Straw (for both), and Yohimbe Bark (for him)
My Recommendation For Most: Damiana. I like Damiana because it has a pleasant taste (sweet, a little herbal, even a little fruity) and is simple to use. It is a leaf so extracting it's benefits is not as difficult as it is for a root or a bark. I just I add a teaspoon to my morning tea and that is enough. You can also take it in extract or glycerite form if you aren't a huge tea drinker. It works for both women and men. Damiana can help increase libido if your base issue is stress, hormones, age, etc. It will not help if the cause of your low libido goes deeper- such as sexual abuse. Herbs will not help you to have a sex drive if the root cause is from abuse or similar and sex becomes a negative experience. A professional therapist with both you and your partner would be a better place to start with that. In a close second is Vitex Berry (read on to see why).
Low Cervical Mucous: Dandelion Leaf, Dandelion Root, Red Raspberry Leaf, Marshmallow Root, Licorice Root, Red Clover Flower, Oat Straw, Vitex Berry
My Recommendation For Most: Dandelion Leaf and Root and Red Raspberry Leaf. All three of these herbs are great herbs to have for many, many things, which is why I recommend them to help with this issue. They will help in other ways and you will reap the all around benefits. They are also very easy to come by- who doesn't have dandelions growing in their yard*? Marshmallow Root is close behind because it would be specifically for this reason, but it's not as readily available for many people. For Dandelion Leaf I go right into my yard, pluck some, and mix them in with smoothies and use in my salads. It is the easiest way to get an herb into your daily regimen (when in season, of course). The roots are a bit more of a challenge- digging them out isn't the easiest and you will need to extract them to get the medicinal benefits from them (either as a extract or glycerite), but they have more medicinal benefits than the leaves. Red Raspberry Leaf can be found in most health food stores in tea bags. Mix that with some Damiana and you have a very nice fertility tea! Combined with your nettle infusion and you're going to be pretty set for your daily beverages. Staying hydrated is another important element to healthy cervical mucous. If you're drinking 3-4 cups of tea a day you should also be drinking 3-4 cups of water. Avoid soda, coffee, and alcohol.
*When picking dandelion leaves from your yard be sure your yard has not been sprayed with pesticides for at least the past 3 years, as pesticides can live in the soil and be present in even a healthy dandelion plant. If it is your own yard you are pretty safe. If you live in an apartment complex I wouldn't recommend wildcrafting your dandelions, they probably spray. Also avoid city parks. If you live in my area you are more than welcome to come to my property and pluck away- I don't mow them down so we have plenty!
Stress: Ashwagandha Root, Chamomile Flower, Kava Root, Lavender Flower, Lemon Balm Leaf, Maca Root, Passion Flower
My Recommendation For Most: Plain old Chamomile. Kava is the new "it" herb and you've probably been hearing a lot about it and how it can help with anxiety and depression. It can, but I feel that's a little *too* much for the stress the average person experiences. Instead, simply have a night cap of chamomile tea before bed. It can help you relax, sleep better, and handle stress better. If that helps, it's all you need. The next step would be taking an Ashwagandha extract to assist with relaxation as well as help to regulate the endocrine system. But if Chamomile works, keep it simple.
Progesterone and Hormone Imbalance: Ashwagandha Root, Burdock Root, Maca Root, Vitex Berry
My Recommendation For Most: Vitex Berry. It not only helps with progesterone imbalances, but it does a host of other beneficial things to a woman's reproductive system. As previously mentioned, it can help increase the female libido and increase cervical mucous. In addition, it can regulate hormones, help regulate your period, help with painful periods, and increase the LH hormone that is a part of ovulation. Vitex Berry is basically a one-stop fertility shop to handle a wide variety of ailments and needs.
Weak Uterus: Blue Cohosh, Nettles, Red Clover, Red Raspberry Leaf
My Recommendation For Most: Nettles and Red Raspberry Leaf. Your uterus is a muscle and, yes, it can be weak. Have a toned uterus will help with conception, pregnancy, labor, and delivery. You can't make your uterus do push-ups, but you can help strengthen it with herbs. Red Raspberry Leaf will tone the uterus in addition to the other benefits I have already mentioned. The iron in nettle will help give you a healthy blood flow to the uterus, which will also help strengthen it for pregnancy. Plus, both of these are easy to come by and affordable for most.
Obviously, this is not an all-inclusive list of causes of infertility or herbs that can help with fertility. I've basically glazed the surface of issues and struggles may face when trying to conceive. If you have any issue that you would like to try to use herbs to address I recommend, again, speaking with an herbalist to create a personalized regimen for you. Short of that, I also love Susan Weed's book Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year.
In the next edition of Herbs for Conception I will have a few suggestions for having a positive outlook on the entire conception experience. Because, sometimes, it can be a bit of a drag. Stay tuned!
Take Your Daily Herbal Infusion
Susan Weed is one of the most well-known and well-respected herbalists of our time. I've listened to many interviews, taken many of her classes, and read many articles she has written and one thing she repeats over and over is that you need to be taking your daily herbal infusions! Whenever she gives a suggestion for health she always prefaces it by saying "I am assuming you are already taking your daily herbal infusion" before she gives her advice. Because the herbal infusions are the base of a healthy herbal diet.
Click here to see what an herbal infusion is and how to make it.
You can make an herbal infusion out of many herbs, I just recommend nettle to my clients and use it myself because it's a very nourishing herb (especially if you are trying to get pregnant) and because it's a pretty affordable and easy-to-come-by herb. Even my small town health food store carries it in the bulk herbs section. Folic acid, calcium, and magnesium are all present in nettle and all help in increasing fertility and grow a healthy baby. A few sources I found even say that nettle directly nourishes the uterus and helps tone it to be healthier for implantation, pregnancy, and delivery. DRIED Nettle LEAF is an herb you can during conception, pregnancy, labor/delivery, and even while breastfeeding. Many sources will say it's not suggested during pregnancy because it can cause uterine contractions, although my research found that most herbalists suggest against using the fresh plant or roots in high dosages in pregnancy for that reason. Dried stinging nettle leaf has been used by many during pregnancy with no issues. Of course, if you start having uterine contractions, cease taking the nettle infusion.
Then you can alternate days with a Red Clover infusion. Susan Weed says that Red Clover is the herb of fertility and "if you get pregnant while taking a Red Clover infusion don't blame me, thank me!". Since you are reading this article I am going to assume you are trying to get pregnant, so Red Clover is the herbal infusion for you!
However, while great for fertility, Red Clover should not be used during pregnancy. It can increase estrogen and should be avoided by those who have a history of breast cancer, either themselves or in their family, or if you are struggling with an estrogen-related fertility condition where you are experiencing too much estrogen.
Finally, throw in an Oat Straw infusion every few days (to keep things from getting boring). I don't feel it packs quite the nourishing punch that Nettle and Red Clover do, but it's actually kind of tasty (in my opinion) and a good way to keep from getting bored with your infusions. Susan Weed recommends it for helping to increase libido and increase cervical mucous.
Herbs For Various Ailments
There are lots of things that can cause conception to be a struggle, and my herbal recommendations are not to replace a doctor's treatment. If you are taking any fertility treatments at all you should NOT take any herbal remedies. They can counteract or even make a condition worse if mixed with medications. If you are not taking any medications then these things may help with some issues you might be experiencing. You should always speak with an herbalist or do your research before starting any treatment to learn the proper delivery method and dosage.
Low Libido: Damiana Leaf (for both), Vitex Berry (for her), Maca Root (for both), Oat Straw (for both), and Yohimbe Bark (for him)
My Recommendation For Most: Damiana. I like Damiana because it has a pleasant taste (sweet, a little herbal, even a little fruity) and is simple to use. It is a leaf so extracting it's benefits is not as difficult as it is for a root or a bark. I just I add a teaspoon to my morning tea and that is enough. You can also take it in extract or glycerite form if you aren't a huge tea drinker. It works for both women and men. Damiana can help increase libido if your base issue is stress, hormones, age, etc. It will not help if the cause of your low libido goes deeper- such as sexual abuse. Herbs will not help you to have a sex drive if the root cause is from abuse or similar and sex becomes a negative experience. A professional therapist with both you and your partner would be a better place to start with that. In a close second is Vitex Berry (read on to see why).
Low Cervical Mucous: Dandelion Leaf, Dandelion Root, Red Raspberry Leaf, Marshmallow Root, Licorice Root, Red Clover Flower, Oat Straw, Vitex Berry
My Recommendation For Most: Dandelion Leaf and Root and Red Raspberry Leaf. All three of these herbs are great herbs to have for many, many things, which is why I recommend them to help with this issue. They will help in other ways and you will reap the all around benefits. They are also very easy to come by- who doesn't have dandelions growing in their yard*? Marshmallow Root is close behind because it would be specifically for this reason, but it's not as readily available for many people. For Dandelion Leaf I go right into my yard, pluck some, and mix them in with smoothies and use in my salads. It is the easiest way to get an herb into your daily regimen (when in season, of course). The roots are a bit more of a challenge- digging them out isn't the easiest and you will need to extract them to get the medicinal benefits from them (either as a extract or glycerite), but they have more medicinal benefits than the leaves. Red Raspberry Leaf can be found in most health food stores in tea bags. Mix that with some Damiana and you have a very nice fertility tea! Combined with your nettle infusion and you're going to be pretty set for your daily beverages. Staying hydrated is another important element to healthy cervical mucous. If you're drinking 3-4 cups of tea a day you should also be drinking 3-4 cups of water. Avoid soda, coffee, and alcohol.
*When picking dandelion leaves from your yard be sure your yard has not been sprayed with pesticides for at least the past 3 years, as pesticides can live in the soil and be present in even a healthy dandelion plant. If it is your own yard you are pretty safe. If you live in an apartment complex I wouldn't recommend wildcrafting your dandelions, they probably spray. Also avoid city parks. If you live in my area you are more than welcome to come to my property and pluck away- I don't mow them down so we have plenty!
Stress: Ashwagandha Root, Chamomile Flower, Kava Root, Lavender Flower, Lemon Balm Leaf, Maca Root, Passion Flower
My Recommendation For Most: Plain old Chamomile. Kava is the new "it" herb and you've probably been hearing a lot about it and how it can help with anxiety and depression. It can, but I feel that's a little *too* much for the stress the average person experiences. Instead, simply have a night cap of chamomile tea before bed. It can help you relax, sleep better, and handle stress better. If that helps, it's all you need. The next step would be taking an Ashwagandha extract to assist with relaxation as well as help to regulate the endocrine system. But if Chamomile works, keep it simple.
Progesterone and Hormone Imbalance: Ashwagandha Root, Burdock Root, Maca Root, Vitex Berry
My Recommendation For Most: Vitex Berry. It not only helps with progesterone imbalances, but it does a host of other beneficial things to a woman's reproductive system. As previously mentioned, it can help increase the female libido and increase cervical mucous. In addition, it can regulate hormones, help regulate your period, help with painful periods, and increase the LH hormone that is a part of ovulation. Vitex Berry is basically a one-stop fertility shop to handle a wide variety of ailments and needs.
Weak Uterus: Blue Cohosh, Nettles, Red Clover, Red Raspberry Leaf
My Recommendation For Most: Nettles and Red Raspberry Leaf. Your uterus is a muscle and, yes, it can be weak. Have a toned uterus will help with conception, pregnancy, labor, and delivery. You can't make your uterus do push-ups, but you can help strengthen it with herbs. Red Raspberry Leaf will tone the uterus in addition to the other benefits I have already mentioned. The iron in nettle will help give you a healthy blood flow to the uterus, which will also help strengthen it for pregnancy. Plus, both of these are easy to come by and affordable for most.
Obviously, this is not an all-inclusive list of causes of infertility or herbs that can help with fertility. I've basically glazed the surface of issues and struggles may face when trying to conceive. If you have any issue that you would like to try to use herbs to address I recommend, again, speaking with an herbalist to create a personalized regimen for you. Short of that, I also love Susan Weed's book Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year.
In the next edition of Herbs for Conception I will have a few suggestions for having a positive outlook on the entire conception experience. Because, sometimes, it can be a bit of a drag. Stay tuned!