Fertility And Infertility
'Infertility is stressful. There is data which shows that women who are experiencing infertility have equivalent levels of anxiety and depression to women with cancer, heart disease and HIV+ status' - Dr Alice Domar
Most of us grow up believing that we will automatically have children when the time is right for us. We have it drummed into us as young women to always be careful and use contraception safely until we are ready to commit to motherhood. One slip up and bam! You could be pregnant. But then, we do try.. And then again.. And try again.. and nothing happens and when ‘trying’ for that baby goes on and on, life can become very difficult, upsetting and stressful indeed.
Well meaning friends and family may make this journey even more difficult by suggesting that you 'Just relax', 'Stop thinking about it so much', 'Take a holiday', 'Just adopt'. This understandably can leave you feeling sad, lonely, anxious or irritable. It’s estimated that 72.4 million women globally experience fertility problems, so if you are struggling then be aware that you are not alone.
“It felt that I was failing at something so badly that I never even imagined would be so bloody difficult to achieve in the first place”
— Anon
So how can hypnotherapy & EFT Tapping help?
Firstly there are many physical reasons for infertility and many medical paths a women may take in resolving these issues but it has been proven that hypnosis, meditation and mindfulness can double the success of IVF treatment and this is down to the powerful mind / body connection and how our thoughts do truly affect our bodies.
We know that in times of stress, conflict and difficulty birth rates will go down. In the animal kingdom overcrowding, predators, nest disturbance, unsettled environmental conditions and feeling threatened, can cause procreation to cease and birth rates to drop. We are human mammals and for us unsettled environmental conditions could be where we work and our work environment and security, nest disturbance could be moving house or house building or remodelling works. Predators may not be affecting us now but could be a previous abusive experience from many years ago which has not as yet been processed adequately.
We may be carrying around numerous conflicts or unresolved issues about having a baby that are continually putting the brakes on conception. We know from psychoneuroimmunology that all of our thoughts have emotional connotations and that each emotion triggers numerous biochemical changes not only in the brain but in different parts of the body.
Simply put, our minds affect our bodies. So when treating infertility the mind should be the first place we start so that all the care we offer, medical or otherwise, has the greatest opportunity of success. Stress affects us hormonally and clearly, when trying to get pregnant, our hormones matter.
Assisted Reproduction Technologies (ARTs) can be hugely expensive and time-consuming and often these processes are offered without any firm knowledge as to why the infertility is happening in the first place. Their success rates can be over-inflated and at times depressingly low. The cost can also be prohibitive for many.
Other times there is a real and rational reason why further help may be required and that help may be very straight-forward and easy to perform.
Either way, we know from both studies and women’s accounts that the upset, anxiety, loneliness and rage that is experienced in infertility and during treatments can be very hard to negotiate.
What I know, through years of experience of supporting women through their fertility journeys, is that the calmer you feel, the more in control you feel, the easier this journey becomes. You need not become smothered by this experience, it doesn’t need to define who you are.
I appreciate that aiming to get pregnant isn’t a great SMART goal. But staying happy, confident and open about your future during the process certainly is.
I happily quote this line by fertility specialist Dr Alice Domar:
‘You will be happy again. Life will become joyful again. And somehow, some way, if you want to become a parent, you will.’
What Will Our Sessions Look Like?
Our first session will 90 minutes in length. During this time we will discuss your fertility medical history and talk through how long you have been working toward a pregnancy and what you have tried so far.
We will then talk through the bigger picture. What are your hopes and dreams? What are your fears and worries? What are your past experiences? What about the people around you? Your partner? Your family? Your work?
Each session will then end with either hypnotherapy or EFT Tapping - whichever is most appropriate at the time.
Moving forwards, the following sessions of 50 minutes in length each, we will work through the blocks as we see them. Whether that be anxiety and fear, beliefs and emotions, past experiences or preparation for medical treatments.
We will always be working to enhance your fertility by using hypnosis, self-hypnosis, visualisations and preparing you for pregnancy, birth or looking at other options for parenthood.
Our aims are for you to feel confident, heard, supported and stress-free.
I offer one-to-one sessions from my clinics in Wimbledon or Clapham.