If you and your partner are trying to have a baby and you have yet to conceive, perhaps it is time to take your medicine. Pharmaceuticals may be used alone, or perhaps in combination with other fertility aids such as acupuncture, aromatherapy, meditation relaxation techniques, fertility herbs, antioxidants, multivitamins, and nutritional supplements among many other conception strategies.

Follistim, Gonal-F

Follistim and Gonal-F are fertility drugs which mimic the hormone FSH in your body. These drugs are created in a lab using recombinant DNA technology. FSH is the hormone which tells the oocytes in your ovaries to grow and mature. These medicines are taken via injection, which you do yourself, and may be used during IVF or IUI treatment, or with timed sexual intercourse at home.

Pergonal, Humegon, Repronex, Menopur

The fertility drugs Pergonal, Humegon, Repronex and Menopur are combined LH and FSH, also known as human menopausal gonadotropins (hMG). They are injectables and are not used commonly, but may be used in some special cases.

Antagon, Cetrotide

These fertility drugs are GnRH antagonists. This means that they work against the hormones LH and FSH in the body, suppressing ovulation. This seem to be working against conception, however these drugs are often used during IVF treatment, to prevent the eggs being ovulated and "lost" inside the body before they can be retrieved.

Robitussin®

Cough medicine? Actually, Robitussin® is an expectorant. Expectorants help to thin out mucous. It is mostly used for coughing because once the mucous in your lungs is thinned out, you can cough things up easier and clear out your airways. This medicine is helpful to use when trying to conceive because not only does it thin out the mucous in your lungs it will also make your cervical mucous thinner and more slippery. This can be very helpful for women that are not producing slippery fertile cervical mucous.

OvaBoost

This was designed specifically for trying-to-conceive women who are over the age of 30, however, OvaBoost is also intended to optimize egg quality and ovarian function in trying to conceive women of all ages. This can be an issue as while there is no way to increase the number of eggs that a woman has, it is possible to improve the quality of her eggs.

Metformin hydrochloride

This is a drug that makes the body more sensitive to the hormone insulin. It is licensed as a treatment for diabetes but is also effective for treating ovulation problems in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). It may be used on its own or in combination with clomifene.

Clomid

This is the most well-known fertility drug, probably because it is the most commonly used. About 25% of female factor infertility involves a problem with ovulation, which is what Clomid treats. Clomid is taken as a pill, and not an injection, like stronger fertility drugs. It is also effective, stimulating ovulation 80% of the time. Clomid may also be marketed under the name Serophene, or you may see it sold under its generic name, clomiphene citrate.

Bromocriptine

This drug is used to correct a hormonal imbalance that can prevent your ovaries from releasing an egg every month. You might benefit from taking bromocriptine if you have too much of the hormone prolactin in your body. Too much prolactin reduces levels of the hormone oestrogen. This, in turn, causes problems with ovulation, making it difficult to get pregnant. You can take bromocriptine as tablets that you swallow or as capsules that you insert into your vagina. The brand name for bromocriptine is Parlodel.

This list is not all-inclusive and is not presented to serve as medical consultation. As with any health matters it is very important to speak with your doctor before beginning any course of treatment or taking any medications. There is a lot to know when it comes to getting pregnant. Talk with your physician to help you make informed and correct decisions about conception or any other health concerns.