We all know, whether it is through professional or personal experience, that having fertility problems can be really challenging. In many ways, going through fertility treatments like IVF has compounded the struggle and stress of infertility. IVF is a very time consuming, intense and demanding procedure and people put a lot of financial and emotional investment into it, and some believe that their happiness depends upon the successful outcome. Irrespective of the outcome, going through a cycle of IVF is likely to have a negative effect physically, emotionally and psychologically. The impact of which is likely to be magnified by treatment failure.
Medical interventions can certainly help to address and take care of the biological aspects of fertility, but without the necessary psychological and emotional support these treatments are somewhat incomplete. Following Rene Descartes proposition that the mind and body operate separately with no interconnectedness, the body became seen as a machine which could be mechanically fixed. Treatments such as IVF continue, in some ways, to propagate the myth that conception is purely a mechanical process. And yet we all know that the creation of life remains a mysterious and intriguing thing, and the answers probably can’t be found under a microscope.
An integrated approach to IVF, combining physical, mental and emotional interventions, seems more likely to produce positive results and help make the procedure much easier for people to deal with. Hypnosis is one of the most effective tools that I know of for helping the mind to support the body throughout IVF treatment, as well as to help people to cope better with the whole experience. In this article I would like to share some of what I know about hypnosis and how it can be used with people undergoing IVF. We will also look at a case example which will demonstrate how hypnosis and mind-body approaches were used with a woman who was undergoing her fourth and final round of IVF.
Hypnosis and IVF
Whilst the applications of hypnosis are extensive and varied, there are four main ways in which we can use hypnosis to help people going through IVF. Firstly, clients can be taught how to achieve a deep state of relaxation using hypnosis which will help to significantly reduce levels of stress. Secondly, hypnosis can be used to ensure that they have access to the skills and inner resources needed to cope better and handle an unsuccessful outcome more easily. Thirdly, hypnosis can be used to help people prepare mentally, emotionally and physically for IVF. This preparation can range from positive lifestyle changes, changing limiting beliefs to eliminating a needle phobia. And lastly, hypnosis can help to increase the chances of a successful outcome.
According to a study presented to the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology conference in Berlin in July of 2004: hypnosis can effectively double the success of IVF treatments. The study was conducted by Professor Eliahu Levitas and his team at Soroka Hospital in Israel to determine if hypnosis could improve the success of the embryo transfers stage of IVF. The study of 185 woman found that 28% of the women who were hypnotized for the IVF treatment became pregnant, compared to 14% of the women in the control group. (Levitas, 2006) Professor Levitas studied the effects of hypnosis for the IVF treatment and embryo transfer only, because prior studies that demonstrated the stress of the procedure created small contractions of the uterus that prevented the successful implantation of the fertilized egg. The professor indicated that tranquilizers had been used in prior studies, but nothing worked as well as hypnosis. "Performing embryo transfer under hypnosis may significantly contribute to an increased clinical pregnancy rate," Professor Levitas told the conference in Berlin.
Whilst this is just one study showing relatively small numbers, I think it certainly warrants consideration and further research. Many of the women, with whom I have worked, have used self hypnosis during embryo transfer and reported that overall they have felt much calmer, more relaxed and at ease with the experience. If only for this reason alone, every woman going through embryo transfer should be equipped with the aid of self hypnosis.
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