When I decided to go the natural/semi-natural way of getting pregnant one more time before going "all the way" with IVF, one of the things I wanted to try was a product I found through a Facebook ad called Yiva. Yiva is an herbal extract of red raspberry leaf in a highly concentrated form. Red raspberry leaf is known for its uterus-toning properties, and the sales page online said it would create a perfect environment for a fertilized egg to implant, whether you were using IVF or going natural. I'm all for herbal solutions when they're available and known to work, so I immediately bought some when I got my IVF refund check from the clinic. I was actually surprised at how quickly it arrived. That's one point awarded to the Yiva people!

Their website says in most cases of unexplained lack of conception, the uterus is either too hard or too soft. The red raspberry leaf extract in its highly concentrated form is supposed to fix this in whatever direction you need and create a perfect, healthy uterus. Because of my tiny cervix and the need for artificial dilation of it just to insert a catheter that was smaller than a pencil eraser into it, I suspected my uterus may be too hard. The Yiva would, ideally, soften it and make it pliable enough for implantation and a healthy pregnancy.

I could have saved a ton of money by buying a four-month supply at once. Their page says the average time to get pregnant while using it is five months, but can be more or less, depending on the individual. However, I decided to start with just one month and see how I liked it. If I felt it was helping, or at least not hurting anything, I'd order the four-month supply once I was done with the first bottle.

It arrived today and I just took my first dose. It's got alcohol in it as a preservative, so it tasted kind of like raspberry alcohol. You're supposed to take 10 drops under your tongue in the morning and 10 drops at night. You hold the drops under your tongue for 30 seconds each time, then swallow. I've now taken my first dose. I feel good about it. Let's see how fertile this makes me!