When to use estrogen supplements

Fertility Specialist Kari Sproul, MD, explains what estrogen pills do and whether or not they play a positive or negative role in increasing odds of conceiving
Do Estrogen Pills Improve Fertility?
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When to use estrogen supplements

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Even if your mom has told you to take estrogen to try to conceive, that is not something I would recommend doing. This is why: Essentially, when you take estrogen, it tricks your body into thinking that there's estrogen around. Your brain doesn't make those hormones that it usually makes to ovulate an egg. That's why birth control pills contain estrogen. That estrogen actually prevents you from ovulating. If your mom told you to try and take estrogen to help you conceive, she should have told you to take estrogen to prevent you from ovulating and prevent you from getting pregnant. There are some patients that are undergoing fertility treatments and we notice that they may have a thin lining. In those patients, if we know that we are giving them medications to try and ovulate and conceive already, we can add on some estrogen to try and thicken their lining. Otherwise, I would not recommend using estrogen to help in conceiving.
PREGNANCY, Fertility, Infertility

Fertility Specialist Kari Sproul, MD, explains what estrogen pills do and whether or not they play a positive or negative role in increasing odds of conceiving

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Kari Sproul, MD

Fertility Specialist

Kari Sproul is a Reproductive Endocrinologist and Infertility (REI) doctor in Los Angeles. She sees patients who have irregular menstrual cycles, as well as patients who are trying to conceive.  She is married and has a 20-month-old son.  In her spare time, she enjoys all outdoor activities.  She also loves to run and recently completed her first triathlon. 

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Transcription: 
Even if your mom has told you to take estrogen to try to conceive, that is not something I would recommend doing. This is why: Essentially, when you take estrogen, it tricks your body into thinking that there's estrogen around. Your brain doesn't make those hormones that it usually makes to ovulate an egg. That's why birth control pills contain estrogen. That estrogen actually prevents you from ovulating. If your mom told you to try and take estrogen to help you conceive, she should have told you to take estrogen to prevent you from ovulating and prevent you from getting pregnant. There are some patients that are undergoing fertility treatments and we notice that they may have a thin lining. In those patients, if we know that we are giving them medications to try and ovulate and conceive already, we can add on some estrogen to try and thicken their lining. Otherwise, I would not recommend using estrogen to help in conceiving.
PREGNANCY, Fertility, Infertility