Saw palmetto and vitex... Is it too late for our attempt?

[strawberryapple]

We are hoping to try for our first attempt this month (ttc girl). I really don't want to wait to much longer, for other reasons we have been putting off trying for the last couple of months. So this month I want to just go for it! I have been doing Le diet for the past 6 weeks, will be using rephresh, folic acid and also started taking asprin this month (after dropping cal/mag and cranberry).

Unfortunately, I have only just found out about Saw palmetto and vitex? I would really like to take them to maximise my chances for a little girl. So I started both at the beginning of this months AF (so have been on them for about 4 days).

My concerns are that I have left it too late to take these if I want to try and concieve this month or would it be sensible to wait till next month before we try? Also, i have been reading that they might mess up timings.

I was taking peppermint tea before Saw palmetto, which I have now stopped. But drinking this last month seems to have messed up my AF which came 4 days early this month. So I am now unsure if my ov will still be cd15, as previous months?

We are planning to do frequent release, with a 3 day cut off. But now I'm worried I can't pin point exactly when this will be. Would it still be a good girl sway to wait till I get my first +opk and then make our attempt? (hoping attempt would still be 1 or 2 days before ov).

Sorry for waffling on, really hope my concerns make sense. Would really appreciate some guidance and help.
Many thanks in advance.

[harleyquinn]

It can't hurt to take them now, may help. Vitex seems to affect some people very quickly. Your O may be messed up so be prepared for that...which *may* make a cutoff difficult.

I think waiting till the +opk is a solid plan. As far as waiting till next month, there is no gaurantee waiting will accomplish anything but thats a personal call GL xx

[strawberryapple]

Thank you so much for your reply and help.

I'm still can't decide what to do, I think we will try this month. But I really didn't want to do our first attempt so close to ovulation, but I can't see another option for us.

[harleyquinn]

I know...its nerve-wracking sometimes. You could always start this month very strict (like with antihistimines and rephresh quite close to the attempt) and if it doesn't work, start up with the Vitex/SP again next AF. The attempt close to O won't make a difference...there are tons of studies that suggest more girls are conceived close to O day. I think 0-1 had the best result? But all the studies seem to refute each other...because timing just isn't a big factor.

have you read the thread The Trouble with Timing? This may set your mind at ease.

[harleyquinn]

http://genderdreaming.com/forum/gend...le-timing.html

[strawberryapple]

Thank you so much harleyquinn, I have had a good read thought the timing thread. It has really helped calm me down and I still think attempting when I get my +opk is the best plan too.

I think my biggest concern is that I would have only been on vitex and saw palmetto (and asprin) for only a week or so before our attempt. (I just don't want that to be a regret!)... Gut feeling is to wait to till next month, but then I don't want to be on the diet for too long and I am desperate to finally be pregnant again (I am not getting any younger!). I am already doing rephresh every 3 days and have just started taking Benadryl daily (have about a week before attempt).

Also, can I check I'm on the correct amounts? I am taking 400mg of vitex Agnus castus (which recommends 2 caps twice a day) and I couldn't get the Saw Palmetto standardised extract (320mg), so I am taking Saw Palmetto 450mg (again says 2 caps twice a day). Is this a problem? Should I just take 3 of these capsules instead of the recommended 4?

Hope you don't mind helping me with this decision? Thank you again for all your time and help.

[harleyquinn]

So you are taking 2 caps of 400 mg 2X a day? THis is a major math problem for me...so 1600mg? That seems a bit high to me...maybe somebody else will correct me, but I have seen 1200mg being the ceiling on Vitex with most women seeming to take 800mg.
The saw palmetto, its a shame you can't find the standardized. The non standardized pills you have to willy nilly trust the amount you are getting. The safe amount of SP is actually pretty high, but as you know 320 being recommended. I would stick to 3 on those but it prob wouldn't mean anything dire to take 4 but on the safe side, personally I would try to get the standardized or just take 3.

Good luck on your attempt xx There is nothing wrong with waiting another month either if that is what your gut tells you!

[strawberryapple]

That's great, thank you for helping me with the amounts. I will try get the standardised capsules (320mg), hopefully they come back into stock in my local shop on Friday but I will carry on just taking 3 of the other ones till then. I will also drop the amount of the vitex, I think I will just take 2 (800mg) for the next week till ov.

We have a couple more days to make the decision about our attempt, it's so exciting but I want to be sure I've done everything I can to hopefully make it a good sway!

[harleyquinn]

I tend to think lower doses of Vitex are better for ttc girl. At a low dose it raises your prolactin or some such thing, which decreases other hormones ie estrogen/test and makes your libido go down.. Higher doses lower your prolactin and there is the opposite affect so to be on the safe side, I think lower doses of Vitex are prob best but of course this is just speculation on my part

Good luck

[strawberryapple]

That's interesting, I will have to look into it a bit more. I feel much happier knowing I am taking all the right supplements now.
Thank you for your good luck wishes