1. Q: Hi there, I’ve been contemplating using a lower dosage of vitex, so I will get some benefit, but hopefully reduce any risks in early pregnancy. If I become pregnant, does stopping vitex suddenly cause a problem, like drop in progesterone, etc.? There are many websites that say vitex is bad in pregnancy and some say it will prevent an early loss. I feel like I need a degree in this stuff to understand it all. What would be the lowest effective dose?
A: I do not feel using a lower dosage is as effective if you are wanting to change your cycle length. If you are truly worried about using this in pregnancy it would be best to not use it. Stopping Vitex cold turkey in the first trimester of pregnancy may affect hormone levels, or it may not, it depends on many different factors individual to each woman. It is best to wean yourself off of vitex over time, 1-2 weeks if you find out you are pregnant. You would first contact your doctor/midwife/naturopathic physician and request to get your hormone levels tested. They will help to determine if you may have low progesterone or may need to switch over to natural progesterone cream instead of Vitex. A practitioner can help to guide you through this transition. There are some studies that have shown some toxicity to the fetus of mice when injected with human doses of vitex directly into the abdomen. You would not be using this concentrated or high of a dosage, and to be honest there has not been any proof that vitex is toxic to a human fetus. Skilled midwives and herbalists have used vitex into the first trimester of pregnancy when there is a history of miscarriage and/or threatened miscarriage is present. It is best when this herb is used at least 3-6 months prior to pregnancy, in preparation for pregnancy.
A low dosage of vitex may not be effective for what you are wanting to use it for. The general suggested dosage is 1000mg a day. It is always best, if you are continually worried that you may harm your pregnancy by taking an herbal supplement, to avoid the added stress of using it. Most herbs are not recommended for use in pregnancy, but yet we have allowed ourselves to use medications that can be toxic and harmful to long term health when pregnancy is threatened, or for everyday use. I think most people are scared of using herbal remedies because there is a lack of good information, research, and skilled practitioners using plants as healing tools. In the end, it is best to do what you feel is best for your body.
2. Q: I need to know which supplements to suspend, as I am starting my IVF in a month.
I am actually taking: the CoQ10, L-Arginine, Maca, Royal jelly, Fertiligreens (I’ve heard this must be suspended), protein powder, and Baby and Me multivitamins.
Please let me know as I heard on one of the smoothie-making videos the Fertiligreens must be suspended, but on the WEB does not say anything related, I am afraid, other supplements must be suspended too… please confirm on regards to the CoQ10 & L-Arginine, those are the ones I am not sure about… Please let me know at your earliest convenience.
A: If you have started medications for IVF please do not use Maca, CoQ10, Royal Jelly, L-Arginine, or Fertilica FertiliGreens. Also, do not use any of these during your IVF procedure or pregnancy. If you have not yet begun your medications for IVF it is fine to continue these until you do.
It if fine to continue the Baby and Me Multivitamin and Fertilica Whey Protein Powder through IVF and pregnancy.
3. Q: Hi there, I see that for endometriosis you recommend the liver cleanse first. I was reading the ingredients and was wondering about the estrogen activities of some of the herbs. I believe some of the ingredients, (from what I have read on the internet and in the anti-estrogen diet) such as Licorice, Don Quai, Black Cohosh, Wild Yam can cause an increase in estrogen in the system? Also I saw Stevia as an ingredient in one of the products, doesn’t Stevia contain Monosodium Glutamate? I was very interested in this cleanse until I saw these products can you please clear this up for me?
A: The Fertility Cleanse Kit is a blend of many different herbs formulated to help cleanse the liver while stimulating regeneration of liver cells. This is to aid the body in hormonal balance. Just because some herbs like Licorice, Dong Quai, Black Cohosh and Wild Yam may have been reported to have some estrogenic action does not mean that is their only action in the body. For these herbs to increase estrogen levels dramatically or contribute to estrogen dominance they would have to be taken consistently in high doses for many months. We do not recommend using Licorice or Black Cohosh long term. For short term benefit in an herbal blend, there is a major difference in how the body utilizes these plants. These plants are balanced out by other herbs in the Fertility Cleanse Kit. We have had great success with the Fertility Cleanse for women with endometriosis, including reduction of pain, inflammation, and heavy bleeding. This type of cleanse is specially formulated to create a foundation for hormonal balance, so that when you go on to a program like the EndoWise Fertility Kit, your body responds better to those herbs and supplements. Using the Fertility Cleanse Kit has not shown to cause an increase of estrogen because it is only used for a short period of time, and each herb is a low dosage blend.
For your concern about Stevia. I Googled Stevia and MSG (monosodium glutamate) and some articles did come up, but they were reviews about all kinds of sweeteners for food. MSG is a food additive that “enhances” the taste of foods. Some reports say that if a package says one of the following, MSG is hidden in these foods: gelatin, calcium caseinate, textured protein, sodium caseinate, yeast nutrient, autolyzed yeast, hydrolyzed protein, carrageenan, maltodextrin, malt extract, natural food flavoring, bouillon, natural chicken flavoring, natural beef flavoring, broth, ultra-pasteurized, soy sauce extract, whey protein concentrate, pectin, and anything protein fortified, containing flavorings, enzyme modified, or seasoned. Because of this you would want to look for a pure organic Stevia extract, or carefully read the label of the product you are using. Stevia in our Fertility Cleanse Kit is pure leaf. I have never heard of pure leaf Stevia containing naturally occurring MSG. Some foods do contain naturally occuring MSG, but the body metabolizes this differently than it does the food additive MSG.
We strive to bring you the safest and highest quality products for natural fertility that are out there. Careful research is done before formulating combinations of herbs for our products. If we had concerns that these products would increase estrogen dominance in the body we would not market them for certain conditions.
I hope this clears up your concerns, please let me know if you have more questions.
4. Q: I have pcos and hyperplasia of the uterus… I need to know what will work best… I take vitex and was thinking of starting dong quai. Is there something that would work better for trying to get pregnant.
A: Uterine hyperplasia is due to low levels of progesterone and high levels of estrogen; this is also a major factor with PCOS. Please read over our entire PCOS fertility guide to learn why diet is important for this condition, as well as the best remedies to help balance estrogen dominance and work toward creating natural ovulation. All of this will help to create a healthy uterus as well. Go to this link to learn more: http://natural-fertility-info.com/pcos-fertility-diet
Additional Therapies that are helpful for uterine health are Self Fertility Massage and Castor Oil Packs. Learn more here: http://natural-fertility-info.com/fertility-massage
I am not sure Dong Quai is a good choice for you in regard to hyperplasia of the uterus. Dong Quai has been found in some women to increase the uterine thickness, which for women with a thinning uterus may be beneficial. With endometrial hyperplasia, there is enlargement of the glands and cells of the endometrium. Dong Quai may not be a good choice for that condition.
Because your condition is more complex and there is a higher risk for cancer with endometrial hyperplasia, it would be best to seek the advice of a naturopathic doctor in your area.
5. Q: I plan to order some Mega Foods Baby and Me multivitamin. I just noticed that in the ingredients list, it has Red Raspberry Leaf. I watched your video about the tonic tea which includes this leaf and you mentioned that it’s not suitable for the first trimester. Is it safe to take this multi if it includes this leaf?
A: Yes, this prenatal multivitamin contains small amounts of red raspberry leaf, so it is not a concern. It would be a concern if you were drinking red raspberry leaf tea or taking red raspberry leaf caps/liquid extract alone in a therapeutic dosage, which you are not with the multivitamin.
6. Q: To help get pregnant, should I use the progesterone cream from period to ovulation, or ovulation to period?
A: If you used Natural Progesterone Cream from period to ovulation you would suppress ovulation. To help support healthy natural progesterone levels, which may help to sustain pregnancy in women with low progesterone, it would be best to use Natural Progesterone Cream from after ovulation up to your period, usually day 12-26 in the cycle, or continue on if you think you are pregnant and contact your doctor. You can learn the correct way to use Natural Progesterone Cream by reading our Progesterone Fertility Guide at this link: http://natural-fertility-info.com/progesterone-fertility-guide
7. Q: In last two months, I had 26 days cycle. What day do you think I shall be ovulating? I did some research and it said I should be ovulating on Day 12. However, I am on Day 10 today, and I spot a thick cloudy CM. Could I already have ovulated? is it true and common that most of the ovulation would happen 14 days from the beginning of the next cycle?
Although previously I’ve also had similar situation where i had a cloudy/thick CM day, then I would later have another round of clear/runny CM days, followed by a cloudy/thick CM day. Is this normal? Could I ovulate twice in a cycle? Why did I have the CM change twice?
A: CM can change from thick cloudy to slippery wet. This slippery wet, raw egg white consistency is your most fertile time. Once this turns back to thick and cloudy begin to count the days to your period. This will help you to know how long from ovulation to your period is. That way you can count how many days before your period you may ovulate.
What you are experiencing is normal. Women often have several changes in CM. It is when the CM changes to the slippery wet/egg white consistency you are most fertile and should try to conceive. Your most fertile days are the TWO days prior to ovulation (when slipper wet begins) and the DAY OF ovulation.
Ovulating twice at different times in your cycle would be very rare. Usually if a woman is to ovulate more than one mature follicle, it would be at the same time.
