Infertility
Definition: Not being able to produce offspring.
Herbal Aids
The Following Comes from Herbal Home Health Care pages 1-8.
CHAPTER ONE-HEALTH FOR PROSPECTIVE PARENTS
If one has been living on the mucusless diet and is now expecting a new healthy child, remember, "faith without works" is not the proper way to go. To carry on the good works of proper diet and preparation for the new mother-to-be, one should include additional aids to purify her body, in order to pass on good health to the expected child.
Besides keeping away from mucus-forming and toxic "food stuffs," she should also be using "special" foods and wholistic procedures to assist the new one coming, and to also give her an easier time of pregnancy and delivery.
One of the herbal foods is red raspberry leaf tea. This is made by using a heaping teaspoons of red raspberry leaves to each cup of hot steam-distilled water, or one ounce of the herbs (two heaping tablespoons, approximately) to each pint of distilled water. Never let the tea boil, but pour the boiling water over the herbs and then steep fifteen or twenty minutes in a warm place, strain and drink. It is best to drink three or more cups a day of this tea during the entire pregnancy. It is a pleasant-tasting tea and is also an anti-nausea....
Red raspberry is a great agent for cleansing a canker condition of the mucous membranes in the alimentary tract, leaving the tissue toned. In pregnancy the infusion, when taken regularly, will quiet premature pains, and will produce a safe, speedy and easy delivery. Raspberry leaves stimulate, tone and regulate (both the leaves and fruit are high in citrate of iron which is the active alterative, blood-making, astringent and contractive agent for the reproductive area) before and during childbearing, assisting contractions and checking hemorrhage during labor, relieving after-pains, then strengthening, cleansing, and enriching the milk of the mother in the post-delivery period. The tea is a valuable and effective agent for female menstrual problems, decreasing the menstrual flow without stopping it abruptly. Raspberry leaves are soothing and toning to the stomach and bowels, with healing action to sore mouths, sore throats, nausea, aphtha, stomatitis, diabetes, diarrhea and dysentery. They are especially valuable in stomach and bowel complaints of children.
Medicinal uses: Constipation, nausea, diarrhea, dysentery, diabetes, pregnancy, uterine hemorrhage, parturition, uterine cramps, labor pains, cholera infantum, leucorrhea, prolapsus uteri, prolapsus ani, hemorrhoids, dyspepsia, vomiting, colds, fevers, intestinal flu, bowel complaint, thrush, relaxed sore throat, ophthalmia, sore mouth, sore throat, spongy gums, ulcers, wounds, gonorrhea.
Preparation: Decoction, fluid extract, infusion, powder, tincture.
There are pages more in this volume on formulas and many other data, but what we have shown here is enough to show you a great pre-remedy as well as a body builder for the "one to be." Other herbal books such as Kloss' Back to Eden and Meyer's The Herbalist etc. sing red raspberry leaf teas' praises to the sky!
Before and during the pregnancy it is extremely important to see that the reproductive organs are functioning properly, and as well as being healthy and producing the correct amounts of hormones and estrogens.
If the female organs are in a questionable condition, it is well before and during pregnancy (also in the post-delivery period) to use our Female Reproductive formula (an herbal food to help strengthen and rebuild the entire reproductive area) and the estrogen Hormonal Changease Formula (herbal aid) to assist in supplying needed hormones and estrogens in the correct amount. The human body is computerized to a point that it will take from an herbal formula such as this one the different types of estrogens and hormones it needs, and easily discard the ones not used. These herbs can be not only accepted into the body, but assimilated when needed and eliminated when not required. Many of the inorganic drugs can be accepted into the body and only a small amount assimilated. The rest of the prescription, being inorganic and of a low vibration, cannot be eliminated with ease and lies in weakened areas, accumulative, to cause side-effects and after-effects as time progresses.
Herbal Aid for Female Reproductive Organs. This is an amazing combination of herbs to aid in rebuilding a malfunctioning reproductive system (uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes, etc.). Over the years herbalists and patients have seen painful menstruations, heavy flowing, cramps, irregularity, etc., that have been helped and the patient now has a painless menstrual period, good menstrual timing, and a new outlook on life by using these aids to readjust the malfunctioning areas. The female corrective formula [Nu Fem] consists of three parts of golden seal root and one part of each of the following: blessed thistle, cayenne, cramp bark, false unicorn root, ginger, red raspberry leaves, squaw vine, and uva ursi.
Recommended dosage is one cup or 2 capsules or tablets morning and evening or three times a day if desired, six days a week for as long as required to get results desired. We have seen many severe cases who have had many years of suffering cleared up in 90 to 120 days. Some get relief sooner, some take longer--no two cases are alike. This is a food to rebuild the malfunctioning organs.
Herbal Aids to Equalize Hormones and Estrogen: [Hormonal Changease] Here are herbs that are an aid to assist the function of developing the hormone and estrogen balance in both female and male. This combination consists of the following herbs: black cohosh, sarsaparilla, ginseng, blessed thistle herb, licorice root, false unicorn root and squaw vine. Adult suggested amount is one to three number 0 capsules morning and evening, as desired. As an aid to youth going into puberty, for expecting mothers, as well as at menopause times.
These two combinations, the female corrective [Female Reproductive formula] and the hormone-estrogen combinations [Hormonal Changease] can be used during the entire time of pregnancy (and also before and following), as it is an herbal food like any other food and "is there to be used, if needed," but can do no harm in any way.
If there is yeast infection and or Herpes Simplex before or during pregnancy, add also, the vaginal-rectal bolus combination [V.B.] and the slant board routine [Yellow Dock Combination] included herein. These are very beneficial and yet are harmless to the mother and child-to-be.
Slant Board Combination. [Yellow Dock Combination] As an aid in prolapsed uterus, bowel, or other organs, to assist in giving relief, make concentrated tea (simmer down to half its amount) of six parts oak bark, three parts mullein herb, four parts yellow dock root, three parts walnut bark or leaves, six parts comfrey root, one part lobelia, three parts marshmallow root. Inject with a syringe (while head down on slant board) into vagina, 1/4 to 1/2 cup or more; or rectum, one cup or more; for prolapsus or hemorrhoid problems and leave in as long as is possible before voiding. Dose suggested is one-fourth to one cup, one or more times in a day. When the tea is injected into the abdominal area and while on the slant board, knead and massage the pelvic and abdominal area to exercise the muscles, so the herbal tea (food) will be assimilated into the organs.
THE FATHER-TO-BE
We are also giving here an herbal formula for the father-to-be. If his reproductive organs are in a good clean healthy condition the seed for conception will be an improvement over seed of questionable quality. The slant board routine [Yellow Dock Combination] following the rectal bolus [V.B.] at night will also, along with the prostate combination [Prospallate], proper mucusless diet and reproductive organ rebuilding will be an asset to the future family and another aid in preventing childhood diseases.
An Aid for the Prostate Area. [Male Urinary Tract Formula] In case of malfunction we suggest this combination to assist the male; one part of each of cayenne, ginger, golden seal root, gravel root or queen of the meadow root, juniper berries, marshmallow root, parsley root or herb, uva ursi leaves. This will dissolve the stones that are in the kidneys, as well as clean out other sedimentation and infection in the prostate. Mix the powders and place in No. 0 capsules and take two or more morning and night, with parsley tea when possible. [HHH p.1-8]
The Following Comes from Every Woman's Herbal, chapter entitled "Before Childbearing" pages 13-25. Although the physical condition of both prospective parents affects the condition of a new child, the mother's health is most critical. Before conception, she and her husband should work together to purify and build their bodies in anticipation of pregnancy and childbirth.
So many factors influence the formation of a new child! It may take some time to build up the health of parents-to-be if they have been living on mucus-forming foods long before they marry.
If a young woman has menstrual problems, she can suspect that her female organs might not be in good condition. Although it should be needless to say, we should avoid drugs in managing our menstrual cramps. In order to treat the symptoms, some people favor red raspberry tea, peppermint tea, camomile tea, or catnip tea. You can take a capsule of cayenne with any of these to help warm the internal organs. If the cramps are really severe, you can use cayenne ointment externally on the abdomen to act as a counter-irritant, but be sure to cover the application with gauze, as it can stain your underthings. Some young women have experimented with relaxation breathing, such as is taught in Lamaze childbirth classes. This allows the body to relax and deal with the pain, rather than fighting against the pain. Often tension really increases menstrual discomfort. Some women attribute cold in the abdominal region to the onset of cramps. Applying moist heat, such as a hot, moist towel covered with a piece of plastic, has helped some. If you with to make an herbal fomentation of some of the pain-relieving teas mentioned above, it might even work faster and better.
One young woman wrote, "My sister and I suffered from menstrual cramps from the age of 13 on. We both started college at age 18. The first months after we started school, we noticed that neither of us experienced cramps anymore. The only thing we could attribute it to was the fact that we walked approximately 12 blocks to and from college classes five days a week. We are confident that the exercise did the trick. Up to that time, we just suffered it out." (The People's Doctor, Vol. 6, No. 7, page 3.)
As for the drugs you should avoid, knowing their effects may likely deter you from considering them as menstrual cramps panaceas. Aspirin, which can cause digestive-tract problems and deposit coal-tar traces throughout the system, actually doesn't work very well in relieving cramps. Tylenol, which has been the target for poisonings through tampering with the caps of bottles, offers its own dangers. It is evidently easy to overdose, which causes liver damage, sometimes resulting in death. Other effects are related to the liver, including jaundice and bleeding. Because the liver is the body's most important detoxifier, even small amounts of Tylenol may adversely affect the body's ability to handle toxins; these building up in the system may actually increase the pain in menstrual cramping! Talwin, a prescribed drug for the condition, causes nausea, dizziness and weakness and incapacitation. Birth control pills, which are sometimes prescribed for irregular and difficult menstruation, can cause abnormal bleeding and headaches, as well as sometimes endangering future fertility. Anaprox, which is a specifically-prescribed drug for menstrual pain, can cause headache, drowsiness, dizziness, lightheadedness, inability to concentrate, and depression. It can also cause skin reactions such as rash, sweating, easy bruising, and bleeding (Dr. Robert Mendelsohn, The People's Doctor, Vol. 6, No. 8).
In addition to avoiding drugs completely, one should be careful to avoid surgery for any kind of menstrual problems. Even if one's periods are irregular or if they stop completely, sometimes time and circumstances can alleviate the problem. If we are to follow the teachings of natural healers, surgery should be avoided except in the case of extreme, life-threatening emergencies for, as Dr. John R. Christophers "Incurables Program" has shown time and time again, even serious disorders can be healed naturally. Dr. Mendelsohn, cited above, suggested that sometimes sexual activity in marriage can produce the necessary hormones to activate a regular menstrual cycle. He also suggests that the clinical definition of menstrual normality should not frighten us, as some cycles are longer and some shorter than 28 days. In particular, we should avoid steroid drugs such as Prednisone, which really can cause problems with menstruation.
If a woman suspects that she has less than ideal function in her reproductive system, she can take red raspberry tea daily. She can also take Dr. Christopher's Female Reproductive formula which rebuilds the entire reproductive area, and the Hormonal Changease which will supply these factors in the correct amounts. They are present in a natural form, which allows the body to assimilate them as well as merely accept them. The female corrective consists of three parts golden seal root and one part each of the following herbs: blessed thistle, cayenne, cramp bark, false unicorn root, ginger, red raspberry leaves, squaw vine, and uva ursi.
Over the years, herbalists have helped women overcome painful menstruation, heavy flow, irregularity, etc. One woman in American Fork, Utah, was having difficult periods. These had started in puberty, and she had spent the whole of her adult life traveling from coast to coast, averaging a cost of over $1,000 a year for ten years, paying medical doctors to tell her what was wrong. She suffered vicious menstrual cramps and extremely long periods. No one was able to help; she was very discouraged; but one of her neighbors said, "Why don't you go to the next town, to Orem, where a man called Dr. Christopher lives? He could give you some help."
When she arrived, Dr. Christopher read her eyes, noting that she did have problems with the reproductive organs. He told her to start on the Female Reproductive formula and the hormone and estrogen formula [Changease] (which consists of black cohosh, sarsaparilla, ginseng, blessed thistle, licorice root, false unicorn root, and squaw vine). He promised her that if she would follow through, within 90 to 120 days she would get results. Within 120 days, she came back, saying that she was on a 28 day cycle, with no menstrual pains. She was delighted! Where she had spent over $10,000 traveling from doctor to doctor, it cost her approximately $10 for the herbs to cure her.
If you suffer from tumors or cysts in the reproductive organs, the vaginal bolus [V.B.] formula has been reported to work wonders. Mix equal parts of squaw vine, slippery elm, yellow dock root, comfrey root, marshmallow root, chickweed herb, golden seal root, and mullein leaves. These should be powdered. Melt some coconut butter (solid at room temperature) and mix a small quantity of this powder in until it is of pie-dough consistency. Roll this between your hands until it is about the size of the middle finger and about an inch long. Insert several of these into the vagina, as you would use a suppository. You will need to wear a sanitary napkin. Leave in for two days; the coconut butter melts at body temperature, leaving only the herbs. On the night of the second day, douche with yellow dock combination herb tea cooled to tepid, and insert another bolus; after two more days douche again.
On the seventh day, you will rest. Repeat this pattern for six weeks to six months. This will bring out cysts, tumors, polyps, and acids through the vagina, through the rectum and the urethral tract.
A young Englishwoman named Claire suffered from multiple sclerosis so severely that she was confined to a wheelchair. She began to use the mucusless diet, and was miraculously healed and able to walk and work vigorously. Five women, each suffering from cervical cancer, diagnosed by doctors, came to Claire asking for help. Using nutrition and the V.B. therapy, four of the cases were completely cleared and one was in remission.
Sometimes it takes time and patience for these herbal aids to truly work. For example, a lady who had come to Dr. Christopher began the full routine as described above. A number of months later she began to think, "Look, I have been on that program for months now; I have taken the herbs orally; I've used the vaginal bolus [V.B.], including the yellow dock combination, and I am getting sick of this!" She felt somewhat better but didn't notice much change, so she was going to quit that day. That very morning she made the decision, as she was at home, sitting on the toilet. When she got up, she happened to turn around and glance into the bowl, and there was something about the size of a half dollar, with legs on it, swimming around in the water. This something had dropped out of her! She screamed, and her husband came in. They put it in a bottle and took it right over to the family doctor. He examined it under the microscope, and said he had never seen one of these whole like this, because they have to cut them out of a person. This was a spider cancer. They never give up and leave by themselves; usually they must be cut out. The doctor was amazed that it had come out of her. It had done so because her body was now so healthy that the spider cancer didn't have any waste materials to work on. When she saw that cancer, she vowed to continue the program, even if it took six months or years. Dr. Christopher reminded us that some people heal quickly, but sometimes it takes a long time. If we know we are on the right track, we should just continue.
If a couple wishes to delay conception for a time, perhaps in order to improve their health, they should be extremely cautious about what method of birth control they choose. Despite medical assurances that every method is safe, current research proves otherwise. Especially after taking birth control pills, some women suffer bad side effects, including infertility. According to Dr. Mendelsohn, this should not surprise anyone, because most of these pills suppress pituitary hormones because of the estrogenic and progestational hormonal activity of the ingredients in the Pill. The artificial hormones suppress the natural hormones in the body, leading to inhibition of ovulation as well as other effects. In addition to infertility, side effects may include abnormal bleeding and clotting, including cerebral hemorrhage and cerebral thrombosis. (The People's Doctor, Vol. 4, No. 1, page 5.)
According to information supplied by Planned Parenthood, each year 9,400 women are hospitalized because of complications from taking the Pill. Heart attack and stroke are the major culprits, causing about 500 deaths annually. About 11,000 women annually suffer from thrombosis (blood clots in the superficial veins). Liver tumors account for 300 annual hospitalizations, with a ten percent fatality rate. And 860 women are hospitalized annually for gall bladder problems caused by using the pill. Other complications which do not require hospitalization include nausea, breast enlargement, weight gain, dizziness, and liver spots on the skin. This same publication said that women who suffer from the following ailments must not take the Pill--although the purpose of the booklet is to promote birth control use: phlebitis, stroke, coronary artery disease, benign liver tumor, and cancer of the breast or reproductive area. Women are also advised against taking the pill if they have high blood pressure, acute or chronic liver disease (and if the pill is so hard on the liver, it likely badly affects liver function to begin with), gall bladder disease, and those who are wearing long-leg casts or who have had a major injury to their feet or legs. Women who have diabetes or pre-diabetes (hypoglycemia?) and women expecting to have surgery should not take the Pill. ("Making Choices," Alan Guttmacher Institute, Planned Parenthood, 1983.) Considering all these problems and incipient health dangers, we would certainly advise no one to take the pill.
In addition, the insertion of an IUD may cause problems with conception. Dangers of using an IUD include abnormal bleeding, disturbances in menstrual cycles, fatal and non-fatal infected, spontaneous abortions if a woman becomes pregnant while wearing one, and perforation through the uterus and migration of the device into the abdominal cavity, which will require surgery. (The People's Doctor, Vol. 3, No. 12, page 3.) If a woman does become pregnant while wearing an IUD, she might bear children with birth defects. The British Medical Journal reported two women using copper-containing IUDs who gave birth to children with malformation of the extremities, including missing fingers and toes, fused fingers, and reduced arm length. The article concluded that, while a relationship between birth defects and IUDs has not been conclusively proven, "the possibility of a relationship exists because of the proved association of IUDs with ectopic pregnancy, pelvic and fetal infection, miscarriage, premature labor, and fetal death" (quoted in The People's Doctor, op. cit.).
Although from Dr. Christopher's point of view, abortion certainly represents the most cruel kind of action, still many people are convinced by the medical world's claim that abortion is a good form of birth control. Doctors say that while in former times abortions were performed in unhygienic conditions, that today hospital abortions are perfectly safe. However, quite apart from the moral issue, which is really the paramount consideration anyway, consider this data from the Journal of the American Medical Association: "We compared prior pregnancy histories of two groups of multigravidas (women with more than one pregnancy)--240 women having a pregnancy loss up to 28 weeks' gestation and 1,072 women having a term delivery. Women who had two or more prior induced abortions had a two-fold to threefold increase in risk of first-trimester spontaneous abortion...The increased risk was present for women who had legal induced abortions since 1973. It was not explained by smoking status, history of prior spontaneous loss, prior abortion method, or degree of cervical dilation. No increase in risk of pregnancy loss was detected among women with a single prior induced abortion. We conclude that multiple induced abortions do increase the risk of subsequent pregnancy losses up to 28 weeks' gestation" (JAMA, June 27, 1980). In addition, research indicates that a previous abortion markedly increases the chance of temporary and sometimes permanent sterility (The People's Doctor, op.cit.). If you wish to bear children, do not submit to surgical murder via abortion. Indeed, it is better to avoid surgical intervention at all costs!
Suppose that a couple wishes to delay pregnancy, for health or other reasons. Delaying the birth of babies has become somewhat of a fad recently, and we do applaud any woman who conceives later in life and anticipates her baby with delight. Dr. Mendelsohn says that being fitted with a diaphragm is a safe method of contraception. Although it can be inconvenient, some couples use condoms. But by far the most accurate and holistic approach to birth control was developed by John and Evelyn Billings during the late 1950's. This Australian couple--both doctors--were searching for a more effective alternative to the rhythm method, which doesn't always work. Reading anthropological literature of African and Indian tribes, they found a passing reference to the idea, "wet for baby, dry for no baby."
The Billings's asked the women in their charge to observe their vaginal discharges daily and to write down their observations. Virtually all the women noticed patterns in the changes of mucus production, and hormone tests confirmed that these changes were related to hormone changes.
Calling their discovery the Ovulation Method, the Billings's saw it taught to women in many Third World countries, in this way, "When the earth is dry and you plant a seed, it won't grow. When the rains come, the earth is wet and a planted seed will grow. For a few days after the rains, the ground is still wet, and a seed can still grow. When the ground is dry again, the seed will not grow when planted." Proven 98.5% effective, this method of birth control can also be an accurate way to achieve conception, so it is a very positive thing.
Basically, it works thus: The body's hormones develop several eggs, fully maturing only one. When this is released into the uterus, it lives for 12 to 24 hours, and if fertility were contingent only upon the presence of the egg, a woman could only conceive during that period of time. However, accompanying the production of the egg is the presence of fertile mucus. You might experience the cycle something like this. After your period, you might have days where your vagina seems quite dry. Then as your estrogen rises, you'll get wetter as you approach ovulation. When you ovulate, the wet or sticky secretion changes to a slippery one--that is fertile mucus. In the presence of this mucus sperm can survive; in infertile mucus, it dies, as the infertile mucus is extremely hostile to sperm. If a couple abstains from intercourse when the wetness first begins to appear, continuing to wait until three days after the slippery mucus appears, they are sure to avoid unwanted conception; or if they have intercourse during this fertile time, conception is more likely to occur. Why should the waiting period precede the actual ovulation? Because women have cervical crypts inside the vaginal passage, which can store sperm in a healthy condition until the body ovulates--as long as there is moisture. You may have heard of women who couldn't imagine that they conceived, because intercourse occurred several days before they reached the middle of their cycle--using the calculations of the Rhythm Method. However, the sperm was stored in the cervical crypts and traveled up the fertile mucus at the proper time.
This very brief description of the Ovulation Method will not suffice if you wish to use it yourself. Mothering Magazine, No. 37 (Fall 1985), supplies a good article on the subject; other good books include Terrie Guay's Avoid or Achieve Pregnancy Naturally (Emergence Publications, 1978), and The Ovulation Charting Method (Small World Publications, POB 305, Corvallis, OR 97339).
Dr. Christopher emphasized that many reproduction problems stem from the unkind and uncooperative behavior of husbands. He spoke openly to husbands who misused the privileges of marriage. For example, a certain woman came to Dr. Christopher in tears. Although the family had a number of children, she said life wasn't worth living any more because her husband forced her to have intercourse with him every night, whether she was sick, in pain, or pregnant. He said that if she wouldn't have intercourse with him, he would go out and get it someplace else, because it would damage his manhood if he didn't have it every night. She asked Dr. Christopher if this were true, that it would force a man into having other women. Of course, the woman was happy to learn that she did not have to suffer this kind of treatment; she said that she had gone through years of misery. After being forced for so long, she wanted some rest.
Dr. Christopher felt very strongly about this because he observed similar things in his own family. His own sister, now deceased, confided that her husband in Colorado demanded relationships every night; if she didn't give it to him, he would go up into town to a professional prostitute for relief. She said that she had suffered many nights of real sickness, yet allowed him to do this rather than have him leave home and go out with other women. The lady who adopted Dr. Christopher, who was the only mother he knew, also went through a similar trauma. As a teenager, he came downstairs to find his mother in tears. His adopted father had left, and the young Raymond asked what was wrong. In all the years they were married, she said, she had to satisfy her husband every night, "regardless of how sick I am." She suffered from arthritis and diabetes, sick through much of her life. Although some people might consider this an oddity, Dr. Christopher saw enough of it during his practice that he felt he must speak out on it. When such a situation occurs, he said, it is nothing but rape. Of course, sexual intercourse should be an exchange, a cooperation, an agreement, tender concern for the other person. Anything else Dr. Christopher considered rape, a disgrace.
In an age where millions of abortions are performed annually in the United States alone, it is an ironic tragedy that many childless couples long to conceive but cannot. Gynecologists sometimes go to great lengths to secure pregnancies for these couples, although the methods are not completely safe. As an example, Clomid, which is a fertility drug, causes flushes in ten percent of the women who use it, and ovarian enlargement in fourteen percent. Massive cystic enlargement of the ovaries may develop, a painful condition. The ovary continues to enlarge after the drug is discontinued, reaching its maximum size seven days after therapy stops! Other side effects include blurred vision, double vision, spots before the eyes, after-images, sensitivity to light, floaters, waves, cataracts, detachment of the posterior vitreous, spasm of the blood vessels, and thrombosis of the retinal arteries. A woman may also experience abdominal distention, bloating, abdominal or pelvic pain and soreness, nausea and vomiting, increased appetite, constipation, diarrhea, breast discomfort, abnormal menstrual bleeding, dryness of the vagina, headache, dizziness, lightheadedness, vertigo, nervous tension, insomnia, fatigue, depression, increased urinary frequency and/or volume, skin rashes, hair loss, hair dryness, weight gain or loss, jaundice, and fluid in the abdomen.
All of these possibilities would be bad enough, but the possible effects on an infant are worse. If a woman does not know that she is already pregnant and begins taking this drug, Clomid has been linked to congenital heart disease, Down's syndrome, clubfoot, congenital intestinal conditions, abnormal position of the urethral opening, small head, harelip, cleft palate, congenital hip displacement, birthmarks, undescended testes, extra fingers, conjoined twins, inguinal hernia, umbilical hernia, fused fingers, funnel chest, muscle disorders, dermoid cysts, spina bifida, and other defects. Most mothers who take the drug will have multiple births, usually but not always, twins (The People's Doctor, Vol. 6, No. 11, p.6).
The other fertility drugs, such as Provera, Delalutin, or any other chemical substance designed to affect ovulation or fertility, present serious risks commensurate with these. A woman wishing to achieve a natural pregnancy cannot safely consider them.
One young mother, having difficulty with conceiving although she had previously borne two healthy children, went to a fertility specialist for help. The battery of tests--on both father and mother--revealed nothing really wrong, so the doctor gave her some medication without letting the woman know what she was taking. The fertility drugs produced a multiple pregnancy in the woman, and she bore triplets. Although the family was delighted to receive new little ones into the family, the multiple birth has been a tremendous strain on the family. Perhaps with more natural methods the family could have received their babies one at a time and with less stress and strain.
Dr. Mendelsohn suggests some basic approaches to conception, emphasizing the need to stay away from fertility drugs. He advises a nutritious diet, free of junk foods and additives, a sensible regular exercise program, an adequate amount of sleep and adherence to the marital requirements in the Old Testament. This law prohibits sexual intercourse during the menstrual period and for about a week afterwards. Not only does this time intercourse at appropriate fertility, but it also builds up the man's sperm so that there is better chance of fertilization. I feel that it also increases the health of the prospective mother, giving her female organs a chance to regulate themselves during her cycle.
Dr. Christopher had many successes helping couples conceive. One young married man came to see him about his wife, because he felt she was going to lose her mind. She wanted to have a baby so badly that she would hug her pillow at night. They had been married for some years without any success at conception. Dr. Christopher advised them to do the following: they should both begin to use the mucusless diet. In addition, they were to take two tablespoons of wheat-germ oil three times a day (this contains natural vitamin E, among other constituents, which helps the reproductive system). They were to take two capsules three times daily of false unicorn and lobelia combination. If they were faithful with this program, the Doctor promised that they would conceive.
And they did! They brought the little baby in to see Dr. Christopher, and the new mother was absolutely glowing with health and joy at the baby in her arms. This couple had other children as well after following the simple herbal program.
Some couples have conceived when they have included more zinc in their diets, especially that of the father. When the problem is too-thick sperm (common in people on a mucus-causing diet), researchers have found that mega-doses of Vitamin C (1000 mg. or more at each meal) has assisted in conception.
When couples marry and delay their children, they sometimes are tempted to continue on without having them. I can assure you that life without babies and children is much easier than with children! Nevertheless, I couldn't do without any of my six children, and I don't begrudge them the time changing diapers, reading books, and tending them in the middle of the night.
Dr. Christopher taught much the same. He said that there are just so many babies that are supposed to be here on earth, and if we do our part, we will be able to take care of them. People who rear large families, and devote themselves to the families during their growing years, can do wonderful things. Dr. Christopher knew a family in Salt Lake City who had sixteen children, adopting the seventeenth. The man was only a clerk in an office, and you can imagine that they had a hard time making ends meet. Yet four of the sons became attorneys, a daughter became a professional dancer who demonstrates throughout the United States, and a son became a well-respected organist who performs throughout the country, and others of the children have accomplished great things. I know of a family with seventeen children, natural children in an intact family. Although the mother and father have to pour themselves out to nurture and teach that many, the older children participate in tending the younger ones, the home is well-cared-for and clean, and the children are well-disciplined. Of any babysitters I have ever had in my home, the oldest girls in that family have to be the best! They are intelligent and thorough and wonderful to be around.
In this day and age, most people are tuned into their own personal needs and consider child rearing a secondary sort of pursuit. What could be more far-reaching, however, than raising a whole, happy child? This extends to the third and fourth generation, to many other people than the child. And as for personal achievement, raising children has matured me, given me insights and capabilities that I never possessed before--and wouldn't have achieved without my little ones. I expect that when they are raised, I will be a much richer teacher and writer than I could have otherwise been, and having them has not stopped me from pursuing my career, albeit in a more limited way.
Dr. Christopher said that the children will be born, sometimes against our will! He remembered visiting with a family on business matters. The youngest child was one of the most positive and aggressive children he had ever seen. The mother would tell her to do something and the child said, no--she wanted to do it her way, even though she was still young. She had her own mind, and did what she wanted to do when she wanted to do it; nobody would push her around! Her father just laughed and said that the rest of the children were obedient and docile, except for this aggressive little child. He said that they had decided not to have any more children and his wife had had an insert put in. The doctor assured them they wouldn't have any more. But months later, the wife found out she was pregnant. This child had decided that it would be their child regardless of the birth control method; the baby fought its way through and continued to be a fighter! The child was supposed to be there and made it safely. Dr. Christopher said that it sometimes pays just to let nature take its course.
Other herbs which have been used successfully to promote conception are red clover blossoms (these are considered by some to be as valuable as the false unicorn root), peppermint, stinging nettle, dong quai root, and of course red raspberry leaves.
If you are having difficulty ascertaining the timing of ovulation, or if your cycles are irregular, check to see if there is unnatural light interfering with your cycle. Sometimes when a street light shines in the window, or other lights are on all night, a woman's cycle can be really disrupted. Block out all unnatural light. Some practitioners have suggested that if women are quite irregular, they can keep a light on--say in the closet, or a mild night light--midway between periods, and that this will cause ovulation. A more natural, and more beautiful, alternative, is to sleep without the window shades, providing you live away from bright street lights. The light from the moon is thought to be healing and blessing; it can bring peace and regularity to your feminine cycle. Juliette de Bairacli Levy even suggests sleeping with no window screen--using an herbal insect repellent--to obtain maximum health. We have tried her repellent and it works. Here's how I made it: Combine equal parts of rue, wormwood, basil and rosemary. Grind in a mortar and pestle. Cover with about eight to ten times the herbs' volume of pure olive oil. You may add a couple of tablespoons of apple cider vinegar if you wish. Allow to stand in the sun--or over a radiator or other constant source of warmth--for a week. Strain out the herbs well, and repeat. Repeat a third time, this time letting the herbs stay in the oil as long as possible, perhaps up to three weeks. Although the time involved here is long, the actual work is minimal. Strain well and bottle. Although we have not tested this in terribly infested areas, such as jungle or summertime Alaska, it works for us during our summer camps. Levy said that she and her children slept outside in the Mexican tropical jungles, using this preparation, and were never bitten! [EWH p.13-25]
See Also
Cayenne: Dr. Christophers many Cayenne Combinations
Hormonal Changease: Dr. Christopher's Herbal Hormone Formula
Female Reproductive formula: Dr. Christopher's Herbal Aid for Female Reproductive Organs
Male Urinary Tract Formula: Dr. Christopher's Prostate Formula
V.B.: Dr. Christopher's Vaginal and Rectal Herbal Bolus
Yellow Dock Combination: Dr. Christopher's Yellow Dock Combination
Dr. John R. Christophers "Mucusless Diet"
