A research team from Boston IVF, a private, academically affiliated infertility center, in Waltham, MA conducted a randomized controlled study with 143 women, 40 years old or less, to determine if a mind-body program, delivered in a group, would yield higher pregnancy rates than treatment as usual.

Researchers from the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque addressed the issue of anxiety, fatigue and emotional stress interfering with the ability of new mothers of premature infants to express milk for their babies in the NICU (newborn intensive care unit).
 
To facilitate the breast-feeding experience, intervention mothers were given a 20-minute audio cassette tape based on relaxation and visual imagery techniques.

Researchers from the Pediatrics Department of Université Laval in Québec, Canada, reviewed the literature to assess the benefits of mind-body interventions during pregnancy for preventing or treating women's anxiety and in influencing perinatal outcomes.

They searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group's Trials Register (30 November 2010), MEDLINE (1950 to 30 November 2010), EMBASE (1974 to 30 November 2010), the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) (1 December 2010), ClinicalTrials.gov (December 2010) and Current Controlled Trials (1 December 2010), along with reference lists of selected studies and contacting professionals and authors in the field.

After reading this jaw-dropper of an upbeat report from the pluckiest, newly diagnosed, 75-year-old cancer patient in America, everyone in the office has set a new goal: we all want to be Dr. Ann McGee-Cooper when we grow up.  Read on and take heart! (She gives all the credit to guided imagery.  We hand all the credit right back to her.)  

And wait til you see her list of post-surgical activities (which we do not recommend for the average mortal).  She also has some very helpful ideas about how and where and when to use imagery.  Check it out

Researchers from Université Laval in Quebec, Canada, assessed the benefits of mind-body interventions during pregnancy in preventing or treating women's anxiety and in influencing perinatal outcomes.

They searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group's Trials Register (30 November 2010), MEDLINE (1950 to 30 November 2010), EMBASE (1974 to 30 November 2010), the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) (1 December 2010), ClinicalTrials.gov (December 2010) and Current Controlled Trials (1 December 2010), as well as searching the reference lists of selected studies and contacting professionals and authors in the field.

We got this from a very pleased new mom:

“I had heard guided imagery for pregnancy and delivery in my Lamaze class and loved it.  I tracked it down on Amazon - it helped me tremendously, as did the breathing techniques I learned in class. I had a beautiful natural childbirth. My husband was over the moon.  It was our first baby.  My Mom said it was the most beautiful and peaceful birth she ever saw.

“The Lamaze class and breathing techniques helped during the contractions and the imagery CD really helped me especially with sleeping between contractions. I used it to fall asleep to for a couple weeks before the baby was born, so when I used it during delivery it made me go right back to that state of mind.  I bounced back very fast with energy to spare, because I never got that tired from having my baby in the first place. This should be standard equipment, along with the ice chips and the pillow, for laboring moms.”
 
Amy P.

From psychotherapist Susan P:
 
I led a support group with women who were experiencing challenging fertility issues. I played a smattering of relaxation audio programs from my library, each of the weeks we met, to give them a flavor of how they could use their powerful minds to help alter their injured vision of themselves and their bodies, after all they had been through.

In addition, I introduced them to polarity and craniosacral therapy. One of the practitioners in my practice offers this treatment as a way to expand energy channels and resolve blockages.

Vicky (not her real name), who had endured several heartbreaking miscarriages of hard-won pregancies in the past, took advantage of this treatment (4-6 times). The practitioner said she was able to identify some of the "body memories" that Vicky held from childhood that may have been interfering with her ability to get pregnant and retain pregnancies (she had had 4 miscarriages in all).

My husband and I have been going through fertility treatments for the past year, and since it all began there was dark cloud around me. The last treatment was an IVF cycle which resulted in a pregnancy, but ended a week later with a miscarriage.

I already wasn't myself, but this threw me completely off my axis.

My older sister, who also has had some problems, recommended your program and meditations. After I listen to your program the other night, it was like a weight was lifted off of me. I felt like myself again. I awoke the next day feeling good emotionally and physically. I haven't felt like that in over 18 months.  So, thank you. Your program brought me back to life and out of the darkness that was with me everywhere I go.

I have a renewed hope, dream, and spirit.

Thank you from every part of my now not breaking heart.

Mary

A staff member found this excited, bubbly report about our Help with Fertility and Healthy Pregnancy & Successful Childbirth imagery on Amazon.  We think it goes a bit overboard in giving excess credit to the guided imagery, but her delight and gratitude for this baby girl is palpable and fun to see.  Here is what “Ang” writes:

“I cannot say enough positive things about guided imagery and affirmations. In fact, I used Help with Fertility when my husband and I were sent to a specialist and were told that we couldn't get pregnant on our own. Surprise!  We did - without any help from our new doctor!