It is sometimes suggested that a woman's subconscious can prevent her from getting pregnant. She may have hidden fears and anxieties, or problems with self-esteem. The idea of hypnotherapy is that it allows you to make contact with your subconscious mind. You are not sent to sleep, and you don't actually lose consciousness when you are hypnotized, but you are in a deeply relaxed state.
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| Best Chance To Get Pregnant |
'Hypnotherapy was fantastic. I don't know if it helped me get pregnant, but I went there because my acupuncturist asked if I'd ever thought there might be something underlying that wasn't a conscious thing, I must have been to the hypnotherapist for about six months and it came up that there was something I had never been verbal about which might be stopping me from allowing myself to get pregnant.' Alison, 38
Reflexology
In the ancient technique of reflexology parts of the body, most usually the feet, are massaged in order to help solve problems in other parts of the body. It is believed that massaging certain points, or reflex areas, which are related to specific organs, can alleviate pain or other symptoms and can help a variety of medical conditions. Reflexology is thought to be helpful for menstrual problems, and most people who have a session find it very relaxing.
'I did a course of five sessions of reflexology. The first couple of times I was amazed at how you could feel it in your body when somebody was pushing a certain area on your foot. I think towards the end I didn't feel it was doing anything. I just came away without feeling physically any different, apart perhaps from my feet feeling nice. I don't know whether I should have kept it on, but at that time it was just more expense.' Sandra, 41
Homeopathy
The practice of homeopathy takes a holistic approach, looking at the person as a whole rather than concentrating on individual symptoms, because it is believed that illness is related to disharmony in the body. It is based on the theory that 'like cures like', and so it uses tiny doses of substances which can produce symptoms of an illness in order to cure the illness itself. It uses medicines from plant, mineral and animal sources, which are diluted and made into tablets. It is believed that the more dilute the remedy is the more potent it becomes, as any impurities are lost. Homeopathic remedies may also be used in ointments, powders or solutions.
'Homeopathy was fantastic. The approach my homeopath took was to sit and talk about how I felt and then she would try and work out the emotional link to the physical symptoms. For me. it was just a chance to say to somebody how awful I felt about not having children. It was the first time I really recognized it. With a lot of alternative therapies there is a counseling element, and I think it was the first time I really did open up.' Isla, 35
Reiki
A relatively new healing technique, reiki was developed in Japan about 100 years ago. The Japanese word 'reiki' means 'universal life energy', and practitioners have to be initiated, or attuned, into this life energy by a reiki master. This then allows them to act as channels and pass the energy on to others.
During a session of reiki, you lie down while the reiki practitioner places his or her hands in a sequence of positions over your body. The process takes about an hour and it is claimed it can remove toxins and energy blocks from the body as well as passing on the life energy. It claims to be able to help with physical, mental and emotional problems, and to help you feel more relaxed and peaceful.
'A friend of mine is a reiki practitioner and before I got married she did a session. She told me that she had felt a lot of energy around my ovaries. To be quite honest I thought it was just a bit of mumbo jumbo, only to find that she had actually picked something up. That gives me confidence to go back for reiki. I just find it is extremely relaxing and it puts you in the right frame of mind.' Monica, 41. To find out more, you can check out Best Chance To Get Pregnant.
