Herbal Fertility.

I have seen many new fertility patients lately & I feel like I am steering them in a similar direction, so I thought I'd put it out there for all of you to find out a little bit of information on fertility herbs.

First and foremost, if you are female, and your cycle is irregular for whatever reason, I strongly urge you to take steps to regulate your cycle so it is easy for you to conceive before you decide it is time to have babies.

Regular menstrual cycles gives you the ability to achieve/avoid pregnancy because it makes you and your partner aware of your fertile times. It takes the guess work out of contraception, and it also give you monthly predictors of ovulation, without the use of drugs, or anything really, apart from daily observation of cervical mucous and/or basal body temperature. Simple.

Some herbs to consider for the ladies...

Vitex agnus-castus also known as Chaste tree, is fantastic for regulating the menstrual cycle. This clever little herb assists the ovaries to balance the hormones which stimulate release of the egg from

the ovaries each month (aka Ovulation). It is useful in reducing PMS symptoms (sore breasts, hormonal acne, fluid retention & teariness) and also helps to prevent miscarriage. 

Commonly, but not always, miscarriage has been associated with corpus luteal insufficiency, which unfortunately results in the body having low levels of progesterone.
Progesterone prepares the uterus for pregnancy. After ovulation occurs, the ovaries start to produce progesterone needed by the uterus.
Progesterone causes the uterine lining to thicken, helping to prepare a supportive environment in your uterus for a fertilized egg. 

It is necessary to allow at least three months (or 3 full cycles) of Chaste tree treatment in order to reset your hormones. This also allows you (and your partner) to get used to looking for cervical mucus changes and taking your temperature every morning- knowing when (and when not) to have intercourse on fertile days is the key to baby making! 

Sperm can survive up to 72 hours inside the female reproductive tract. Once the egg is released, it is only viable for about 12-24 hours. This gives you about 3-5 days per month to use the fertile days as much as you can!

A few exceptions to the rule- 
Chaste tree is not the herb of choice for treating Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). The hormones that are commonly imbalanced with PCOS are different to those associated with irregular periods. Speak to your Naturopath if you have PCOS as there are many diet and lifestyle changes that can be made that assist in rebalancing hormones in a holistic way.

Chaste tree can occasionally make menstrual cramps (spasmodic dysmenorrhea) worse for some women. I always warn women who have painful periods about this. Each and every woman is different, so I recommend working with your Naturopath and different herbs if you find Chaste tree is causing your period pain to be worse. 
As a side note- Acupuncture is highly recommended for these cases.



Asparagus racemosus also known as Shatavari is an Ayurvedic herb that gives a woman the 'capacity for a hundred husbands'. Well renowned for it's aphrodisiac qualities, it is a great choice of herb for women who may not be ovulating due to low oestrogen levels. It is also a great herb for women who are breastfeeding, as it is a galactagogue, stimulating breast milk production.

Cimicifuga racemosa or Black cohosh is a commonly prescribed menopausal herb which is equally effective in treating infertility as it is hot flushes. Black cohosh has the affinity for Oestrogen sites in the body, selectively binds receptors, helping to balance low or high Oestrogen levels. This herb is great to use initially to treat ovarian dysfunction, or those women who know they do not ovulate. Since it has such an effect on Oestrogen in the body, it is best to cease use if you fall pregnant, and is not recommended during breastfeeding or if you have any oestrogen dependant tumours (e.g. Breast cancer).

Angelica sinsensis or Dong quai is a general female tonic and assists with all aspects of regulating the menstrual cycle. It is commonly prescribed for women who are considered blood deficient. To clarify, blood deficiency is not always in regards to having low iron status or anaemia. It is to do with the quality of your blood. If your body does not feel you have 'enough' blood, it will very cleverly stop you menstruating or cause you to have 'scanty' blood loss until the blood is back in balance again. Scanty symptoms are commonly: brown discharge, bleeding very lightly for only 2-3 days, feeling tired in the week leading up to your period and feeling cold (generally). Quality, nutritious warming foods are essential. Think slow cooked lamb and roasted veggies. yum! Raw food, although nutrient dense, is a big no-no if your are blood deficient. It takes too much of your body's energy to try and break raw food down to release the energy and use it. Gently steaming and slow cooking are the best ways to increase your ability to build blood. 




These are merely a few commonly prescribed herbs for infertility. There are a whole range of dietary and lifestyle factors that could be standing in between you and your fertile self, so give your Naturopath a call and find out how you can balance your hormones the natural way.