Erratic ovulation
What advice can you offer to a couple who have been trying for a family now for three years? They have had medical checks and taken the fertility drug, Clomid, with no success but do not want to pursue IVF. The problem, it seems, is one of erratic ovulation. What should the would-be-mum be doing?
Since the stakes are so high, it would be better to consult a naturopath who can call on nutrition, herbalism and homeopathy, as well as detoxification and fasting techniques to really prepare the body for pregnancy.
One of the best of the hormone-balancing herbs is False Unicorn Root (Chamaelirium luteum) which works to normalise the hormones that regulate ovulation and which was traditionally prescribed to women having problems conceiving. On the nutritional front, taking vitamin B6 for six months (50mg, twice daily) has helped some women conceive, and in clinical trials giving both partners 100-200IU (International Units) of vitamin E led to what researchers who reported their results in the International Journal of Fertility called “a significant increase in fertility.”
Foresight - formerly the Association for Pre-conception Care - can boast a high rate of success in helping many couples conceive. For details of testing for nutritional deficiencies and complementary health practitioners who specialise in this field in your area write to the charity at 28, The Paddock, Godalming, Surrey, GU7 1XD enclosing a 1st class SAE.
The mum-to-be should also start taking Folic acid now. It will send a positive message to her psyche that she is ready for a baby and as well as protecting the genetic material of both egg and sperm, it will protect against neural tube defects when she is pregnant. She should take up to 5mg before conception and carry on until the end of the first trimester.
*Contact The British Naturopathic Association on 01458-840072. The British Association of Nutritional Therapists on 0870-6061284 holds a list of qualified practitioners and their specialities. You will be charged £2 for this list.