Is the mind really powerful enough to interfere with conception? Many of us will have heard stories about the couple who tried to conceive for years, adopted a child and then became pregnant shortly afterwards.
Dr Elizabeth Muir, a clinical psychologist based in London, who specializes in treating infertility, conducted a study where hypnotherapy was added to the fertility program for women with unexplained infertility. Muir says, “Hypnotherapy works on the premise that the conscious and subconscious minds may be at odds with each other. I believe that while a woman might consciously want a baby, her subconscious may be stopping her from getting pregnant. Most women I see have psychosomatic infertility related to conflicts or unresolved issues about having a baby.” The results of Muir’s study were that forty-five percent of the women with unexplained infertility were able to conceive.
In her research, Dr. Muir discussed how hypnotherapy affects the hypothalamus gland. The hypothalamus gland is a tiny region of the forebrain that sends out the signals which control the flow of hormones in the body. Muir found that this gland was sensitive to stress and acted as a bridge between the emotional and the physical. She discovered that hypnotherapy could be used to reduce stress which in turn would allow the hypothalamus gland to trigger the hormone production that was conducive to successful reproduction.
So what kind of fears or issues might prevent a woman from conceiving? There may be subconscious issues around pregnancy, labour, childbirth, hospitals, medical treatments, motherhood, loss of independence, questions about their husband’s ability to be a good father, unresolved dysfunctional patterns from a woman’s own childhood, unresolved grief or guilt regarding past terminations or simply worries about balancing a family and a career .
During your hypnotherapy sessions, we will explore the mental and emotional elements that are often overlooked when trying to achieve a healthy pregnancy.
