Hypnotherapy For IVF doubles success rate.

Hypnotherapy for IVF can double the success rate, researchers have claimed.

A team from Soroka University, Israel, studied 185 women and found 28% of women in the group who were hypnotised became pregnant, compared with 14% of those who were not. The Israeli researchers were looking to see if hypnosis could make the embryo transfer stage of IVF more successful. During this stage, the embryo is transferred into the womb. However, if the womb is contracting, it can affect the chances of the transplant being a success. It was hoped hypnotherapy could help women relax and therefore improve the chances of success.

Stress

This study shows that stress can play a major factor in being able to get pregnant or not. Anyone who undergoes IVF treatment knows how stressful it can be and the sad truth is that the longer you have been trying to conceive the less likely you are to actually have a baby. All the women in the study (hypnotised and not hypnotised) were given 1 cycle of treatment.

Ninety-six other women underwent embryo transfers without hypnosis. All received one cycle each.

Dr Eliahu Levitas, who led the research, said that he believed the hypnosis had a calming effect which helped some of the women get pregnant. 'Embryo transfer is known to be a stressful time for patients, and it may be that the procedure is the peak of their stress in IVF - Hypnosis may be related to a tranquilising effect'.

'Performing embryo transfer under hypnosis may significantly contribute to an increased clinical pregnancy rate.' On average, women in the non-hypnosis group had been trying to conceive for 7.4 years, compared with 4.7 years for those who did receive hypnosis. Some people even believe and it may well be true that for whatever reason some women have an emotional blockage which can stop them getting pregnant. Hypnosis is the only therapy which works on the same level as these problems arise.

The mind body connection is becoming more and more prominent in research and it is becoming ever more apparent that emotions are leading to physical ailments of all kinds- emotional blockages or disturbances can affect you in a million different ways, not getting pregnant may well be one of these ways.

(from BBC News)