Vitamin B6
by Lori Ramsey11 Comments
If I had to choose just one vitamin to take to help with my fertility, I'd choose vitamin B6. Vitamin B6 is also known as pyridoxine, and is water soluble. It can be found in yeast, whole grains, legumes, liver, eggs, cereal, meat and fish. Of course, all vitamins work together, and do well to keep a body healthy. However, vitamin B6 goes one step beyond--it helps with fertility. More than helping with fertility, it also helps with pms.
Helping with pms symptoms is just an added bonus of vitamin B6. Not only does it lengthen the luteal phase, but it helps with the depression that sometimes accompanies pms. Aside from the benefits of treating pms, vitamin B6's main role as a fertility vitamin is to treat the luteal phase defect.
A luteal phase defect is one cause of infertility, and is also one of the most easily treated. A luteal phase defect occurs when the luteal phase (the time from ovulation to menstruation) is less than 10 days. Ideally, it would be best if the luteal phase lasted 11-16 days. A luteal phase that is too short cannot maintain a pregnancy.If pregnancy occurs in a woman with LPD, the pregnancy can result in miscarriage. A luteal phase defect can be detected by charting your basal body temperatures. This may take a month or two to catch on and figure out, but is worth while in determining if there is indeed a luteal phase problem. See my articles about "Charting Basics," to learn how to effectively chart your fertility signs. Once you determine this, then you can begin seeking help. And if you detect a luteal phase defect, one way of lengthening the luteal phase is with progesterone supplements. Another way of increasing the luteal phase is with vitamin B6.
While trying to conceive my third child, my luteal phase started out at 9 days. I checked my multi-vitamin - a prenatal - and it only had 3 mg of vitamin B6. This amount was insufficient to do any good. Very few multi-vitamins have a sufficient amount of vitamin B6 in each dose. Check the labels to be sure there is a sufficient amount of vitamin B6. I purchased a good B-complex vitamin with 60 mg of Vitamin B6, and this did wonders for my luteal phase. It went from 9 to 11 to 12 days in a matter of 2 months.
I've read it is recommended to take 100-200 mg of vitamin B6 a day to help with luteal phase defects. However, just 63 mg did the trick for me. Perhaps it would be smart to start out with smaller doses, to see if it would work. If the smaller amount doesn't work, you could simply increase your intake slowly. Always check with your healthcare provider before taking mega doses of any vitamin. Vitamin B6 helps to normalize hormone levels, thus normalizing the luteal phase.
My name is Lori Ramsey. My education consists of a diploma in Business Data Processing. I also successfully completed two courses with the Famous Writers School on Basic Writing and Fiction Writing. I am a mother of two children ages 4 and 2. I am currently pregnant with my third child, due to be born in early November.
Embarking on first conception then parenting, I realize how ignorant I was at the beginning. Knowledge is power and since I have literally devoured books, magazines, and online articles on the subject of conception and pregnancy. I honestly feel I know more than the average "public" about this subject. And was shocked at how little I actually didn't know before!
My hobbies, as such, revolve around being a mother and a wife. Being a writer has been a long time dream - even to the point that I have written 16 chapters in a fiction novel and numerous articles (non published). And at present, I am focused on my pregnancy, enjoying each moment and loving the expressions on my children's faces as my belly grows. I am involved in my church, working with the nursery and am one of the leaders of the worship dance ministry. And lastly, but certainly not least, I love surfing the web!
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