Although herbs can be potent and may stimulate ovulation, the most important aspect about taking herbs is to address the underlying pattern of imbalance, rather than addressing lack of ovulation, which is what Clomid does.

Herbs like wild yam and vitex have been found to encourage ovulation, but only if you have the imbalance known as kidney yang vacuity (which includes luteal phase defect and low progesterone levels,) according to the pattern differentiation of Chinese medicine. If you are deficient in yin energies (like estrogen), taking wild yam and/or vitex will make your scenario worse.

I stress that the most important thing you can do to return your body to fully functioning reproductive help is to address the underlying pattern of imbalance. For example, women who are not menstruating because of low estrogen levels will not ovulate or menstruate until their follicles start producing estrogen. If low body fat is the reason for the low estrogen, then weight gain will be the only effective initial remedy. Then we can use the appropriate herbs to help restore balance to the hypothalamic-pituitary ovarian axis. Herbs tonify only what is deficient, address and remove any obstruction, and then the body does what it is supposed to do - ovulate on its own.

Yin deficiency symptoms include hot flashes, night sweats, dry eyes, mouth, vagina, lack of cervical mucus, etc. Herbs like angelica and asparagi would be appropriate here to restore reproductive balance.

Yang deficiency symptoms include low back pain, cold hands and feet, nighttime urination, low libido, etc. Herbs like vitex and wild yam will help this scenario restore endocrine health.

Lisa Olson is a Chinese herbal specialist who has helped hundreds of women who failed to conceive naturally,

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