Fertility Coaching Shows Promise

By: Kathleen

Going through infertility almost always increases stress levels for couples. This stress frequently feeds a negative feedback loop where the fertility problems are exacerbated by stress. So the higher the levels of stress, the worse the chances of conceiving become, which then again increases stress. It is common for high-achieving women, in particular, to feel a loss of control during IVF treatment, and for these women it can be very difficult to accept that their body is letting them down. A novel approach to improving this situation is the use of fertility coaching. Couples experiencing high levels of anxiety can hire a fertility coach trained in cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) to help them have a better outlook on their situation. This in turn lowers stress and anxiety, which improves fertility. At least that's the theory. A recent study supports this idea. Sixteen women who had functional hypothalamic amenorrhoea, a condition in which the hormone that triggers ovulation has been at a very low level, were followed. Half of the women received CBT for twenty weeks. The results were dramatic: six of the eight women receiving CBT became ovulatory, and two became pregnant within two months. Only one women in the other group started ovulating again. While the sample size was low, this certainly is promising research and suggests couples may want to seek unconventional therapies to help them through this difficult process.