continued from page 2
smorgas1: I am currently on my third IVF cycle (day 7). I have been sniffing Syneral for the last two weeks. I know that this reduces your oestrogen. When I did a previous cycle with Clomid included, my womb lining became very thin. Is Syneral likely to have the same effect? Is there anything I can do to help? I'm already taking 75mg of aspirin a day as advised by clinic.
Dr Lockwood: Syneral works by 'switching off' your own hormones and allows the IVF clinic to 'take control' of the cycle. The stimulating injections then make your ovaries produce lots of follicles and you get high levels of oestrogen which should grow a nice thick womb lining.

Clomid can interfere with this as it is an anti-oestrogen, but this effect is more than balanced out by the stimulating injections. Ask your clinic to tell you how thick the womb lining is when you have your next scan. Ideally it should be 10mm thick at the time of egg collection.

soozlev: I am 37 and had an early miscarriage earlier this month. I just got my period and am ready to try again. My question is that it took a year to get pregnant last time and we used an ovulation predictor kit. My cycles are regular, but I have rather painful periods. Am I correct in thinking that we should just try to conceive naturally or should we be considering assisted conception due to my age. My partner is 37.
Dr Lockwood: I'm sorry to hear about your recent miscarriage. Women are especially fertile the month after an early pregnancy loss, so do take advantage of this month to try again. Thirty-seven to 38 is exactly the age at which fertility starts to decline quite rapidly and it takes twice as long to conceive as under-35. My own hunch is that if it took you a year before (longer than average), it could quite well take as long again and if it doesn't happen, fertility treatment itself will be becoming less effective for you.

I've just come back from a conference on miscarriage and the evidence is now overwhelming that even a small amount of alcohol significantly increases the risk of miscarriage (especially in 'older' women). I suggest you try naturally for no more than six months and then try something like stimulated IUI. See my article Tick Tock the Fertility Clock for more information.

ivillage uk

The iVillage fertility chat