Approximately 1 in 5 couples experience fertility challenges with 1 in 4 pregnancies ending in miscarriage. Not being able to conceive is unexplainably devastating, emotionally, physically and spiritually. What starts off as an exciting decision quickly turns into a pressure cooker of emotions. The longer you’re on that journey the more it starts to affect other areas of your life… your work, your social life, your sex life, your family life… your quality of life.
As a Mind+Body Fertility Coach, I’ve been through the journey myself and come out the other end. Back in 2008, my hubby and I decided to start a family but month after month, despite doing and trying everything we could, I wasn’t falling pregnant – I was baffled, we were young and healthy and honestly, I assumed it would happen straight away because from what I was told growing up, unprotected sex = pregnancy! Eventually after a year I did become pregnant but what proceeded was years of recurrent miscarriage and with it came anxiety, depression, isolation and both physical and emotional trauma.
Like many, I ignored my emotions, my internal negative beliefs and stories, I sucked it up and kept battling the beast month after month. But when I started to learn about the Mind+Body connection and how ‘Fertility Stress’ can impact the body’s ability to conceive and that my emotional health was foundational for physical health, it became very clear to me that something in my approach needed to change. And change it did.
What The Research Says
Research has shown that women experiencing infertility have global anxiety and depression scores equivalent to = cancer, cardiac & hypertension patients. Moreso, studies have shown that ‘infertile’ women who utilise mind and body techniques have a 42-55% higher conception rate than those who don’t.
Women experiencing depression when treated showed a 60% viable pregnancy rate within 6 months compared to 24% when depression went untreated. And those that used hypnosis alongside Assisted Reproductive Technology like IVF/ICSI/IUI, more than DOUBLED their success rates.
Yet when a woman heads to a GP, OBGYN or a fertility clinic to discuss their situation their emotional health is not considered as a cause, subsequent affect or a factor that deserves attention.
We deserve better, we deserve more.
How a Mind+Body Fertility Coach Can Help
When we experience stress in our lives, our body goes into a sympathetic state of fight, flight, freeze or appease. The body responds by releasing stress hormones and redirecting oxygenated blood to the defence systems of the body (which the reproduction system is not a part of), this is to PROTECT us. Conception is not important if we are in danger (real or imagined). Conversely, when our nervous system is balanced and in a parasympathetic state it is better equipped to support processes like immune, healing, digestion and reproduction.
A fertility coach is your fertility bestie, someone to share the highs and lows of the journey with, someone who knows exactly how you feel when you think no one else does. Someone who validates your experience and the unique struggles that only a Fertility Warrior knows. Someone who has been trained to remind you of the incredible wisdom in your body that perhaps you’ve long forgotten. Someone who teaches you techniques to bring your nervous system back into a state of fertile balance.
Fertility Coaching and Hypnosis has many advantages and is often utilised as a complimentary modality alongside other conception protocols due to its ability to enhance the effectivity of treatment whilst reducing stress which often comes as a result of any medical care and treatment.
Out The Other Side
When I started harnessing the power of the mind+body connection, I was able to stop fighting, I stopped ignoring myself and all the other areas of my life and bought fun and joy back in WHILST in the conception phase. I gave myself permission to feel all the emotions, to process them and take a break when my mind and body needed to. I was able to step back and take a birds-eye view of my journey and where I was going and was able to make a plan on next steps. I learnt to advocate for myself and get the medical support which was needed rather than stick with the one ‘guy’ hoping for a better result next round.
I vowed all those years ago to provide support and guidance to those ‘in the thick of it’. I now have 3 happy healthy miracles, a wealth of personal experience and professional knowledge, tools and skills under my belt including Mindset Coaching, Hypnosis and HypnoFertility and Neuro Linguistic Programming.
If you’re ready to do fertility differently, to reduce the emotional toll the journey is having on your life, to clear any emotional and energetic blocks to conception and not only survive but thrive once again – all whilst doubling your chances of a healthy conception and pregnancy (whether its natural conception, via Assisted Reproductive Technologies or you have a diagnosis that affects fertility), get in touch at http://www.nbip.com.au
With Love and Baby Dust,
Kate Walton – Mind Body Fertility
