My Experience With Soy

• Disclaimer

I have Stage 1 Endometriosis. Soy is generally not recommended for women with Endometriosis. My midwife also does not recommend Soy for any woman trying to conceive.

• Reasons I Decided To Try It

1. My cycles post baby 2 were irregular while breastfeeding.
2. My OB felt like I didn't need any help because I had been pregnant once before while breastfeeding. He felt like getting the return of my period, my period coming every month and positive ovulation tests were a good sign to him and, because I was also extended nursing my toddler possibly an estimate of  3-5x a day.
3. When I was TTC # 2 while breastfeeding my first GYN who had removed and diagnosed me with  Endometriosis said if I weaned and weren't pregnant in 3 months post weaning, he would put me on Clomid. Well, Soy is said to be nature's Clomid.
4. Lastly, 2 other gals in my mommy group online tried Soy and became pregnant. Worth a shot, right?

• Brand I Used

The brand I bought was the spring valley from Wal-mart, and it was 40 mg per table.
Click to enlarge the photo.

• Days I Took

I took from Cycle Day 3-7 (5 days).

• Doses

The bottle comes with 60, I only have 48 left. So It seems I  took 12 over the 5 days: 3 days of taking 2 tablets for 80 mg and 2 days of taking 3 for 120 mg.

• Ovulation Tests

Some say taking Soy may make an OPK (ovulation test) less accurate.  I still used ovulation tests and got positive ovulation tests the cycle I used Soy. I think ovulation tests and charting are going to be helpful in becoming pregnant then just trying to get enough *baby dances* around the time you think you are most fertile, personally. (Mom 1 who is in my chart below also used ovulation tests as well during the cycle she used soy and became pregnant.)

• Possible Side Effects

I had a wacky cycle. I also didn't seem to produce a ton of cervical mucus and really couldn't identify the cervical mucus as other than dry or sticky most of the time, the cycle I took Soy.

• Results

The first cycle I took Soy was my 10th cycle trying to conceive my 3rd while breastfeeding my 2nd. I also took B-complex and became pregnant that cycle. My third pregnancy was confirmed by a blood test on June 22, 2015. Breastfeeding can lower progesterone levels, so I also had my progesterone levels checked using the same blood from my pregnancy blood test. And the results were my progesterone levels were normal. My final conclusion was that the Soy & B-complex helped me ovulate and have a long enough luteal phase to sustain a pregnancy.

• Tidbit

 Three other moms and I used Soy during the cycles we became pregnant.

Brand Used: Spring Valley

	Cycle Day 3	Cycle Day 4	Cycle Day 5	Cycle Day 6	Cycle Day 7
Mom 1	160 mg	160 mg	160 mg	160 mg	160 mg
Mom 2	120 mg	120 mg	160 mg	160 mg	160 mg
Endo Mom	80 mg	80 mg	80 mg	120 mg	120 mg

Notes: Mom 1 says: “I'd also like to mention I did take soy with my previous miscarriage, but I only took 80 mg CD 2-6. I think the higher dose and later days gave me a strong enough ovulation to stay pregnant.”  * Possible Trigger * Mom 1 who ha had two successful pregnancies and two miscarriages before this pregnancy, suffered a missed miscarriage that was discovered at 12 weeks due to the baby having trisomy 22. That is not a factor that Soy Isoflavones caused.

	Cycle 5	Cycle 6	Cycle 7	Cycle 8	Cycle 9
Mom 3	160 mg	160 mg	160 mg	160 mg	160 mg

Brand Used: Natrol

	Cycle Day 4	Cycle Day 5	Cycle Day 6	Cycle Day 7	Cycle Day 8
Mom 4	100 mg	100 mg	100 mg	120 mg	120 mg

Brand Used: 

	Cycle Day 3	Cycle Day 4	Cycle Day 5	Cycle Day 6	Cycle Day 7
Mom 5	100 mg	100 mg	100 mg	120 mg	120 mg

• Did anyone have twins?

2014: Mom 3 had a singleton pregnancy.

2015: For those of you who are curious. Maybe because you are hoping for twins or worried and wondering if it increased our risk for twins (counting that becoming pregnant while breastfeeding is said to do that as well), all 3 of us found out through a dating ultrasound we were expecting singleton babies due in 2016. Mom 2 is expecting her 2nd, and I am expecting my 3rd and Mom 1 had a missed miscarriage (as stated above).

2016: Mom 1 became pregnant after her miscarriage. Mom 1, Mom 2, and I all delivered healthy singleton babies. No surprise twin pregnancies.


Last Edited: December 27, 2016