One of the most frustrating things for me while looking for advice regarding herbs was that there didn't seem to be enough success stories being documented.
I vowed that if I had any success at all, I would share with everyone as much as I could!!!
I've been ttc for 2 years now. After my first and only pregnancy ended up being an ectopic pregnancy in Oct. 2006 I found out I had PCOS and only had one normal cycle for a whole year (not something new to me- my cycles have always been irregular except for when I became pregnant when I had had a full year of normal cycles! That was due to weight loss) , at that time, I started seeing a specialist and was advised to take Clomid.
I was basically given a prescription for 6 months, instructed to go get my progesterone checked cd 21 and was sent out the door.
I ovulated, but did not conceive 5/6 of those months.
I waited two months after the Clomid treatment ended just to see what would happen to my body- sure enough, my cycles went all weird and strange (just like it always has been).
I invested in MANY different products and ended up with this routine:
I started first with my smoothies as I had no idea where my cycle was at the time and just wanted my period to come so I could start my tinctures.
1 tablespoon of MACCA root
1 tsp spirlulina
2 caps of Bee Propolis (also contains siberian gingsing, royal jelly, greet tea extract, and bee pollen)
1 banana
tsp cinnamon
handful of frozen berries
little bit of water if needed
2 tblsp vanilla yougurt
16 days after I started the smoothies, I got my period!! Based on my normal luteal phase, which is exactly 16 days, this means either that cycle had been annovulatory and the smoothies helped get things in gear. OR I magically ovulated the first day I drank a smoothie. I think the first option seems more likely!
From that day forward (CD1- Ovulation) I took the following:
4 Evening Primrose Oil caps
2 Omega-3 caps
1 Mutli Vitamin
1 Folic Acid
2mLs Vitex tincture 2 times daily
2 mLs Dong Quai tincture 2 times daily
I cup of Green Goddess Tea which I would seep for at least 10 minutes before drinking.
(TEA contains: Black haw, Chamomile, Vitex, Black cohosh, Ginger, Lemon balm, Motherwort, Nettle, Red Raspberry, Yarrow- I ASKED NOT TO HAVE BLACK COHOSH added in as it there are MANY WARNINGS ABOUT THIS HERB)
I'm so proud to say that my body ovulated all on its own on cd20- and for the first time on my conception journey I had ALL the symptoms including ewcm!
Since I ovulated (I'm currently 7dpo) I've been taking the following:
All the same vitamins and minerals minus the Evening Primrose Oil
2 mL Moon Phase II tincture 3x daily
(Vitex, Wild yam, Sarsasparilla, Blue Vervain, Siberian ginseng, Lady's mantle, Partridge berry, Black haw, Dandelion root.)
All my tinctures and the MACCA root were purchased through
www.gaiagarden.com . I'm lucky that they are located within blocks of my work, but they do online orders also. Very clean, dependable herbal store to purchase from.
So, although I don't have a "complete" success story (that will happen as soon as I get my BFP), I believe it has already started to help with my own unbalanced hormones, and I believe 100% that it is the right path to take! I don't trust doctors with the money they get each time the prescribe something, I'm tired of them trying to just put a bandaid on womens fertility issues. Herbs get right down to the base of the matter!
Of course, I have to also attribute my success to my change in diet- I've GREATLY reduced my processed sugar intake, no more alcohol, no more smoking. My New Years resolution is to go a step further and start swimming, and going to yoga regular (i'm planning on changing jobs to accommodate that need) I've starting cutting caffeine out of my diet, which will also cut out additives (the aspertine in my coffee and coke zero)
I also want to add that I would advise ALL ladies interested in starting herbs to do AS MUCH RESEARCH AS POSSIBLE!!! Go see a naturopath if possible also. As we know, all of us are different, and what works for me, may not work for you. I just wanted to share my story to give hope to all the Google-ers and the Searching Cysters.
Good luck to you! I hope that we both get our wishes in 2009!
you can read more about my herbal journey here:
danandiandit.blogspot.com
Vitex (Moon Phase II) Don Quai, Maca Root, cycle success.... 
