Chinese Herbs for Egg Quality Over 40
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At Integrative Healing Arts, we understand how daunting it can feel to get pregnant after age 40. Many women assume their window of fertility has closed once they reach their 40s and beyond. But we've guided countless mothers successfully through this journey, proving it's very possible to conceive naturally even after 40.
The key is taking a holistic approach to optimize your overall health and hormonal balance. While age does make conception more difficult, supporting your body through nutrition, stress management, and natural therapies like herbal medicine can dramatically improve your fertility after 40.
Why do women over 40 struggle with infertility?
As women age, ovarian reserve, and egg quality diminish over time. Hormone levels, particularly those involved in the menstrual cycle like estrogen, progesterone, and FSH, can become imbalanced. This makes it harder for the ovaries to release an egg for fertilization each cycle.
Being 40 is one of those milestone birthdays that culture likes to label as “middle-aged”, and unfortunately Western medicine considers over 35 to be geriatric when it comes to maternity.
In their early and late 40s, many women enter perimenopause - that transitional period leading into menopause where hormone fluctuations really kick in. The natural aging process, combined with factors like stress, poor diet, and environmental toxins can throw your whole endocrine system out of whack.
But you're not alone in facing these challenges. With some lifestyle adjustments and the right natural fertility plan, getting pregnant over 40 can be possible, just as we've seen with our many success stories at the clinic.
Chinese herbs to boost egg quality after 40
While conventional fertility treatments like IVF and IUI can be invasive and costly, traditional Chinese herbal medicine provides a gentle yet powerful approach. Specific herbal formulas can nourish and restore hormonal balance, stimulate ovulation, enhance egg quality, and revitalize your overall reproductive function.
Drawing from centuries of ancient wisdom, at Integrative Healing Arts we craft customized herbal protocols using these key botanicals to encourage healthy fertility for our over 40 patients trying to conceive.
Dong Quai (Angelica sinensis)
Considered the "female ginseng" in TCM, Dong Quai has long been used to treat various menstrual and fertility issues in women. Studies show it works by enhancing blood flow and oxygen to the uterus and ovaries, helping promote healthy ovulation while supporting hormone regulation and egg quality.
Dong Quai is particularly helpful for women over 40 experiencing irregular cycles or lack of ovulation due to low estrogen and progesterone. Its warming properties help generate more yang energy to restart the reproductive engine.
Ren Shen (Panax Ginseng)
As a powerful adaptogen, Ren Shen helps the body better cope with stress - one of the biggest enemies of fertility at any age. This ancient root boosts energy levels and helps normalize hormone imbalances that can prevent ovulation and implantation.
For women over 40 trying to conceive, Ren Shen's ability to regulate the HPA axis hormones involved in the stress response can be game-changing. Lowering stress restores hormonal harmony for improved egg health and increased chances of successful conception.
Tu Si Zi (Cuscuta)
This herb has been revered for centuries for its rejuvenating effects, especially for the reproductive organs and kidneys. Tu Si Zi helps promote healthy ovulation and menstruation by nourishing the yin/yang balance. Many of our patients over 40 have low ovarian reserve and find it harder to produce fertile quality eggs.
Danggui (Angelica sinensis)
Another fertility powerhouse, Danggui shares similar properties to Dong Quai in its ability to increase blood flow and circulation to the uterus. This ensures the uterine lining is properly thickened and ready for implantation.
Danggui is extremely effective at regulating the menstrual cycle - a must for women over 40 whose cycles may have become irregular, absent, or too light for ovulation to occur. It can help promote a healthy, steady flow to restore fertility.
Chai Hu (Bupleurum)
Part of what makes conceiving over 40 so difficult is hormones like estrogen and testosterone can become imbalanced and stuck in a stagnant pattern. Chai Hu helps get that stuck energy moving again to improve hormonal flow. By facilitating better hormone balance, Chai Hu makes for more regular ovulation.
Ban Xia (Pinellia)
Excess dampness and phlegm can disrupt the reproductive channels and impair fertility. Ban Xia helps drain that excess moisture and clear out hormonal byproducts that may be gumming up the works. For women over 40, Ban Xia’s ability to reduce internal dampness while boosting digestive and metabolic function can improve hormonal detoxification and balance.
Other herbs to try
Black Cohosh
Long used by Native Americans for female reproductive issues, black cohosh is incredibly effective at restoring hormonal balance. It acts as a phytoestrogen, providing a gentle estrogenic effect that can help regulate irregular cycles and alleviate menopause symptoms like hot flashes that disrupt fertility.
For women over 40 dealing with estrogen decline, taking black cohosh helps raise low levels while also promoting healthy progesterone production needed for ovulation and implantation.
Red Clover
Like black cohosh, red clover is rich in isoflavones that mimic estrogen's effects. This botanical can be incredibly useful for women over 40 experiencing estrogen deficiency which impacts cervical mucus production, endometrial lining, and overall fertility health.
Red clover has also been shown to help increase the production of luteinizing hormone, a reproductive hormone that's pivotal for ovulation and supporting early pregnancy.
Evening Primrose Oil
This oil is packed with gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), an omega-6 fatty acid that helps regulate reproductive hormones and cycles. For women over 40, evening primrose oil can help combat hormonal imbalances, sluggish follicle development, and lack of ovulation. For women over 40 it can help with hot flashes and mood shifts. Studies state that GLA in evening primrose has also been found to increase cervical mucus production - an important factor for fertility as you age and cervical fluids decrease.
Maca
An adaptogenic root vegetable from Peru, maca is revered for its ability to restore hormonal harmony and boost fertility in both men and women. For women over 40, it helps gently raise low estrogen levels while promoting ovulation and enhanced egg quality. For women in perimenopause, it can help with inflammation. Maca is also rich in nutrients like vitamin C, amino acids, and plant sterols that can counteract the negative effects of estrogen deficiency and stress on fertility after 40.
Flax Seeds
These little seeds offer a big fertility boost thanks to their concentration of lignans - beneficial compounds that have antioxidant and weak estrogenic properties. The lignans in flax can help modulate estrogen levels and ratios for improved ovulation and cycle regulation.
The omega-3s in flax also play a role by reducing inflammation and enhancing blood flow to increase responsiveness to hormones involved in ovulation like GnRH, LH, and FSH.
Always seek professional advice when using Chinese Herbal Medicine
At Integrative Healing Arts, we believe Chinese herbal blends help women overcome fertility issues and improve their overall reproductive health.
Herbs can be incredibly powerful and can provide different effects on different people.
We understand that every woman is different, therefore we strongly suggest against using herbs without professional guidance. Selecting the wrong herbs, or even using the right herbs for longer than needed, can worsen your condition.
If you’re considering using herbs to boost your fertility, seek out professional guidance first and work with an experienced, trained herbalist like those at Integrative Healing Arts to determine which formulas will work best for you.
Book your appointment today
Trying to conceive can be an anxious time, regardless of how old you are. If you’re over 40 and struggling to get pregnant, you don’t have to take this journey alone.
When you book your first appointment with Integrative Healing Arts, you can be confident that you are on the right track to improving your fertility.
During your visit, Tsao will help create a plan that suits your needs for a healthy pregnancy. She will take the time to learn about your history, health concerns, and fertility goals, guiding you to start your journey. You can trust Tsao’s years of experience and wealth of knowledge to help you conceive naturally and have the baby you’ve always dreamed of.
