Hi Katleen,

I'm sorry I didn't see your reply until now - I only received an email update on the thread today for some strange reason.

I'm glad you spoke to your specialist about changing your oestrogen HRT - I hope that the side effects are not as bad on this type of hormone that he has prescribed for you now. The dose can be quite relevant too, so hopefully your specialist can tell from the symptoms and severity of them you experienced on the Progynova what dose is most suitable for you. I'm sure this is the case.

I don't have a lot of experience with herbal supplements - I didn't take any during my IVF treatment, other than keeping on top of my iron and folate levels. I have taken Evening Primrose Oil capsules in the past to help with the severity of my cycle symptoms (including PMT). Raspberry Leaf tea/capsules are often used late in pregnancy to help tone the uterus (like toning muscles, in a way) and prepare for labour, so I'm sure preparing the uterus for pregnancy is possible too. I have also heard of women and men taking Royal Jelly (particularly fresh) to aid with egg and sperm quality, so that might be another one to look into. Other than that, just being on a good multivitamin or better yet, eating a good diet without processed carbohydrates but lots of protein and some complex carbs is also very good for you. And that water I mentioned! 2-3L a day

Acupuncture is also another source of alternative therapy that has been shown in cases to aid with successful embryo implantation and subsequent pregnancy.

You might want to start another thread asking about herbal supplements and alternative therapies that ladies take/do during their IVF treatment - there are quite a number of ladies here who do that - including chinese medicine and acupuncture - and can provide much better information than I can.

Hope the little bit of info I have is helpful, and very best of luck to you for your next cycle!

Miss C