Herbal Remedies

Q. Are there any concerns about taking herbal remedies when trying to conceive?

A. Yes, unfortunately there are. Unlike prescription and over-the-counter medicines, herbal remedies are not reviewed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for potency and purity. This means that in the U.S., herbal remedies are not required to be safe or effective before they’re made available to the public. It also means that there may be some ingredients in the product that aren’t listed on the label. Without knowing exactly what the ingredients are in the herbal product, it’s difficult to determine if the product is safe to use in pregnant women or women trying to get pregnant. Make sure you talk to your pharmacist or doctor before taking any herbal products while you’re trying to conceive, or while you’re pregnant or breastfeeding.

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You’ve only been trying for a few months, but you’re already starting to get annoyed rather than excited when you see a pregnant woman. Or you’ve been trying a lot longer. . . and you can’t even bear to look. Here’s how to get over it until it’s your turn.
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Everyone knows about maternity leave, but sometimes women need to take time off before a baby arrives. If you’re having fertility treatments or trying to adopt, here’s what you should know to get the time off you need. Whether—and when—to tell your boss that you’re undergoing fertility treatments or arranging an adoption depends a lot on your relationship with your supervisor. While most workplace experts caution against revealing too much personal information, how do you explain being late for work because of blood tests and ultrasounds, and then needing to get home for hormone injections? Or what if you must travel abroad to bring home a baby, and then want three months to bond with your adopted child?
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As kids, we all learned about the birds and the bees. But we probably didn’t learn enough about fertility to know how babies can be conceived when nature doesn’t work perfectly.
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When a couple is having trouble conceiving or carrying a pregnancy, sometimes a “third party” is enlisted to help. These women—egg donors and surrogates—are giving one of the greatest gifts of all. Find out why they do it.
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By now you’ve probably heard of Clomid, the most commonly-used fertility drug in the United States. But do you really know how it works and what the possible side effects can be? If fertility drugs are your next step in the attempt to get pregnant, then here is a quick rundown of the seven medications your doctor is most likely to prescribe.
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