Our brain is separated into our intellectual brain and our original primitive or limbic system brain. When we are stressed or have a lot going on we spend a lot of time in our primitive brain. Our primitive brain is only concerned with our survival. It doesn’t care if we are happy,  have a rewarding career or a fulfilling family life etc – it only wants to keep us alive.

Now trying for a baby can be stressful. Once we have made that decision that we want to have a baby we can usually think of little else, particularly if it takes longer than we expected. We worry “Is there something wrong?”, “Why are others getting pregnant and we aren’t?”, “What if we never have children?”

Fertility investigations can cause further stress – having to take time off work whilst keeping the reason private, going back and forth to various clinics, having to monitor period dates and ovulation times.

And if fertility treatment is required the stress increases. More time off work, keeping it quiet from friends and family or else constantly being asked if you are pregnant or having well-meaning friends assure you that you WILL have children. The hormone treatment that makes your moods fluctuate wildly, the pressure to have sex according to a strict schedule.

So this all sounds the ideal time to bring a child into the world doesn’t it?

NOPE! your primitive brain is shouting…..

Your stress hormones (cortisol and adrenaline) are elevated, your happy hormones (serotonin and dopamine) are low and your primitive brain panics – YOU ARE IN DANGER – this is survival time – fight or flight. The worst possible time to waste resources on creating and growing another human being. Resources need to be conserved for YOUR survival.

So your brain orders your body to reject, reject, reject!

I can help to….

• Reduce the psychological distress of infertility
• Aid the emotional wellbeing of couples
• Reduce stress
• Create an optimal internal environment where the body can function more efficiently, increasing the chances of successful conception
• Manage the emotional rollercoaster associated with IVF
• Promote a sense of calm and optimism
• Help regulate hormones by promoting a sense of calm and well-being