Did I accidentally take a natural supplement that led me to conceive twins? Could there actually be a natural alternative to a common fertility medication called Clomid (clomiphene) that I took without knowing its true effects? You guys, this question has been weighing heavy on my mind the last few weeks, ever since I found out some information that I’ll share below.
If you’ve read any of my previous posts, you’ll know that I conceived twins naturally with just one fallopian tube following an ectopic pregnancy. Naturally, I decided to optimize my supplement game when we chose to start trying for baby number two, in the hopes of maximizing my chances of quickly conceiving a baby (and reducing the months of BFNs and disappointment) given my “reduced” fertility status – or so I thought.
Was I Taking A Natural Alternative For Clomid?
Having never taken fertility medication, I knew the basic overview of what Clomid is and how it works, but it’s only recently that I learned the specifics:
- Taking Clomid on days 2-6 of your menstrual cycle causes more follicles to be “recruited” to grow that cycle, by stimulating the production of the fertility hormones LH and FSH
- This happens on both ovaries. The result is that multiple eggs can be released from each ovary, depending on how well your body responds to the medication
- This greatly increases the chances of twins, triplets or other higher order multiples, with some sources citing the chance of conceiving twins while taking clomid being up between a massive 6% and 11% – compared to approximately 0.004% from natural pregnancies (that’s my calculation for one in every 250 births, which most people talk about)
- Clomid cycles are often monitored via ultrasound to reduce the likelihood of both very large pregnancies (4+ babies) as well as help prevent ovarian hyperstimulation
What I never knew, however, is that there may be some natural alternatives to clomid. And yep – I was taking one of them as part of my normal daily supplements that I thought were simply supporting my fertility. I think that because there’s limited evidence in the research as to the effects of these natural alternatives, they’re not often talked about and not something that come to the front of the mind when it comes to giving someone a warning label. Also, just like actual fertility medication, different people will respond differently and be more or less receptive to it. I totally get it. But I honestly never considered that taking a natural supplement may affect my ability to have twins. A timely and great reminder to be very careful about what we put into our bodies, I guess.
Anyway, given that this is naturally a very big shock to me – if I can help anyone else out by informing them that the natural supplements they’re taking may accidentally lead to twins (whether they want that or not), then I feel a moral duty to do so and help.
Over The Counter Natural Clomid Alternatives
So, being a medical researcher by day, I quickly did a deep dive into readily available supplements that may have an impact on fertility, and may increase the likelihood of having twins. Here’s what I found, including any research behind it. I’ll let you know which one I was taking without knowing it, too!
Black Cohosh
So it turns out that Black Cohosh is thought to have an estrogen-like effect, which may potentially support our reproductive health. There is some clinical evidence (in research) to indicate that Black Cohosh may aid in inducing ovulation, especially in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). It was also found to greatly support the effects of clomid – one study (I’ll create a reference section at the end of this article) found that when women used Black Cohosh together with Clomid, it not only improved their ovulation but increased pregnancy rates by 170%, compared to just taking clomid on its own. Black Cohosh is also thought to help support the uterus lining to help make it more likely to support implantation when a fertilized egg tries to implant.
From reading this, I’d definitely feel somewhat confident that Black Cohosh can support the fertility journey, and could maybe support twins if you already naturally ovulate multiple eggs at once. I guess that’s an area we don’t really have much information on – how much of the population may generally ovulate two eggs at once, but for whatever reason, only one is likely to implant.
I actually came across a small-scale study that came out of a university in Canada, where women with normal menstrual cycles had ultrasounds. The results were approximately 40% of the study participants had the “biological potential” to produce more than one egg that cycle – meaning that it’s very possible that many of us release more than one egg per month, but only one implants. So increasing the likelihood of successful implantation could lead to getting pregnant with twins that otherwise wouldn’t have occurred in this sense.
Soy Isoflavones
Ah, soy isoflavones. My good old friend. I’ve actually looked into soy isoflavones as a fertility support for a long time – long before I conceived my twins. It all started when I came across a thread online of women taking soy isoflavones at the start of their cycle, and getting BFPs – at what seemed like a higher rate than in those that didn’t take soy isoflavones.
The short story is that soy isoflavones have been nicknamed “the natural clomid” online in pregnancy forums, by many women who have fallen pregnant after taking them. Looking into the research and online sources, it seems that soy isoflavones can help regulate and increase estrogen levels, leading to multiple eggs being stimulated and growing at the same time. This is how soy isoflavones are thought to help induce ovulation in a similar way to clomid, by making you release multiple eggs at once. Soy isoflavones may also support the uterine (endometrial) lining to increase the likelihood of successful implantation and pregnancy. Or multiple pregnancies!
Now, I was taking soy isoflavones when I fell pregnant with my twins, whether it’s a coincidence or not. My thinking here was that if I only have one active tube, then being able to ovulate one egg from each ovary (instead of one in total) would bring me back to a baseline in line with everyone else, in terms of the chances of falling pregnant that month. Could it have had an impact? Or could I be one of those people who naturally ovulates multiple eggs and the soy isoflavones could have helped better prepare my lining? Honestly, I have no idea. But it’s possible there was some influence.
Maca Root
Now here’s an interesting one that I had no idea about – and that I have in my cupboard and put into my breakfast every time I make porridge and oats! Maca. So a lot of people talk about Maca root for pregnancy, and I have a Maca powder. The only reason I have it is that when I was browsing the health food section while picking up some LSA (linseeds, sunflower seeds and almonds, all powdered together), I saw the claims on the packet of how incredibly nutrient and antioxidant-rich it is. And it wasn’t that expensive, either. So I thought: why not! So I probably have a teaspoon of maca powder as part of my breakfast several times per week, all through the month. I had no idea it was a big fertility booster for both men and women.
So, maca is believed to help balance hormones, increasing or supporting both LH and FSH levels, which as we know are very important for ovulation. Fun fact: it’s also been found in research to promote libido and sexual function! Which I guess may indirectly improve the chances of pregnancy? Haha – or at least make the journey there a little less stressful!
In men, Maca has been shown to improve semen quality, including sperm count, motility, and volume. Time to start slipping it into hubby’s smoothie or porridge?! For us women, it may promote a healthier uterus lining, making it more receptive to implantation.
Looking over studies, I couldn’t see anything that directly linked Maca to twin pregnancies. But if it supports fertility and conception in general, it couldn’t hurt? Either way – it sounds like Maca has so many more (potential) health benefits beyond fertility, which is what drew me into getting it. So I’ll continue to take it when I have porridge, even if our family is now complete.
Vitex
Vitex (which originates from a chaste berry) is another one that seems very topical when talking about natural fertility supplements, but I’m hesitant to put it here because of my own experience with it. I’ll have to share it in its own blog post so I have time to do proper research around Vitex, but I actually used it to help bring my period back when I was 12 months postpartum with my first. And it worked tremendously well. Seriously – from the moment I took the first capsule, exactly two weeks on the dot later, my menstrual cycle returned for the first time in almost two years (counting pregnancy and postpartum) and I don’t believe for a minute that that’s a coincidence.
So naturally, I kept taking it, thinking it’d support my fertility. Unfortunately, my experience was the opposite. I was taking ovulation predictor tests to track my cycle, and found that it started delaying my ovulation and lengthening my cycle further, and further, and further. Previously, I’d ovulate pretty reliably on CD16. The first month this increased to 18, then 21, and the following month CD25. I decided to stop taking it and the following month, I ovulated CD16, as normal. It really scared me off taking it again after learning that it could really screw with my cycle.
Natural Alternatives For Clomid: Are They Safe?
Now that I’ve shared my experience and what I found, I guess the real question is whether the natural alternatives to Clomid are safe. Being a natural product, I personally feel comfortable with any of these (in moderation of course), but I completely acknowledge that there’s a solid chance that they may affect my cycle in an undesirable way, as well as in a desirable way. So I think this is where everyone needs to evaluate their own circumstances and do their own research, deciding what they think is best for their body.
I think that ultimately, if we were having another and I was having trouble conceiving, I’d speak with a fertility specialist and start there, so I was fully aware of all of my options.