Perhaps you dream of that precious little face, soft fringe of silken hair, tiny fingers and toes . . . or feel that warm, cuddly bundle in your arms. Maybe you sense that “there is a baby there” something women often say to Board Certified Hypnotherapist Lynsi Eastburn of The HypnoFertility Foundation. Taking a success-oriented approach to infertility, Eastburn has created a precise program that supports the entire fertility process (natural or medically assisted) for optimal results.
“Often what I see in my office are women so desperate to have a baby that their lives are an emotional roller coaster,” says Eastburn. “Some of these women are obsessed with talk of cycle days and basal body temperature to the exclusion of almost everything else. Paralyzed with fear, dreading the start of another menstrual cycle, consumed with thoughts of yet another failed attempt . . . marriages often in tatters, shredded self-esteem . . . with the body in a perpetual state of “fight or flight” is it any wonder pregnancy doesn’t occur?”
After suffering more than three years of chronic infertility, and attempting every medical option available, Amber Olson heard about Eastburn’s unprecedented work with hypnosis for fertility (Fertility by Hypnosis®). “My diagnosis was unexplained infertility, and no matter what we tried I just could not get pregnant,” says Olson. Feeling frustrated and hopeless, Olson half-heartedly contacted Eastburn’s clinic and booked a session. The result was natural conception—a successful pregnancy—and an adorable baby.
A Certified Hypnosis Instructor and HypnoBirthing® Institute faculty member, Eastburn not only teaches hypnotherapy at her Colorado school, but also trains hypnotherapists internationally in the use of her specialized fertility methods. She is the established leader in the field of hypnosis for fertility and was recently presented with the prestigious Hypnosis Research Award from the National Guild of Hypnotists, and the Education & Literature Award from the HypnoBirthing® Institute.
“We actually love to hear the words “unexplained infertility” here in our office,” says Eastburn. “Though they tend to strike terror in the hearts of the individuals who have received this diagnosis, ‘unexplained infertility’ actually means there is no physiological reason for a woman not to become pregnant. Although women often feel helpless upon learning of this “condition” it is actually great news. Hypnosis is one of the most powerful processes available for conquering ‘unexplained infertility,’” she says.
With “unexplained infertility” stress and a lack of confidence tend to be the top culprits that must be addressed with hypnosis. However, stress is a key player no matter what the diagnosis. Stress is literally a nervous reaction that occurs within the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS). A vast network of nerves branching out from the spinal cord, the ANS directly affects every organ in the body. Divided into two distinct systems—the 'Sympathetic' and 'Parasympathetic' Nervous Systems—the ANS is responsible for maintaining the equilibrium of our internal environment. Put simply, one system is concerned with the mobilization of forces to meet an emergency (the famous 'fight or flight' response), the other with the relaxed, regenerative states.
The neurochemical barrage that is associated with the activation of the sympathetic nervous system (“fight or flight”) can be as easily triggered by a threat to self-esteem or dignity, such as a woman’s perception of herself as “failing” to conceive, as an actual physical threat. Unresolved guilt over a previous abortion or other traumatic incident or even experience with numerous invasive infertility-related procedures can have the same result. With the release of “emergency” hormones throughout the body, the body is on alarm, and energy is directed toward the areas needed for actual “fight” or “flight” such as the arms and legs, and away from areas the brain considers less important. Unfortunately, the reproductive system is the most expendable. Once a chronic imbalance of the autonomic nervous system is created, only the regular and consistent practice of relaxation will facilitate the restoration of the parasympathetic nervous system. Hypnotherapy provides an effective means of establishing that restoration and enables women to create the level of safety essential for reproduction to occur.
Fertility by Hypnosis® is not considered “alternative” or anti conventional medicine. Most times Eastburn’s services are sought after in conjunction with medical fertility treatment and at the very least most of her clients are already under the care of a physician. “One of the key components (in addressing infertility) is stress reduction,” says Dr. Mark Bush of Colorado’s Conceptions Reproductive Center. “There is a definite link between hormones released in the brain and decreasing a woman’s ability to release an egg,” he says. Dr. Jon Shick of Mile High Family Medicine agrees with Bush. “You can’t ignore the impact of stress on the body or the mind,” says Shick. “I’ve seen what hypnosis can do first hand—it works.” Gerald Trobough, M.D., a California Ob/Gyn and fertility expert, concurs. “We know what hypnosis can do for such things as child birth or pain control, it’s only a matter of time before infertility applications are universally accepted,” he says.
Cheryl Wenzlik is the client of Certified Consulting Hypnotist Roxanne Paolini, a graduate of Eastburn’s program. Wenzlik successfully became pregnant after combining traditional western medical fertility treatment with the specialized acupuncture and hypnosis techniques available exclusively through the Integrative & Wellness Medical Center of Silicon Valley (IWMC) where Paolini is on staff. Founded by Gerald Trobough, M.D. and Jan Winetz, M.D., the Center is on the leading edge as one of the few fertility clinics in the country offering patients on site Fertility by Hypnosis® therapy along with conventional fertility medicine. "Hypnotherapy gave me the tools to relax enabling me to have the peace within my soul which allowed my body to conceive," says Wenzlik. “I now have a beautiful daughter, Mikayla.”
“Fertility is a significant problem in today’s stressful world,” says Dr. Winetz. Also a skilled acupuncturist, Winetz, who works with numerous fertility specialists, has embraced the combination of hypnosis and acupuncture for an even greater success rate. “Our goal at the Center is to increase the odds of a successful pregnancy. Acupuncture and hypnosis have proven to be very successful as adjunctive treatments to conventional medicine,” he says. “Hypnotherapy fits very well with today’s ‘western medical’ approaches to successfully decrease the stresses that can be associated with infertility and its procedures,” says Trobough.
Becoming one of the most sought-after approaches in fertility today, studies in journals including The Journal of the American Medical Women’s Association and Fertility and Sterility have indicated that “infertile” women utilizing mind/body techniques such as hypnosis have a 42 – 55% conception rate as compared to 20% with in vitro fertilization (IVF) alone. “As a Certified Fertility and Birth by Hypnosis consulting Hypnotist I am able to help women conceive naturally and also provide hypnotherapeutic support to women undergoing IVF and other medical procedures. There is nothing more rewarding than helping couples facilitate their dreams of starting a family,” says Paolini.
Whether you wish to conceive naturally, or with medical assistance, Fertility by Hypnosis® can more than double your chance of success. During the course of an average of 4 – 6 sessions, perspective mothers learn the tools of self-empowerment as they tap into the power of the subconscious mind. This easily leads to real chemical changes in the brain that, in turn, can manifest in suitable conditions for conception.