Top 5 Natural Fertility Treatments

Most people think of natural fertility treatments in terms of an herb or a pill, but some of the most useful natural therapies for couples trying to conceive don't require a trip to the health products store. In fact, two of the simplest natural fertility treatments only require taking a different approach to lovemaking, at least when having sexual intercourse for the purpose of conceiving a child.

Scientific data show that sexual intercourse after prolonged foreplay reduces chances for conception. This is because the anterior or front wall of the uterus rises during foreplay. This creates a longer path for the sperm to "swim" on its way to fertilize the egg. A variation of sexual intercourse that enhances a couple's chances of getting pregnant is having sex in the missionary position. The missionary position puts natural tension on the man's penis. This stretches it into a modified boomerang shape so that it reaches further into the cervix, giving the ejaculated sperm a shorter path to the egg for fertilization.

Another approach to natural fertility that can be extremely helpful when the woman's fertility is hampered by PCOS, also known as polycystic ovarian syndrome, is calorie-reduction. Cutting out enough calories to lose just 2 to 5 pounds restores fertility in 40 to 50 per cent of all cases of PCOS in just six months. The way this works is that reducing calories also reduces the intake of simple sugars. When there is less blood glucose in circulation, the ovaries make less testosterone. And when a woman's ovaries make less testosterone, the symptoms of PCOS, including failure to ovulate or failure to have a period, become less severe.

Two herbs help restore fertility, but both of them are intended for use by women, not men. Vitex restores a woman's fertility by reducing the production of luteinizing hormone (LH), which it turn reduces the production of testosterone. Reducing testosterone levels usually enhances female fertility, but reduces male fertility. Men should never take vitex. Another herb that assists women trying to achieve is dong quai, which is also known as tang-kuei and Chinese angelica. This herb reduces the production of estrogen. When estrogen levels go down during the first half of a woman's period, endometrial tissue is less inflamed, and any bits and pieces of endometrium that may be blocking ovulation or interfering with the implantation of the fertilized egg are smaller and less of a problem for fertility.