Baby Making

You may be thinking that it's taking longer to get pregnant than you had expected.  And you may have already been advised by a physician to "just be patient." Or, you may be on the verge of asking your doctor about infertility treatment options because you've just about run out of patience.  But before you begin that lengthy process, consider some of the non medical suggestions.

One of these may be the secret that unlocks your ability to conceive a child. Some of these methods might be familiar to you, but others might be new knowledge for you to consider. You owe it to yourself to carefully reflect on each and decide whether you want to give it a chance.  Bear in mind that sometimes, what seems like a minor adjustment, could mean the difference in the miraculous world of conception.

I'm going to include some traditional as well as alternative do-it-yourself methods to try out to increase your chances of pregnancy. Each of these suggestions has worked for some women, but is not appropriate for all. Try not to draw any conclusions about any particular strategy until you've given it a fair try.  One or a combination of these suggestions might just be the winning combination that will ultimately be responsible for your success.

When "Just Relax" is Easier Said than Done

Anxiety and worry can cause you to be unable to relax enough to conceive. They can also cause physical problems that will affect your body negatively. It's a Catch-22.You can't get pregnant until you relax and you can't relax until you're pregnant.

More and more research studies are pointing to stress as one of the most common contributors to decreased fertility.  Our lifestyle today contains enough stress on its own - but when you combine everyday stress with that of desperately desiring a baby, stress levels can climb to dangerous levels.

If well-meaning relatives, friends and co-workers know that you're trying to conceive, they might be adding to your stress by suggesting remedies (including, "just relax") of their own. You may understand their input, but after awhile, knowing looks combined with a drawn out... "Well...?" can get on your nerves and actually cause you to be too keen to conceive.

There are ways to alleviate the stress and end the constant, irritating banter of others about your lack of luck in the pregnancy department. Maybe you and your partner can't take an around the world cruise on the Queen Mary to relax - but there are alternatives that you can probably manage.

Yoga/Meditation

Among the most helpful stress-relieving methods, practicing Yoga and meditation regularly can be a viable answer to reducing stress levels in your life. Yoga can help you control stress on many levels. The poses and deep breathing exercises help you to control your body and tell it exactly what you want it to do.

Meditation helps to quiet your cluttered mind and restore control. Regular meditation promotes tranquility in your life when you need it most. Yoga and meditation won't solve all of your stress-related problems, but it will help you react to them in a way that will keep your mind and body calm.

Reflexology

Reflexology is another natural remedy to promote relaxation. It involves applying gentle pressure to certain body points (usually hands and feet) and is gentle and calming on the entire body. A highly trained reflexologist will gently stroke and knead your feet, concentrating on the areas that will improve the functioning of your reproductive organs and glands. In the process, you'll achieve a stage of deep relaxation. If relaxation is a problem for you in trying to conceive, try reflexology as a calming force to help you ease tension and handle life's problems more efficiently.

Massage

Massage techniques have long been used as a way to relieve stress and stimulate circulation. It also serves to promote hormonal balance and increase nerve action in the womb. Swedish and Shiatsu are the better-known massage methods. Each is beneficial to relieving stress and tension. Both use essential oils and lotions to soothe the body and create gentle warmth that stimulates circulation and releases harmful toxins or impurities.

As your ovulation time approaches, you may want to try massage regularly to help your body relax so conception can more easily occur.

Talk Therapy

Words can sting.  Being told "it'll happen when it's right" or "just relax" may be meant to comfort you, but they'll usually end frustrating you even more when you're trying to have a baby. Researchers are now seeing that talk therapy is helping many women conceive. Since stress is a direct contributor to infertility, when a woman learns how to ride out stressful events in her life and talk them out, she lessens her stress and increases her odds at conception.

Laughter Therapy

Ever heard the phrase, "laughter is the best medicine?"  Well it rings true for infertility, too.  You may be shaking your head wondering, "How am I going to find any reason to laugh during this time when I'm so emotional and distraught?" In some studies, women exposed to laughter therapy during infertility treatments were able to get pregnant faster than women who did not participate.  It doesn't seem to take much, either - just 10-15 minutes a day.  So go ahead - rent your favorite I Love Lucy episode or go with your partner to a comedy club tonight -and give your odds at conception a boost. 

Hypnotherapy

When you're trying to get pregnant, your thoughts are often consumed with when it's going to happen for you.  Even when you're consciously trying to avoid thinking of it, your subconscious mind is often focused on what's going wrong or why it isn't happening quickly enough.

With hypnotherapy, you're hypnotized and taught how to overcome the psychological barriers that could be contributing to your fertility issues.  Although it won't work for all, it does work for some women and it's worth looking into.

The Wurn Technique

This technique is another form of relaxation and massage in the form of physical therapy.  It specifically massages your body's soft tissue, which is especially helpful if you're suffering infertility because of pelvic infections, surgeries, or traumatic factors such as a fall or radiation. Sometimes when your body is healing from these conditions, it actually results in more pain that lasts a longtime and interferes with conception.  The Wurn Technique reduces the pain and promotes healing. Your body may have initiated adhesion formation, where collagen fibers form in crosshair pattern at the site of the damaged tissue.  While they're meant to help you heal, they often stick around forever and cause more pain than your original problem. If it interferes with your organs, the infertility can occur because they blocked your fallopian tubes or restricted your ovaries from performing correctly.  It can also result in miscarriages and hormonal dysfunction.

When you have a massage therapist apply the Wurn Technique, he or she will gently apply pressure to stretch your body tissue and help the adhesions break down.  It seems to be a promising nonsurgical way to assist in conditions such as blocked fallopian tubes. 

Exercise

Exercise should become an important part of your life while you are trying to get pregnant.  It will improve your immune system while reducing stress.  You will have greater energy, will likely lose weight and gain muscle.  As your health improves, you are preparing your body for a healthy pregnancy.  Be sure you are exercising in moderation, as excessive exercise has been known to contribute to ovulation problems.

Plan a relaxing vacation or weekend-getaway. Even if you can't take a month-long cruise, you can probably plan a romantic, relaxing vacation. A weekend trip to a little inn or resort that you both enjoy can be relaxing and enjoyable - helping you forget the chaos of your daily life. While you're there, try to plan a massage or reflexology session. If you're uptight about getting pregnant while on a vacation, it will negate what you're trying to accomplish.

There are other methods that you might try for you.  For example, if reading a good novel or drinking a hot herbal cup of green tea before going to bed is a relaxation tool for you, by all means try it regularly. 

Relaxation and stress-relief have helped many a woman conceive - and you owe it to you and your partner to try to improve your chances of getting pregnant faster.