Ex-Hong Kong actress Michelle Reis was seen coming out of the gynaecologist's office recently, leading to speculation that she was preparing to get pregnant, according to a report in U-Weekly.

The celebrity married tycoon Julian Hui in a high-profile ceremony in 2008, and she was said to have angered her mother-in-law for her refusal to have children.

But lately, her stance towards not bearing children has softened lately. Hong Kong media reported that she exclaimed: "Life is fantastic and touching!" after seeing her sister Jiaming conceiving at the grand old age of 43. Her sister is married to Sun Hing executive Gu Yiyong.

She was also spotted last year coming out of the clinic of a popular gynaecologist, Dr He Yong Chao, in Hong Kong with her assistant. He is well-known for helping couples with infertility problems. This was in contrast to her previous claims that she did not need any medical assistance to get pregnant.

Reis had been in the public spotlight for saying that "marriage does not necessarily result in children" and even considering a surrogate mother to have her children.

But the ex-actress, who turned 40 recently, seems to have had a change of heart. She even disclosed that she would visit a doctor if necessary for fertility assistance.

According to media reports in Hong Kong, she was spotted visiting the gynaecologist's office a day before her birthday with her assistant. Insider sources revealed that the visit was to have a blood test and ultrasound scan done, in preparation for artificial insemination. The same source also said that Reis had intra-uterine insemination performed on her, but was unsuccessful. The doctor had suggested an alternative, which is the IVF procedure.

During the visits to the doctor, her husband Julian Hui was nowhere to be seen.