Originally Posted by
taramtly
Does anyone know of any herb (common preferably) that will increase the chances of a woman conceiving and help in the fertility prospect ?
Most western medical sources will tell you to avoid any kind of herbal during pregnancy. However, in western medicine there is widespread "fear" of herbals because they have not been sufficiently "studied". This is fear-mongering of the worst kind; herbs have been used safely for millennia, and there is considerable good knowledge of how herbs work. What we do need to be careful of is herbal-drug interactions (which are definitely possible, and not well-studied.) Otherwise, if you are using herbs with the help of reputable herbal resources (including books and professionals), I think your risk is less than the risk associated with the side effects of drugs.
In my experience, there are herbal supports that you can take safely while trying to conceive. I've done so. You should do some good research though, and ensure that you are completely comfortable doing so. It's also worthwhile to go through a complete medical physical, to be sure that there are no physical problems that need to be addressed. No herb will help you conceive if you have blocked fallopian tubes, for instance.
Assuming your health is good and there are no obvious problems, one of the best herbalists to read if you want to help with conception is Jill Aviva Romm. Her books are very helpful. If you can't find them on a store shelf and / or can't afford to buy them, check out your local library and see if they can borrow a copy from another library for you. You can then read the book at no cost!
Another good person to read is Susun Weed. She also has particular expertise with herbs and women.
While many will just tell you that you shouldn't take any kind of herb when pregnant, I don't believe this to be true. Herbs are a great way to support your body. They can help with a host of problems, from morning sickness to milk production after the baby is born.
In terms of helping to conceive, the best herb that I know of is chaste tree (also called Agnus vitex). There are some herbalists that suggest you can take chaste tree for up to 90 days into a pregnancy and suffer no ill effects. I have personal experience with this herb. In my case, I was trying to conceive another child at age 44. I took chaste tree throughout my cycle, and then used a pregnancy test if my period was late. If I got my period and / or I had not conceived yet, I stayed on the herb. Once I was sure I had conceived, I stopped the herb, with no problem for me or for my healthy daughter.
If you want the opinion of an herbalist on the safety of certain herbs during pregnancy, here is a very good list that I used as a quick check if I was interested in something:
http://www.growinglife.com/herbalsafety.htm
Hope this genuinely helps...