Please note: This is just my personal experience with these supplements that helped me get pregnant and not any medical advice. Please talk to your healthcare provider before starting any supplement to make sure it is a safe and right choice for you.
When we first tried to get pregnant, it was a journey that took over 6 months and ended with me getting diagnosed with PCOS.
After a few months, my doctor prescribed me Letrozole. This is because with PCOS, I have very long cycles, and could not get my body to ovulate otherwise.
Thankfully, after 4 cycles with Letrozole we got pregnant and now have an almost 2 year old daughter.
Once she was almost one year old, we knew we wanted to start trying again soon. But I hadn’t even gotten my period back.
We had since moved to the United States, and a new doctor to prescribe me Letrozole again couldn’t even see me until 4 months later.
So I decided to look into natural supplements to potentially help me move things along until then.
And then, just a couple of weeks before my infertility consultation appointment, I held a positive pregnancy test in my hand.
And I almost couldn’t believe my eyes.
After all the stress and the eventual medication I had to take to get pregnant for the first time, this second time around a few supplements helped my body ovulate and conceive on its own.
So here is a list of the supplements I took that helped me get pregnant naturally, and that I will use again once (and if) we’re ready to try for baby number 3.
Prenatal Vitamins
When I first talked to my doctor about trying to get pregnant, he advised me to start taking prenatal vitamins* right away. Yes – that is before I was even pregnant.
As reason, he mentioned the early need for specific nutrients. E.g. folic acid, which is especially important in the early stages of pregnancy, helps prevent neural tube defects.
Additionally, prenatal vitamins often include higher levels of vitamins like B6 and B12, which play a role in fertility and hormonal balance.
Taking prenatal vitamins* before conception can therefore ensure that a woman’s body is well-prepared for the demands of pregnancy, helping to optimize the chances of conception and a healthy pregnancy.
Vitex Agnus-Castus (Chasteberry)
Vitex* is a herbal supplement that can help regulate menstrual cycles and hormonal imbalances.
I had first taken it years ago, when I came off the pill and got a copper IUD. I had spotting all throughout my cycle and it helped me to get rid of that within just a couple of months.
Vitex works by influencing the pituitary gland, which in turn can help balance the levels of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH).
Therefore, it can be particularly beneficial for women like me with irregular periods or conditions like polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). And by promoting regular ovulation and hormone balance, Vitex can increase the likelihood of conception.
So when I still hadn’t gotten my period back almost 1 year postpartum, I started taking Vitex Agnus-Castus* again. And sure enough, I started developing a somewhat long but normal cycle again.
Myo-Inositol
Another supplement, and perhaps the one that had the biggest impact on my lack of regular ovulation due to PCOS is myo-inositol*.
After I got diagnosed with PCOS at the beginning of the year, my doctor told me there is not much of a treatment, and if anything women often start the pill depending on the symptoms that their PCOS is causing.
As we were trying to get pregnant, I was definitely not interested in starting the pill. And besides super long cycles, I don’t really have any other symptom that would require treatment.
So I did a little online research to see what other women are taking to help with their PCOS and their cycles. And I found myo-inositol.
Myo-inositol is a naturally occurring compound that has shown promise in improving ovulatory function in women with PCOS.
By stabilizing insulin and hormone levels, myo-inositol can support regular menstrual cycles and increase the chances of successful conception.
As it is available over the counter and had shown a lot of promise for other women in the same situation, I was willing to give it a try. And it did not disappoint!
I believe this is the supplement that actually helped my cycle get back on track and helped me therefore get pregnant. I did not notice any side effects or anything, so I will definitely be taking myo-inositol* again once (if) we’re ready for baby number 3.
CoQ10
One supplement that I also started using right before my first pregnancy is CoQ10*. And this is the one supplement I made my husband take as well.
Funny enough, it was my mom who told me about the benefits of CoQ10, and after I did some research I was convinced it could help us, too.
CoQ10 is an antioxidant that plays a critical role in cellular energy production. According to fertility research, it has been linked to improved egg and sperm quality.
As women age, egg quality tends to decline. CoQ10 can help combat oxidative stress and improve energy production in eggs, potentially enhancing fertility, especially in older women.
CoQ10* is available over the counter just like other vitamins, and is therefore an easy to try out.
Selenium & Thyroid Medication
While trying to figure out how to help my body get on a regular cycle and to start ovulating, I came across lots of research that links PCOS and those hormonal imbalances with thyroid conditions.
I have been diagnosed with hypothyroidism since I was 17 years old. But I have also been on a stable dose of thyroid medication ever since.
Now, there are 2 things I decided to do to help me further balance my thyroid levels and that I believe helped me get pregnant.
Selenium
I first learned about selenium* and its benefits in supporting the thyroid once again from my mom, who suffers from hypothyroidism as well.
And after some research, I decided a selenium supplement would be a beneficial mineral to add while trying to get pregnant.
Selenium is an essential mineral that acts as an antioxidant and supports the immune system. It can therefore help protect eggs and sperm from oxidative damage, which is particularly important for both male and female fertility.
But when taken in excess, it can have adverse effects. So it’s important to stick to the recommended dose and talk to your healthcare provider first before starting this supplement.
Since selenium can also be found in certain foods, you don’t have to take a pill to supplement your nutrition with this mineral.
3 brazil nuts*, for example, contain about the same amount of selenium that the supplement I decided to take does.
And as it can help support a woman’s as well as a man’s fertility, I thought it would be a good idea to incorporate those in my husband’s diet, too.
Thyroid Medication
A second approach I took to help balance my thyroid levels better actually meant to get some blood work done and look at my medication.
Now, the medication is not a supplement that is available over the counter. So this might only apply to you if you’re suffering from a thyroid condition as well. Or if you suspect one, you might want to talk to your doctor about having your thyroid levels tested.
Right before I got pregnant for the first time, my doctor checked my thyroid levels (after I still hadn’t gotten pregnant after 2 or 3 rounds of letrozole) and noticed I need a slightly higher dose.
The next cycle, after starting the higher dose, I got pregnant.
About 6 months postpartum, my general practitioner then checked on my thyroid levels again but decided to lower my dose to its original value. And that was even though I told her that I felt like the slightly elevated one was a better fit.
So thinking about the potential effect the slightly higher dose of thyroid medication had on my fertility, I asked my new OBGYN to check my thyroid levels again.
And sure enough, she decided to put me on a higher dose as my levels were too low for women trying to get pregnant.
Once again, the first cycle that I was on a slightly elevated dose of thyroid medication, I got pregnant.
Therefore, I strongly believe if you’re suffering from both PCOS and hypothyroidism like me, it is crucial for your fertility to have your thyroid hormones really well balanced.
Conclusion
I don’t know if it was just one of these supplements or the combination of all of them that helped me get pregnant.
But I do believe that each played a role in supporting my body being able to get pregnant and eventually conceive.
Please note that this is just my personal journey and experience with these supplements. I am sharing this in order to help others who might struggle with the same issues as me. I researched all supplements for a while and talked to my healthcare provider about trying these out, ensuring they could work for me.
Please talk to your healthcare provider before starting any of these supplements.
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