HERBAL REMEDIES FOR FERTILITY: MAKING BONNY BABIES
by © Diana Thurbon
When longed for children don’t come despite a year or two of trying couples can be devastated. Unless a physical problem is found these couple will be told they have ‘unexplained infertility.’ At this point people often turn to invitro fertilisation (IVF).
Invitro means something is being done in a controlled laboratory environment instead of inside the body. In IVF a woman’s eggs are “harvested” then fertilised by the partner’s or a donor’s sperm, then if it works and an embryo is created, the embryo is planted inside the mother’s body.
Although often IVF is the first choice of these desperate couples it has a down side
It is extremely costly and there are sometimes unwanted emotional and psychological effects. Sometimes there are physical side effects too.
For this reason more and more couples are turning to herbalism to help with infertility.
Herbal remedies are not intrusive and can work wonders for both male and female infertility. Not only is the chances of conceiving increased considerably, but the incidence of miscarriage is reduced also and a healthy baby is the usual outcome. Most herbalists treat both prospective parents at the same time to ensure that both partners are as healthy as possible before conception.
WHAT ARE HERBAL REMEDIES?
Used to heal illnesses and disease, herbal remedies have been in use for hundreds of years. Plant based medicine is the parent of the modern pharmaceutical industry. Herbal remedies are obtained from a variety of natural plant resources including, berries, leave, roots and flowers. The medicinal properties are usually extracted and concentrated in alcohol. A teaspoon of this medicine is easy to take in a little water. It’s true that some herbs don’t taste very good but that is a small price to pay for most people who are keen to start their family.
Herbal medicine when combined with proper diet and optimum nutrition is very effective, and the television publicity given to a Queensland herbalist dubbed the ‘baby maker’ has made herbal treatments for infertility very popular in Australia recently. As more and more couples conceive this way and spread the word about natural treatments they will become more often the treatment of choice and IVF will become a last resort as it should be..
HOW DOES HERBAL MEDICINE HELP WITH FERTILITY?
Evidence for the use of herbal medicine stretches back to 200 AD. Fertility remedies are made from special extracts of herbs which correct hormonal imbalance and have a positive effect on reproductive health. People taking herbs for infertility will often find other chronic conditions like eczema or hay fever will clear up too.
A frequently quoted study from the University of Surrey revealed data suggesting that herbal remedies greatly increase your chance of conceiving.
The study included dozens of couples with a past history of infertility; half of the participants were administered herbs and supplements. The controls had no intervention. Over a year the group taking the herbs and vitamins had a staggering 80% success rate. The controls had only a 10% conception rate.
It is also indisputable that diet and lifestyle affects the number and quality and motility of sperm as well as female fertility. Therefore, as well as herbal medicine, a good herbalist will advise on nutrition, exercise, stress, environment and other lifestyle considerations. This will maximise a healthy conception followed by a healthy pregnancy and finally the delivery of a bright healthy bonnie baby to an energetic yet peaceful and joyous mum
ARE THE HERBS SAFE?
And what if I get pregnant and don’t know- will herbs hurt my baby? It’s strange, but the people who worry the most about nature’s plant remedies are usually the same people who take over the counter painkillers, NSAIDs, anti-depressants and other potentially toxic pharmaceutical drugs without a second thought.
In brief – Yes herbs are safe- but even so they are powerful health and fertility modulators and the advice of a professional herbalist or naturopath should always be sought. Herbal medicine is prescribed and mixed on an individual basis and herbal formulas are altered according to responses throughout the treatment period.
This kind of treatment is only available from qualified and registered practitioners.
Article provided by
Diana Thurbon
|
