Can stress reduction aid in conception?
In 1978, the Mind-Body Institute of Harvard Medical School developed a ten-week group program for women with unexplained infertility. Based on coping-skills training, learning to shift from the stress response to the relaxation response, guided imagery, gentle yoga stretching, good nutrition, education in topics pertinent to fertility, and support from other women in the group, the program has an excellent track record in reducing women’s stress. The emphasis of this program is on shifting the focus of life away from conceiving a baby to living a creative, fulfilling life in other regards. This results from this program had been excellent. Almost all the women who completed it had significant reductions in anxiety, anger, and depression, and an increase in vitality and well-being. Although the program is designed only to reduce stress, statistics compiled from the nearly three hundred women who completed the program and were available for follow-up indicated that 57 percent of them bec
