I am sitting here in the "2 week wait" and, needless to say, my mind keeps wandering back to conception topics! So I am just going to go with it and write a post about the fertility supplements I'm taking.
If any of you are currently taking supplements and would be willing to share information or feedback in the comments section, I would love to hear it!
In addition to my synthroid for my hypothyroid condition, I take three other supplements when I get up in the morning:
2 Rainbow Light Organic Prenatal Vitamins
1 Natural Factors 400 mg Coenzyme Q10 soft gel (I have seen 600 mg recommended also)
1 Golden Emperor Royal Jelly capsule (2 might be a bit better but I'm taking 1)
With lunch, I take:
50 mg Pure Encapsulations DHEA capsules
1 (1000 mg) Nordic Naturals Omega-3 Purified Fish Oil soft gel
Later in the day, around evening time, I take a baby aspirin. I have no scientific reason for taking the baby aspirin separately; it just seemed like it might get lost with all the rest!
I wanted to share a bit about how I chose my supplements:
Prenatals are generally a given to assure an optimum level of vitamins and minerals, but I like that mine are made with organic fruits and vegetables.
Regarding the lesser-used supplements, on several websites, I read about many women following their doctors recommendations with regard to a certain protocol of supplements for fertility purposes. Although I recognize that not everyone would be comfortable with this, I felt comfortable enough to follow what was most frequently recommended.
Because I am 42, egg quality is obviously a concern and DHEA and COQ10 have shown some promising results in this department. The DHEA study often referenced shows clearly improved pregnancy results after taking 75 mg for 90 days. Because of the potential for side effects, and because I saw others taking it at this level, I chose to stay with 50 mg for now.
COQ10 has only been studied in mice (!) regarding egg quality (a prior study showed that it increased male fertility) and yet the results were so promising - and I think doctors are seeing results in their patients - that it seems to be commonly recommended now.
In reading more closely, I think I should be taking the Royal Jelly with bee pollen. Any thoughts on this? There seem to be many positive effects of bee products, including fertility, and no real downside - unless you are allergic to bees!
Omega-3 Fish Oil is so commonly used now to support fertility. Reasons cited include hormone regulation and increased fertile cervical fluid. A few years ago when I was actively trying to conceive using IUIs, I was seeing an acupuncturist who recommended it, so I felt confident adding it to the regimen.
And finally, an added benefit of taking supplements: I can take action and have some effect on something which, for the most part, feels entirely out of my control!
I can understand the need to take action insome way. When I was TTC, I took prenatal vitamins with fish oil, baby aspirin, folic acid, and CoQ10 though I do not remember the amount of the last two. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI've been taking Vitamin D (2000 IU) after a blood test showed I was deficient and I've read numerous articles suggesting Vitamin D deficieny can affect fertility. I also took Prenatal vitamins, Vitex (100mg), CO-Q10 (400 mg), and Vitamin E about 90 days prior to starting the TTC process.
ReplyDeleteOnce I started the TTC process (pre-tests), I stopped taking the Vitex--which is supposed to regulate your hormone balance pre-trying since follicles develop 90 days prior to ovulation. My RE wanted me to take 400 mg of CO-Q10 twice daily. Once I started taking injectable gonadtropins, my RE wanted me to take baby aspirin, Ginko Bilboa (200mg twice daily), and N-Acetyl Cysteine (600mg twice daily) in addition to the CO-Q10.
I also read that Bromelain (the active element in pineapple core) can help with implantation so I was planning to start taking 50mg of Bromelain daily after my egg retrieval until 5 or 6 days after my transfer.
My RE is also doing a study in which he is administering DHEA to some of his patients with decrease ovarian reserve to see if DHEA can increase eqgg quality and quantity. I'm not one of those patients taking it but there are some interesting studies suggesting it can make a diference.
I'm on a similar regimen, though I'm not currently taking DHEA or baby aspirin. I might add DHEA to the mix if I'm not successful this cycle.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I take that's not on your list is red raspberry leaf. It helps to tone the uterine lining and plump it up. I had issues with fertility meds messing up my lining, so I thought it would be a good thing to add. My naturopath recommends it to all her patients who are trying to conceive. I'm currently taking a tincture from my naturopath, but you can find it in capsules or as a loose leaf tea. My naturopath recommends taking it throughout the entire cycle, but many women say it should only be taken up until ovulation because it can cause uterine contractions, which could adversely affect implantation.
I took Royal Jelly along with the CoQ10 (600mg), fish oil and vitamin D. I decided against DHEA - but now I can't remember what it was that made me think it wasn't right for me.
ReplyDeleteThe one thing my doctor and I talked a lot about was fish oil ... it came up primarily because I'm a vegetarian and I wanted the benefits of the omega 3s, but didn't want the "fish" part of it ... but I was willing if that was the only way to go. And then SHE said to avoid fish oil because of the potential mercury in the fish, which they currently have no way to regulate.
ReplyDeleteShe suggested I take organic Chia seeds. Yes ... CHIA seeds ... as in "cha cha cha CHI-A" ... which I get from iherb.com:
http://www.iherb.com/Nutiva-Organic-Chia-Seed-3-lb-1-36-kg/24161?utm_source=gb&utm_medium=f2
They are organic, vegetarian, high in Omega 3s, great source of Calcium, Magnesium and Iron, high in antioxidants, and overall ... a pretty easy addition to any juice/smoothie/water in my morning regime. (They don't have to be ground, like flax seeds ... although they do "puff up" a bit if you don't drink it right away.)
BTW, I'm 41 and 26 weeks pregnant and all indicators are that it's a healthy baby boy.
Jendo and others who mentioned Vitamin D: Curious if you live in a sunny climate? When I was living in Seattle, I definitely would have needed the D, but now that I'm in Oakland and am currently getting an hour or so in the sun every day, I'm imagining I get enough. . . but maybe the more the better up to a point?
ReplyDeleteM: Yes on the RRL. My acupuncturist said she was going to give me a tea with nettle and RRL and something else in it next week, so I look forward to getting going on that too.
Yogini CG: Thanks for the info on Chia. I might add or switch those in at some point. I'm okay with the Fish Oil for now (using up my supply) and am not currently a vegetarian (though have thought about it and don't eat much meat aside from fish). My acupuncturist recommended coconut oil too. . . she's going to send me an email with follow up recs. I'm both happy for you and encouraged by your healthy pregnancy. Yay!
I was using Rainbow Light before getting pregnant and it was an easy decision to use it for my prenatal needs. Vitamins that are food based work better for me. My body absorbs them better and best of all I don't get sick after taking them. I typically get nauseous with chemical based vitamins.
ReplyDelete