Treatments

Hypnotherapy

Hypnotherapy is a complementary form of medicine focussing on the connection between the mind and the body. Today hypnotherapy is commonly used to treat phobias and a variety of addictions including smoking. Its application to the field of fertility is relatively new and provides a totally different approach to existing outlooks on infertility.

My understanding of hypnotherapy is that is enables deep-rooted thoughts and feelings you may have about pregnancy, childbirth or motherhood to rise to the surface making you consciously aware of the issues and able to address the problem. Pregnancy may not happen until the problem has been dealt with.
Hypnosis
The mind and body are inextricably linked. We know this from the effect that stress has on the body. Our mind busies itself with thinking about the problem while the body shows the physical side of stress like a raised heart rate, raised blood pressure and headache. Hypnotherapy assumes that every thought or sensation experienced in the mind shows itself as some physical change in the body and every physical change will have mental and emotional associations. The reproductive system is no exception.

The evidence

Some therapists have experienced a live birth success rate of 46% by using hypnotherapy on their patients. This sounds a promising complementary especially when you compare it to IVF clinics, the average of 22% and even the best at 43.4%.

A recent study at Harvard Medical School measured what happened when women who were having difficulty conceiving were given group cognitive behavioural therapy, a technique that replaces negative thoughts with positive ones. During 10 weekly two-hour sessions they were taught how to identify recurrent negative thought patterns and how to separate truth from fear. 55% of the women who participated subsequently had a baby, compared to 20% of the women who received none.

Treatments

Fertility news

Kylies Baby Race
Cons: You may waste time better spent trying fertility treatments. Your Chances: "Over 40, your chances of conceiving naturally are only 20 per cent" says ...
Added: 6 January 09

Course of Acupuncture may raise success of IVF by 65%
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New IVF could cut out risk of multiple births
A groundbreaking IVF test that could improve the chances of pregnancy while almost eliminating the risk of twins or triplets is to be offered to couples in Britain for the first time
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Secondary Infertility
Couples who have already had a baby are discovering increasingly that they have fertility problems.
Added: 6 January 09

Overcoming Infertility Naturally
Now a new study shows to become pregnant women should focus on their diet, exercise and lifestyle choices.
Added: 6 January 09

Cut price fertility treatment
Women are being offered cut-price fertility treatment if they donate eggs for controversial cloning research
Added: 6 January 09