Chamomile tea for inducing period after Depo Provera (take 2!)

I thought I would update on the effects of using chamomile tea to induce my period. After 3 nights of drinking chamomile tea, I stopped for about two days, mostly from being busy. I noticed the first morning after I stopped the chamomile I had what appeared to be an increase in spotting. I found I needed to wear a pantiliner "just in case" since then. Most days I might not have needed it until later in the day. Lately, the spotting has slowed down, even though I started drinking chamomile again yesterday.

Ah, and bonus! My order of Dong Quai supplement came in. It instructs to take 1-2 mL 3 times a day. I don't know if I can do that, as I'd have to take it to work or mix it up before work.  So I'm going to start with 1-2 doses per day, also to see how it affects me.

As I noted in earlier posts, Dong Quai can be dangerous in early pregnancy, so always ensure you are not currently pregnant before starting it. It also recommends to only take from menstruation to ovulation, to ensure that if a fetus implants there is less affect from it in early pregnancy. Since I'm not sure if I will menstruate or ovulate on this first, I may start temping in a few days if my period doesn't show.

Ok, don't know if this is the Dong Quai or tired after a long day, but I'm suddenly feeling sleepy. One of the double perks I read about Dong Quai is it's antihistamine properties, which I need as my fall allergies are kicking in. But, apparently I'll only be able to take at night if it makes me this drowsy.

My current experience inducing AF aka my menses after Depo Provera

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I know I said I was going to continue my last post on herbal emmenagogues and I will start with the choices I attempted. Some of the most accessible to me were chamomile, and possibly peppermint (although I think this must be taken in larger doses). The first night I tried a cup or two of peppermint tea, which was a little spicy/stingy, but really helped my stomach. I didn’t notice any change in spotting or anything after that.

The next night I tried chamomile tea, which has more data supporting its ability to bring on menstruation (See this site at Sister Zeus for inducing late menstruation) The chamomile had quite the opposite effect on my stomach, but the next morning I had begun to spot.

Now, the main ways depo provera works to prevent pregnancy are thinning the lining of the uterus and creating a sticky mucus plug to prevent sperm from reaching the egg. When the first of the spotting began after drinking the tea, it was very pale, brown and had clots that were very pale—almost white.  So, I have had 1-2 cups of chamomile tea each night, each morning spotting has increased, but is still quite brown and somewhat clotty.

Today I have also experienced increase in cramps, tender nipples, and bloating/constipation, which are some usual PMS signs for me. I may continue the chamomile tea, but it is definitely a diuretic, as even if I drink only one cup, I have to pee A LOT not just at night, but sometimes even into the next day.

I have been debating if chamomile is the right solution for me. As the depo provera has thinned the lining of my uterus, I’m not sure if there is much to start a period. I have been reading a lot of information on various herbs that are helpful in regulating the menstrual cycle.

Three that come highly recommended are Dong Quai, Red Clover and Red Raspberry Leaf. According to Natural Fertility Info.com, Red clover  is helpful in increasing circulatory function, and can also be key in improving a woman’s cervical fluid.

Another herb that works well with Red Clover is Red Raspberry Leaf. The benefits of RedRaspberry Leafcan counteract the increased bleeding that may occur with Red Clover. The particular benefits of Red Raspberry Leaf for fertility according to Natural Fertility Info.com are:

Recurrent Miscarriage: If you have experienced miscarriage due to uterine weakness.

·       Heavy Menstrual Bleeding: The astringent properties of this herb help to stop heavy bleeding. It is also high in iron which may help prevent anemia due to heavy menstrual bleeding.

Poor Egg Quality/Nutritional Deficiency: This herb is very nutritive and may help to boost overall nutrition.

·       General Preparation for Pregnancy: If you are thinking of trying to get pregnant this herb may be a great ally for preparing your uterus and boosting overall nutritional intake. It is also safe for men to use as well as it does not contain any hormone like substances.

·       Uterine Trauma: If you have had surgery to remove fibroids, endometrial tissues, cysts or have had uterine prolapse, previous uterine hemmorage or a Cesarean section this herb may help your recovery and healing of the uterus. The toning effect of Red Raspberry leaf helps the uterus to recover more quickly.

Dong Quai is the Chinese form of Angelica. It is also considered a blood tonic and these are the benefits of Dong Quai on the female reproductive system as listed by Natural Fertility Info.com

·  Menstrual irregularities  (Previous problem I have had)

·  Delayed or absent menstruation (Current problem after Depo)

·  Short periods with cramping

·  Strengthening a “weakened uterus”

·  If you experience cramping and PMS during your period.

·  Women who have stopped taking birth control pills and need to encourage a regular cycle (Definite need for post-Depo fertility aid)

·  Light or slow starting menstruation

·  Stagnant conditions

For myself I am choosing to start Dong Quai. I have ordered a Dong Quai tincture to start with balancing my cycle. If this is successful, I may consider adding a combo of Red Clover/Red Raspberry Leaf.

Please don’t forget to read the safety and side effects listed on Natural Fertility Info.com’s page on Dong Quai; the most important are to remember to stop during menstruation, as it can lead to heavy bleeding and also if you get a positive pregnancy test as it can be toxic in early pregnancy.

I can’t wait to get my order in! In the meantime I may keep up with the chamomile.

Understanding Herbal Emmenagogues Pt. 1

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     Last post I mentioned wanting to create a post on how to use herbal emmenagogues to induce menstruation. In this part, I want to describe what an emmenagogue is, what reasons to use one when trying to conceive and various resources and options for you to use in determining the best herbs for your particular needs.

     The reason to take an emmenagogue is if a woman’s period was running late and she wants to hurry it along. Many women with infertility that are attempting to conceive may often experience long, anovulatory cycles which can delay the start of a new cycle, extending the horrid waiting experienced throughout the process of trying to conceive.

    One benefit to be received from learning to chart fertility signs is the awareness that if ovulation is known to occur a woman may have to wait no more than 17 days after its occurrence to experience her menstrual bleed.¹ But, for many women having difficulty conceiving a physical condition is preventing ovulation from occurring, which will delay shedding of the uterine lining.

    To be clear, an emmenagogue is something best to use when pregnancy is known to have not been achieved and one wants to ensure that their next cycle will start. Most emmenagogues can be safe even if the woman is pregnant and would not affect a healthy pregnancy. Some emmenagogues, however, may be classified as abortifacients meaning it could be possible to for their use to cause a healthy pregnancy to terminate if taken very early in the cycle. ²

Returning to fertility after the Depo Provera shot

So, I knew that Depo Provera injection for birth control had its risks. Not just the range of severe side effects (weight gain, breast tenderness, moodiness, bloating, IBS effects, etc) but the fact it can take twice as long as other types of birth control to return to ovulation and fertility. At the time, it seemed an acceptable option as I was looking at the recommendation (or some might call it strong-arming) of the crack perinatologist team that wanted me to get a tubal ligation.

Now that I have the amazing news from my cardiologist that he supports my efforts to TTC, I’m researching what it means to attempt pregnancy after Depo Provera. From most information I read, the minimum time to return to fertility after Depo Provera may be 55 days (about 2 months) but most agree that the expected time would be around 6 months. See Web MD Blog and Society for Menstrual CycleResearch  (See Justisse Method: Fertility Awareness and Body Literacy A User's Guide (Volume 1) for their take on Natural Family Planning)

Based on most information, since Depo Provera works two ways to prevent pregnancy, thickening the cervical fluid and thinning the lining of the uterus. See this BabyMed.com article.

Just when you're ready to zig, they zag...

So, I wanted to ease back into blogging. One reason I listed my last blog post was because those were the things I have been dealing with since the end of July.I scheduled an appt with the ACHA certified cardiologist in Houston. Let's call him Dr. Direct. I had an MRI and was sent home with a holter monitor to measure my heart rhythms for 24 hours. I was told when I left that after Dr. Direct had a chance to go over the MRI and other test results, he would call me to discuss the results.

At the appt, Dr. Direct mentioned that there would be certain conditions that I had to meet to even qualify for the melody valve procedure. At least two things had to be changed, the size of my valve (width) and also amount of leakage through the valve. Dr. Direct acknowledged another option that he recommended, of adding additional medications to my current single med I am currently taking to moderate my heart palpitations (irregular rhythms).

How to accept the option of living child-free

Obviously, I haven't posted in months. From my last post, I was struggling with the recommendations from my doctors that carrying a pregnancy would endanger my life and processing never being able to parent a child that was my husband's and mine without the use of a surrogate.
Every couple seeking to conceive will have different motivations for doing so. I think for all of us it is based on a primal instinct to reproduce.  I believe the motivations of each couple are important in determining what avenues of achieving parenthood that they  are willing to pursue.

Most couples start with natural means. Some may need to move on to further medical interventions, such as IUI or IVF. These may be needed if the couples main motivation is to carry a child that is genetically theirs and for the mother to carry the pregnancy.