If you’re having trouble becoming pregnant, you’re not alone. One in six couples, and one in three women over the age of 35, experience fertility problems. Men, too, are increasingly having issues: sperm counts have dropped by half in the last 50 years.
If you or your partner is struggling with fertility issues, there is hope. Hypnotherapy has proven to be a very helpful treatment for infertility. According to studies published in the Journal of the American Medical Women’s Association and the Journal of Fertility and Sterility, hypnosis has increased natural conceptions by 50 percent. This is a higher rate of increase than in vitro fertilization, which results in conception only 20 percent of the time.
As medical science continues to discover, the mind-body connection is very strong. Particularly in the 30 percent of infertility cases for which no scientific cause can be found, hypnosis may be particularly helpful, by addressing and relieving some very common mind-body blocks that interfere with conception.
Here are five ways hypnosis can help couples overcome infertility:
1. Reduces Stress — Hypnotherapy is great for relieving stress, an important contributor to infertility. Colorado fertility doctor Mark Bush, M.D., confirms that there is a correlation between hormones in the brain and ovulation problems in women. When a woman is under stress, her body releases the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline; the brain, flooded with these hormones, signals the reproductive system that this isn’t a good time to get pregnant. Hypnosis can help women reduce their stress levels, eliminating this hormonal interference with conception.
2. Treats Depression — Depression is another significant contributor to infertility. Of course, depression, like stress, can be exacerbated by the inability to get pregnant, creating a vicious circle if the condition is left untreated. A study published in the Journal of American Medical Women’s Association showed that women who were treated for depression were able to get pregnant 60 percent of the time within six months of treatment. By contrast, the same study showed that only 24 percent were able to become pregnant if the depression was not treated. Hypnosis is a natural and effective treatment for depression.
3. Improves Overall Health — The chances of pregnancy improve when the body is healthy. One marker of a healthy body is a strong immune system. A study by John Gruzelier, Professor of Psychology at Imperial College, School of Medicine in London, showed that subjects who underwent hypnotherapy for a period of six weeks strengthened their immune systems by 48 percent. Hypnosis also helps to lower blood pressure. A study published in the Journal of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation showed that 80 percent of patients with the condition who underwent hypnotherapy were able to lower their blood pressures and reduce their medications.
4. Overcomes Negative Thinking — When couples experience fertility issues, negative thinking can quickly overcome them. The culture — and, sadly, even some fertility doctors — reinforce negative thoughts by telling women they are too old to have children, or that there is nothing that can be done to help them conceive. In the last 20 years, the number of women over 30 giving birth to healthy children has increased by 50 percent. Hypnosis is a powerful tool for breaking through the crippling cycle of negative thinking and self-doubt.
5. Strengthens Mind/Body Connection — Through hypnosis, the mind is able to communicate with the body more effectively, bringing the two systems into alignment. A study on the use of hypnosis in the treatment of functional infertility published in the American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis found that “hypnosis based on imagery and a relaxation strategy was successful in facilitating pregnancy. The treatment was considered to have resulted in beneficial modification of attitude, optimism, and mind-body interaction.”
Decades of studies have shown hypnosis to be an effective treatment methodology for infertility, and has helped many couples start families. Stop struggling, and schedule your consultation today.
PHOTO: Giuseppe Milo
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