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Boost your chances of getting pregnant

Boost your chances of getting pregnant

Can you think yourself pregnant?

'It was such a blow to learn we had a one-in-a-million chance of getting pregnant naturally,' says Amanda Howe, 34, from London. 'We were told there were problems with my ovaries and my husband's sperm. We even blew all our savings on three cycles of IVF - and got nowhere.'

When the prospect of being made redundant distracted Amanda's thoughts, she missed her period and found she was pregnant. Now she's mum to Lily, 3, and Jo, 18 months. 'Each time I've stopped thinking about it, I've got pregnant,' she says. 'I'm convinced that's what made it happen.' So is it just coincidence, or can obsessing about getting pregnant play a role in preventing it?

Coincidence or science?

Obstetrician Dr Donald Gibb is the founder of The Birth Company, a pregnancy and childbirth clinic in London's Harley Street that adopts an holistic approach. He believes that stress and fatigue caused by hectic lives and demanding jobs can affect people's ability to conceive naturally. He also thinks that the stress of IVF treatment can further hinder chances of conception.

'Fertility is controlled by part of the brain called the hypothalamus,' he explains. 'Severe anxiety can affect the hypothalamus and prevent it from sending out the signals that trigger ovulation. When a woman stops worrying, the mechanism can start to work again.'

Many women turn to alternative therapies, such as acupuncture and hypnotherapy, to boost fertility. But do they work? And if so, what evidence is there to prove it?

Read on:Alternative therapies

By Beatrix Clarke

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NICOLA SHIELS, 7 days [Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment.]

my partner and i had been been trying for a year and a half then i fell,but we lost it when i was 8 weeks pregnant nowall i can think of is getting pregnant and gutted when it hasnt happened.

elle, 13 days [Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment.]

i am trying to get pregnant but am worried at the fact that i have used lots of different contraceptive methods but have been off them for about a year but its still not happening . any tips or advice?????? x

Pumeza, 3 months [Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment.]

I am disperate in need of a baby please help me my lovely son is now 2 years I need his brother or sister, please help!

ellie, 3 months [Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment.]

my partner and i have been trying to conceive for a year now,it is so frustrating as i already have a three year old and didnt even have to try for him it was a complete surprise,i just dont know what to do as am so down when i get my period and people around me are getting pregnant left right and centre!we are going to get checked soon so hopefully something will come out of that

DEL, 4 months [Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment.]

TIP DURE IN INTERCOURSE PLACE PILLOW UNDER BOTTOM AND AFTER RAISE LEGS UP EVEN IF ONLY A LITTLE FOR 20 MINS HELPS SPERM TO SWIM UP INCREASING YOUR CHANCES ALLSO AS YOU ARE COMING TO END OF PERIODS START TAKING TEMP ALLTHOUGH IT WILL VERY SILTY WHEN IT RISE 0.2 -0.4 YOU ARE AT PECK OF OVULATION GOOD LUCK!!

Sarah, 5 months [Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment.]

Louise right after I was married we found out I had polycystic ovaries and I had surgery and had wedges cut into my ovaries so eggs could release. 7 yrs later we still had no children I went on a protien diet lost 40 pds and became pregnant. They say when you have polycystic ovaries that protien is the thing to stay with. 3 yrs. after our first we had a second son and I was on a prtien diet. Trying again. But that is what seems to work well. DON;T GIVE UP

sueclark, 5 months [Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment.]

i am trying to get pregnant but i am 42 been trying for twenty months would appreciate any help thankyou sueclark

Samantha Lee, 6 months [Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment.]

I have a 3 year old boy and he is lovely but i would really like to give him a brother or sister. We have been trying for about 2 years now and nothing seems to be happening. I have only had 2 periods in the last year - went to the doctors, who referred me to get checked out. They then said that iwas underweight. I have now put on 1 stone (back to normal weight) and still nothing happening and still no periods. Does anyone have any ideas? What could be wrong?

louise, 7 months [Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment.]

me and my partner have been trying to concieve for 2 years now but i have been diognosed with polyocitic ovaries i didnt want kids yet but since i found out this i have wanted them more than ever it is not playing on our minds constantly as we have both said it will happen when it happens i have been through loads of tests to find out the exact reason why im not conceiving and the reason being is my ovaries not releasing any eggs my fertility doctor has said to be giving me clomide in about 6 months i just wanted to know is there any thing i can do to help my ovaries release there eggs if any one can help that would be great thanks

sar, 8 months [Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment.]

me and my partner had a still born on christmas day and we wasnt trying and now we are trying i just cant get pregnant and every time i get my period i get so upset i dont want a baby to forget about my baby who died i just want the chance to be a good mum and it seems to be so unfair i see people who dont deserve kids and yet my partner and i have got so much love to give and a nice house and it just doesnt want to happen whhhhhhhhhhhy?

Pam, 8 months [Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment.]

My partner and I have been trying for almost 5 years now, after being under the hospital for the last 12 months our next step is IVF, really concerned that it wont work! I have been reading about alternate therapies has anyone tried reflexology or anything else? Has it worked for you?

holly and patrick, 10 months [Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment.]

my advice to u girls is to just go with the flow.like you have all said the more you think about it the more it proble wont happen. we cant wait to have our babies but we know that it will happen at the right time so, but you people out there who are desperate and cant wait much longer get your selves to massage classes and drink lots of herbal tea and anything that will get you relaxed, p.s one helpful tip is to keep evrything up there (if you get my drift(help the little sperms swim to the right plkace without to much hard work, xcx

DIANE, 10 months [Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment.]

ME AND MY PARTNER WAS TRYIG FR A BABY FOR 5 YEARS BUT NOTHING WAS HAPPNING UNTILL THAT IS WE STOPED TRYING AS IT WAS GETIG US DOWN AND THATS WHEN I GOT PREGNANT WITH OUR SECOND CHILD,WE HAD NO PROBLEMS CONCIVING OUR FIRT CHILD AS WE WASENT TRYING TOCONCIVE THERE FOR WE WASENT STRESSING AOUT BECOMING PREGNANT.WE HAVE BEEN TRYING FOR ANOTER CHID FOR 2 AND A HALF YEARS NOW,I DNT HAVE PERIODS AND NEVER REALY HAVE IS THERE ANY ONEWHO COULD HELPS????

eliza rogers, 11 months [Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment.]

me and my boyfriend have been trying for a baby for 3 weeks now and im getting really frustrated because its not working and i don't know what we are doing wrong my doctor told me to stop being so silly but im not being silly its stressing me out so much i think im infertile i mean.... 3 whole weeks??? for the first 2 weeks we had sex the normal way as you do but then we started to get very concerned as we weren't getting pregnant. So, now he has been screwing me up the ass because apparently you can conceive from up your bum. However, this STILL is NOT workinh]

eliza, 11 months [Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment.]

i neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeed a baby!!!! please!!!

helen, 11 months [Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment.]

my partner and i have been trying to concieve for over 2 years now, and nothing has happened yet. it is frustrating for both of us, and sometimes i do think that us "thinking" about it all the time probably does stop it happening! we are both now booked in at the doctors to get our health checked out, so hopefully we will start getting somwehere now...?

precious, 11 months [Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment.]

i fond it very helpful.myself and my husband has been trying for sometime now,pls give me some advice that can help me.i had a still birth before and since then i have been trying.

michelle, 11 months [Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment.]

i fond it helpful,but me and my husband have been trying for years and nothing is happen could you give me some advice to help me to concive thamks

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