What is EFT:
EFT is short for emotional freedom technique. It is disarmingly easy to perform on yourself, takes mere minutes and is remarkably effective. This technique is used by countless therapists and natural health advocates such as Kevin Trudeau and Dr. Mercola.

EFT is very similar to acupuncture or acupressure except that you perform it on yourself while addressing emotional issues. To perform EFT, you simply tap specific points of your body with your own fingertips while you recite a mantra. These are powerful energy points and most people are literally amazed at the immediate difference they feel when first practicing EFT.

How Can EFT help with infertility?
There are a number of underlying emotional issues that may impact a couple’s ability to conceive. In many cases it is a fear based issue, such as fear of becoming a mother, fear of repeating the mistakes of your own parents or fear of childbirth.

In addition, the stress associated with infertility and its treatments can compound problems leading to further trouble conceiving. EFT can address these underlying issues allowing your body to do its job without the extra burden of psychological stress, which could subconsciously be preventing conception.

According to and article about infertility and EFT at emaxhealth.com, “EFT targets a person’s disrupted energy meridian system (Chi or Qi) as the real driver behind heightened stress levels, and the inability to conceive. This simple do-it-yourself acupressure technique balances one’s energy and eliminates the body and mind’s stress response. EFT claims an 80% success rate.”

“EFT targets a person’s disrupted energy meridian system (Chi or Qi) as the real driver behind heightened stress levels, and the inability to conceive.”

How to do EFT
While EFT is very easy to learn and practice, the easiest way to learn is often from watching a video. There are plenty of introductory videos, like this one on YouTube and other video websites which you can watch in 5 minutes and understand the basics of EFT. It is tremendously helpful to watch someone else doing EFT on themselves before you do it on yourself initially.

In the video, you will see that there are a number of points on your hand, head, face and body that you will tap repeatedly while you repeat a mantra. Use two hands on the points which have two sides, such as your eyes and one hand on single points, such as under your nose. The following points are the most common used in EFT:

1. The “karate chop point” on the outside of your hand slightly below your pinky
2. The crown of your head
3. At the inside of your eyebrow
4. Near the outside of your eyebrow, near your temple
5. Under your eye where the eye socket begins
6. Directly under the nose
7. The center of your chin
8. Your collarbone
9. A few inches under your underarm
10. Tap your tongue to your palette (although you cannot recite your mantra during this step)

The most important step of EFT is identifying your underlying concern, fear or issue. This may take some work and many people find that they need a therapist or counselor to identify their concerns. Once you identify your fear or issue, you need to break it down into a 2-5 word phrase. Once the phrase is broken down, you insert it into the following sentence and it becomes your EFT mantra.

“Even though I ___________________, I completely and deeply love and accept myself.”

“Even though I ___________________, I completely and deeply love and accept myself.”

If you determine that you have an underlying fear of childbirth for example, you may repeat the following while you tap, “Even though I am terrified of childbirth, I am completely and deeply love and accept myself.” Here are some sample phrases that have helped other women overcome emotional issues related to conception and may help you identify your own issues which in turn may allow you to relax enough to become pregnant:

1. Fear of Childbirth
“Even though I am terrified of giving birth again, I understand and love myself”
“Even though I’m stuck in my fear of panic at birth and it blocks conception, I really love and accept myself.”

2. Fear that you won’t become a Mother
“Even though I am petrified with fear that I will never get to experience pregnancy….”
“Even though I am terrified that this life dream of mine won’t come true…”
“Even though I am scared because I have done all I know how to do and I am still not pregnant…”

3. Fear of Parenting
“Even though I have this fear of not being a good mother…”
“Even though I cannot see myself with another baby…”
“Even though I am afraid of making the same mistakes my parents made….”

4. Anger at your body
Even though I am angry at my body for failing me….”
“Even though my love making has become a means to an end…”
“Even though our love making seems mechanical now….”

5. Anger at the doctors and infertility treatments
“Even though the doctors wasted the best years of my fertility because they didn’t know what they were doing….”
“Even though I am afraid that we will have a mountain of debt and STILL not be parents…”

6. Anger at your friends and family because they don’t understand
“Even though my family ridicules me because I won’t go to the baby shower…..”
“Even though I can’t forgive my sister for being so insensitive…….”

7.Other Emotions
“Even though I feel completely isolated and alone….”
“Even though I don’t feel like I fit in with my friends anymore….”
Even though I’ve lived life by all the “rules” and I am angry that I can’t get what I want…..”
Even though I am feeling guilty that I should have started my family earlier….”
Even though I have this guilt about leaving my father when he was sick…”

8.Fear of EFT or the intangible
“Even though I worry my birth fear wasn’t the problem in preventing conception….”
“Even though there is just one slight niggle and I don’t know what it is, I feel good about myself”
“Even though I don’t know if EFT will work for me …..”

These are just sample phrases to get you started. They may or may not be applicable to your underlying issues. Sometimes it takes multiple phrases to find the one that resonates with you. While EFT cannot magically cure all cases of infertility, specifically ones with an incurable physical cause, EFT can almost always help resolve the underlying emotional issues from both your past and those related to the infertility treatments themselves.

More resources:
The EFT Manual
Free EFT manual
Study Links Stress to Infertility
EFT for Fertility
Emofree.com

Taking a break of a month or two can be beneficial on many levels and even more therapeutic if you combine it with an out of town vacation. Chronic stress, lack of sleep, lack of sunshine, poor nutrition and other unhealthy habits can all have a negative long term impact on your fertility. By ignoring your mental health and wellness, you could be exacerbating the problem without knowing it. Not only that, but you owe it to yourself to incorporate balance into your life whether or not you have a child.

Life needs to be about balance in order for a person to be happy. Whenever you put too much of your focus onto only one area of your life, you do it to the detriment of every other aspect of your life. You feel out of balance because you are not paying attention to other aspects of your life, some of which might be very good. You rob yourself of the joy of celebrating other positive moments in your life, such as a promotion at work or the deepening of a friendship. Taking Time Off From Fertility Treatments

If you are of advancing age or have other extreme fertility challenges, you may feel that you cannot afford to “waste” a month or two, but consider the toll on your mental and physical health and the fact that you may be inadvertently making matters worse. You do not have to give up, but you do need to take care of yourself first and that may mean taking a step back to relax, refocus and breathe.

Buy The Audio CD: Indigo Dreams, Real Techniques for Real People Feeling Real Anxiety
(also available in MP3 format)

In the 1980’s many in the healing professions were beginning to recognize how physiological processes such as heart rate, blood flow, pain thresholds etc. could be controlled via modalities such as hypnosis, visualization, meditation, humor and so on.

Out of these observations grew the new and exciting field of mind-body medicine also known as psycyhoneuroimmunology.

In this article I will address a new healing modality called the Mind Resonance Process® (MRP) in the context of the mind-body links that I have found to exist in couples struggling with infertility.

Millions of dollars are spent to diagnose and treat infertility each year. Most of this money is spent on advanced and often invasive technological approaches that in the majority of cases yield very little in the way of results. Why is this?

Well in my view it is because if there is some emotional block in the “couple” that creates the infertility problem in the first place it will sabotage any attempts to get around it. Although many physicians are reluctant to accept this, it is my view that emotional issues can and do have an upper hand in such cases.

The following are some examples of such emotional issues:

1. The fear of getting pregnant or being pregnant.

2. The fear of having a deformed or defective child.

3. The fear of having to make the required changes in life style that is demanded of couples when a new member of the family arrives.

4. The fear of the financial repercussions.

5. The fear of being responsible for another’s life or well being.

6. Lack of self confidence as a new parent.

7. Fear that the new member will disrupt what is often an unhealthy co-dependent bond between the parents.

And so on.

The recent work of Dr. Bruce Lipton, an eminent cell biologist posits that our beliefs can affect our physiology. This is also corroborated by the work of Dr. Candace Pert (”Molecules of Emotion”). Their work supports my clinical observations working with MRP.

In one case working with a woman who was terribly afraid that her child might be deformed I helped her completely release the fear in a matter of minutes. This left her feeling relaxed, confident, resilient, ready and willing to move towards childbirth. The effect on her physiologically was reflected by the shift in her emotional state.

MRP has the powerful ability to not only shift one’s inner emotional matrix it also has the ability to translate this shift into the way the body works and is structured.

If you are dealing with emotional issues of infertility or are dealing with the stress of infertility and you would like to experience what MRP can do for you kindly visit the web link below.

Dr. Nick Arrizza is trained in Chemical Engineering, Business Management & Leadership, Medicine and Psychiatry. He is an Energy Psychiatrist, Healer, Key Note Speaker,Editor of a New Ezine Called “Spirituality And Science” (which is requesting high quality article submissions) Author of “Esteem for the Self: A Manual for Personal Transformation” (available in ebook format on his web site), Stress Management Coach, Peak Performance Coach & Energy Medicine Researcher, Specializes in Life and Executive Performance Coaching, is the Developer of a powerful new tool called the Mind Resonance Process(TM) that helps build physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well being by helping to permanently release negative beliefs, emotions, perceptions and memories. He holds live workshops, international telephone coaching sessions and international teleconference workshops on Physical. Emotional, Mental and Spiritual Well Being.

Web site: http://www.telecoaching4u.com/IntroConsult.htm

Article Source: http://www.uberarticles.com/articles

Buy the Book: The Whole Person Fertility Program(SM): A Revolutionary Mind-Body Process to Help You Conceive

Infertility counseling can help many couples that are going through infertility treatment programs. There are two types of counseling that an individual or couple may be looking at for fertility assistance; emotional counseling and physical infertility treatment. Both types of counseling are an essential part of successfully navigating the world of infertility.

Physical infertility Treatment
This type of help is given from your doctor or specialist. They are the people that do all the tests and give all the shots to assist you in your infertility treatment. It is their job to help you realize the dream of having a baby. The doctor’s knowledge of their specialty is an essential part of fertility support. Without the doctor and their ability to help couples with pregnancy aid, it would be impossible for some couples to get pregnant and have a baby.

Financial Infertility Assistance
The infertility doctor that you use will be able to offer you information on other forms of infertility assistance as well as their physical assistance. There are a variety of fertility grant and pregnancy grant programs available to both men and women who are suffering infertility. Through this financial support it may be possible for a women’s fertility treatments to be less expensive and even free! Make sure to check with your insurance company as well because many of your infertility treatments may be covered.

Emotional Help
Another important aspect of infertility programs is their ability to successfully offer infertility assistance on an emotional level. Both men and women that are going through infertility issues can benefit from the counseling of an individual therapist or a group therapy session.

Couples can visit a therapist to discuss their concerns and worrying regarding the process of infertility. Both people in the relationship may be getting discouraged about the process. The emotional support that a counselor can give is a great way for couples to deal with their emotions and concerns.

Infertility Group Help
One of the easiest ways to get support while going through infertility is to seek an infertility group. These groups are a great way for infertile couples, and those having problems getting pregnant, to express their concerns and difficulties with the fertility treatment process. Everyone in the group is going through the same emotions and physical changes and are able to help each other work through this difficult time in their life.

Most fertility clinics will have information on a fertility support group in the area. Most clinics actually run their own support groups several times during the week. So it should not be a problem finding a support program that will fit your emotional needs as you go through the fertility process. You can also find many online fertility support groups such as www.fertilityfriend.com.

Going through infertility is a process that is both physically and emotionally draining. To make the process more enjoyable couples should utilize all the resources that are available to them, including: financial, emotional, and community support programs. The relief that they programs will give a couple might be just what they need to try their fertility program a little longer.

You don’t have to suffer through infertility alone…. Using the resources available to you will increase your odds of having a successful pregnancy.

Author: Mike Jerry
If infertility assistance is something you are seeking, we have many articles and resources that can help point you in the direction of solving one of the most frustrating problems couples face today: http://www.yourinfertilityassistance.com/

Buy the Book: Couple Therapy For Infertility

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Stress has been linked to infertility in numerous studies. Many believe that today’s modern stressful lifestyle is a primary cause of the frustrating “unexplained infertility” diagnosis. The ironic part is that infertility causes stress and stress causes infertility. The challenge is of course, breaking the cycle.

How does stress cause infertility? There are a number of possibilities.

HYPOTHALAMUS:
Stress is defined as an event that you perceive as potentially harmful, whether or not you are actually in danger. This event could be a lion attack, an argument with your spouse or a deadline at work. When you are stressed you body responds by preparing to protect itself against this perceived threat with the classic “flight or fight” response.

During times of stress, your hypothalamus gland releases hormones that activate your
hypothalmic-pituitary-adrenal system causing it to release catecholamines and cortisol and subsequently the activity level of all your major organs increases. The hypothalamus not only regulates stress but also releases sex hormones. This can affect menstruation, ovulation, and sperm count. Many think that this is an important factor in the stress-infertility connection.

Long term or chronic stress can lead to adrenal exhaustion which happens when your hypothalmus is just worn out and it is begins producing elevated or diminished levels of cortisol constantly. Elevated level of cortisols will not only impact your fertility but also your immune system and bone health. Diminished levels of cortisol will influence estrogen and progesterone levels.

EMOTIONAL & PHYSICAL CHANGES:
Studies have proven that stress reduces sperm count and mobility, although researches are not sure why exactly that is. Additionally, a modern day man under stress may experience erectile dysfunction and a decreased interest in sex which can obviously impact a couples fertility.

Chronic stress can lead to irregular sleep patterns and depression which can lead to unhealthy lifestyle choices to compensate. Most Americans will overdo on coffee to compensate for lack of sleep, which can have a detrimental effect on fertility. Others will choose drinking, smoking or drugs (legal or illegal) to combat drowsiness or depression, all of which can impair fertility.

INFERTILITY CAUSING STRESS:
Failing to conceive can be exceptionally stressful. The feeling of helplessness compounds any stress the couple is already under. The charting, tracking, planned sex, doctor’s visits and disappointment month after month leads to chronic stress. Pressure and unsolicited advice from friends and family also can add to the stress burden. Infertility treatments themselves can create enormous physical and mental stress from the invasive, painful and embarrassing procedures. The treatments also create an enormous financial burden which can increase stress levels further.

Finally, the stress of infertility can lead to strained relationship with your partner. This can lead to intimacy issues and infrequent yet contrived attempts which only exacerbates the problem.

SOME SOLUTIONS:
Stress is such an intangible which is probably why couples get even more frustrated and have a difficult time actually addressing the issue and reducing their stress levels. If you know the cause of stress such as a difficult relationship, do something positive to reduce the stress like seeking counseling or minimizing time with the offending person.

If you are not sure why you are so tense and ragged around the edges, then do not hesitate to seek counseling or even just ask a good friend if they see something in your life that seems to really get to you. Try keeping a diary or journal to track your reactions to certain events. Maybe just learning to say ‘no’ or losing that pesky desire to please others can liberate you from chronic stress.

Sometimes you cannot avoid the stressor such as if your boss is a total jerk or if you live with your nosy mother in law. In that case the best advice is to take steps to manage your stress internally. This is an excellent lifestyle choice whether you are trying to conceive or not. Inner peace has been a goal of millions throughout the ages, and with good reason. It will improve the quality of your life and health dramatically. Here are some fairly basic ways to manage your internal stress:

• Learn how to meditate and practice twice a day
• Take up yoga
• Get at least eight hours of quality, quiet, cool, dark sleep, just do it.
• Take a walk every day
• Get some sun every day
• Do not eat processed or fast foods
• Minimize the animal products you eat
• Visit a spa, hit the sauna, take a steam and get a massage periodically
• Use positive affirmations every day
• Keep a diary or journal
• Seek counseling or a support group
• Try hypnosis or biofeedback
• Take a vacation you can afford

There are other many other stress reducing techniques but the ones mentioned are some of the most effective. Simply doing the top three: yoga, meditation and a good night’s sleep will go tremendous lengths toward reducing your stress levels and providing some inner peace and tranquility.

Buy the DVD: Stress Relief Yoga

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Source: www.PRWeb.com
San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) Women who are experiencing the devastation of infertility are finding hope in a simple, self-applied acupressure. Researchers from Emory University showed that infertile women resumed ovulation after twenty weeks of psychotherapy to reduce stress levels. However, relief need not take that long.

Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) was developed to accelerate and improve conventional psychotherapy methods by addressing stress related issues at their energetic source. It often reduces the psychotherapy process from weeks or months down to minutes or days. It can be learned freely by downloading the EFT Manual.

EFT targets a person’s disrupted energy meridian system (Chi or Qi) as the real driver behind heightened stress levels, and the inability to conceive. This simple do-it-yourself acupressure technique balances one’s energy and eliminates the body and mind’s stress response. EFT claims an 80% success rate.

Dr. Sarah Berga led the infertility study, and states, “This study underlines the important contribution that lifestyle factors make in determining overall health and reproductive health in particular. It is quite possible there are many individuals who could benefit from stress reduction in terms of infertility therapies.”

Participants in the study underwent cognitive behavior therapy, which focused on teaching the women strategies for coping with stress. After 20 weeks of therapy, the ovulation cycle was restored in 80% of the women. Conversely, EFT users have reduced their stress and reversed infertility in one to three EFT sessions. EFT is a more cost effective method than expensive fertility techniques, or even lengthy psychotherapy.

According to EFT founder, Gary Craig, “EFT offers a faster, more permanent solution to stress reduction and fertility issues because it addresses the energy imbalance as well as the unresolved negative emotions that are creating the energy imbalance and infertility. When stress, fear, and anxiety are resolved at this deep level using EFT, we found that normal stressors simply no longer activate a stress response.”

Dr. Tam Llewellyn-Edwards, an EFT Master located in the United Kingdom, has worked with women who were having difficulty conceiving children. While working with Dr. Llewellyn-Edwards to collapse emotional issues, one client revealed her own fear around giving birth. They used EFT to neutralize this fear and she was able to recognize other concerns. She identified and cleared her doubts about being able to care for an infant, as well as a fear that her husband would love their baby more than her.

Says Dr. Llewellyn-Edwards, “Four months later I heard from Jane again. She was two months pregnant! She now has a lovely 3 year old boy and she did cope and her husband still loves her.” This EFT treatment took just three sessions, and illustrates that fear and anxiety about parenthood may inhibit conception.

According to the medical journal, Fertility and Sterility, one in ten American couples is infertile. Craig says, “When infertility is an issue I would recommend trying EFT before investing in expensive fertility treatments or lengthy psychotherapy. We are not suggesting that EFT replace conventional medical treatment but offering an option that brings healing to the body, the mind as well as the energy system. It is my belief that a calm, balanced body would be more receptive to conception.”

Over 300,000 have downloaded Craig’s free training manual and another 10,000 download it each month. The official EFT Manual has been translated by volunteer practitioners into nine languages.

The EFT Manual explains the basics so that anyone can begin applying EFT right away. It can be freely downloaded at http://www.emofree.com/downloadeftmanual.asp?ref=prw-
fertilcw

For further information, contact Gary Craig at 707-785-2848.

Buy the Book: 101 Ways to Relax and Reduce Stress
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Source: www.PRWeb.com
The advice given to men on the infertility rollercoaster is to ‘keep talking’. Men still find it extremely difficult to discuss their emotions, says Steven Sonsino, a business school professor talking openly about his fertility treatment for the first time.

The message to ‘keep talking’ is captured on ‘The Infertility Rollercoaster – What It Feels Like For A Guy’, a DVD recorded live at National Infertility Day 2006 (10 June 2006).

‘It’s the first time in six years that the organizers have allowed video cameras into the conference,’ says Sonsino. ‘More people are beginning to recognize the need to get this message out far and wide.’

Explaining why he produced the DVD, Sonsino says ‘Despite the increased awareness of the problems of infertility, men are still emotionally immature when it comes to explaining their needs and wants, even to their partner.’

Clare Brown, Chief Executive of Infertility Network UK, supports the ‘keep talking’ message. ‘Despite the increased availability of counseling for patients undergoing fertility treatment, men still do not seem to want to talk,’ she says, ‘even though it’s just as tough emotionally for them as it is for women.’ Only 10% of callers to the support group are made by men, she says.

‘What makes Steven’s “Keep Talking” message so important,’ says Ms Brown, ‘is that he tackles the issues of infertility in a light hearted way that frankly we really need. Don’t be fooled by the approach, though. The issues he raises are really important. You see, Steven tells us what it feels like for a guy on the Infertility Rollercoaster. And that’s not something we hear every day.’

Nicola Dawson, a patient who attended Sonsino’s keynote lecture, says ‘I sat there at The Infertility Rollercoaster session, laughing and crying with the other 500 or more people as Steven spoke, and I must say that I found it truly inspirational.’

Ms Dawson’s husband was not present on the day of the lecture, but he will be getting a copy of the DVD. ‘I think it will be incredibly helpful for him to realize that he’s not alone in his feelings. I think Steven’s lecture will have made a huge difference to an awful lot of people,’ says Ms Dawson.

David Lowe, another patient, says ‘My wife and I were at National Infertility Day as we’ve started IVF this year. It has been one of the hardest things in my life to deal with. Nevertheless, I found Steven’s talk very moving, entertaining and funny! I certainly want to order a copy of the DVD. His talk really helped us.’

Infertility professionals also believe the message is important. Helena Hird, Head of Public Relations at the Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority, which licenses treatment in the UK, says ‘We’ve had some really good feedback on Steven’s lecture and thought it would be really useful to include the talk as part of the HFEA staff induction process.’

Hossam Abdalla, Director of the Assisted Conception Unit at the Lister Hospital in London, says ‘It made me understand really the depth of feeling of what our patients go through. Although one always feels that this is the case, hearing it directly, from a patient, whether they were successful or not, makes one more clear of how to approach patient management.’

So the advice given to men on the infertility rollercoaster is to ‘keep talking’, because although this is the 21st century, men still find it extremely difficult to discuss their emotions, says Steven Sonsino.

Note: All profits from the DVD go direct to Infertility Network UK.

For information about The Infertility Rollercoaster DVD, contact Steven Sonsino or visit http://www.theinfertilityrollercoaster.com [The Infertility Rollercoaster].

To preview The Infertility Rollercoaster DVD or to order a copy visit The Infertility
Rollercoaster.

About Steven Sonsino:

Steven Sonsino is a business school professor teaching in London, Berlin and Lisbon. He broadcasts a leadership podcast at http://www.leadership.fm [Leadership.FM - the leadership style podcast]. And his sperm count fluctuates wildly round the 100,000 mark.

Contact:
Steven Sonsino
Moore Sonsino Limited
29 Harley Street
London, UK
W1G 9QR
+44(0)1234 771100

http://www.theinfertilityrollercoaster.com [The InfertilityRollercoaster]

For general information and support on infertility, visit the Infertility Network UK website at The Infertility Network UK.

For more information on Infertility Network UK contact

Susan Seenan
Communications Officer
Telephone: +44(0)1294 230730
Mobile: 07762 137786

Infertility Network UK
Charter House
43 St. Leonards Road
Bexhill on Sea
East Sussex, UK
TN40 1JA

Buy the Book: Infertility Counseling
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Many women are dealing with fertility and conception problems, one suggestion to help relieve the stresses faced when failing to become pregnant is to find a friend to share in your experiences. Bonding with another person in the same situation can help both of you, and perhaps one or both of you will successfully become pregnant.

The friend who you turn to during this time can be another woman who relates to the challenges of apparent infertility (or a couple if your partner is involved).Someone who has never been in this position, experiencing failure to conceive, can’t be as supportive as someone who has had this life experience.

One suggestion of a highly suitable friend for your fertility support is someone who has overcome their own conception and fertility issues. They can be a great source of advice, moral support for the times when failure occurs, and a person to share your dreams.

As with everything, there are advantages and disadvantages, it can be heart breaking if only one of you becomes pregnant while the other continues to face the uncertainty. This is perhaps the biggest reason to choose a supportive person who has already overcome their own fertility problems.

If you don’t know anyone close by, or live in less populated areas, don’t forget to turn to the internet for support. Online discussion groups and chat rooms dealing with fertility problems such as fertilityfriend.com may be better suited. They are also great for men who may not be able to access similar services aimed toward women in their own local area. Of course, in larger cities, there are support groups where you can share your experiences, strengths and dreams as well as discuss new research and treatments. Often in these groups, you could meet a person to develop a friendship bond with to share your successes and sorrows.

We all need love and support from friends, especially in times of stress. A close relationship allows a healthy outlet for venting, mentoring and discussion. It also encourages the feeling that you are not going through this with only your partner, or completely alone if you do not have a partner.

Having a healthy outlet to share you experience, gives you perspective on your situation, you will be less likely to obsess over the failures. Sometimes, just this stress release outlet can be all that is needed for a couple to have a happy, healthy and successful pregnancy.

About the author:
Learn more fertility help and tips plus how to find a fertility friend

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Many people write to me desperate to become pregnant but under the impression that all they have to do is to have unprotected sex a few times and they will become pregnant. These couples soon find out that this is not the case; many begin to wonder if there is something wrong with them and start to wonder if they have a fertility problem.

A little investigation into the process of becoming pregnant will show us that the woman ovulates only once a month and that the ovum will only last about 12 hours before it dries up and becomes unable to be fertilized. This little fact alone puts into perspective the timescale a little and when you think that you have been having unprotected sex for 3 months and that seems like ample time to become pregnant then think again about the percentage of the total time in those three months that you could actually conceive and you will begin to understand why it is actually a close to a miracle that anyone becomes pregnant at all under the best of circumstances.

We have so much fear of getting pregnant drummed into us as teenagers that we really believe that simply having unprotected sex a few times will undoubtedly result in pregnancy and when it doesn’t we begin to wonder if we are infertile or not.

Simply arming yourselves with a little knowledge of how the process of pregnancy occurs and how the male and female bodies react can dramatically improve your chances of becoming pregnant.

Little facts like how to tell when you are about to ovulate, how the man can increase or decrease the potency of his sperm and knowing what foods are congenial to conception can all increase your chances of becoming pregnant and raise your hopes so you do not sink into a depression about not becoming pregnant which can also have a detrimental effect on the conception process.

Here are a few very general tips I give out to the many people who regularly write to me the very same question… ‘I have been trying to get pregnant for three months and can’t… Please help me’;

• The basic key is to keep a healthy mind and body… i.e., health eating, no drinking, smoking or drug taking (including prescription drugs where possible - consult your doctor).
• Smoking not only causes damage to the fetus but also greatly lowers the chances of getting pregnant for both the male and female.
• The use of cannabis or marijuana acts as a natural contraceptive slowing the sperm’s ability to travel by up to 50%.
• Are you aware of when you ovulate? (There are methods outlined at our website on how to do this if you are not.)
• In an ideal situation you should aim to make love a few hours before ovulation actually occurs.
• Repeated ejaculation dramatically lowers the male sperm count. To retain a healthy sperm count you should make no more than once every 2 or 3 days.
• Avoid the use of tight male underwear

These are just a few basic tips which you may or may not have already known. You may also benefit from reading my ebook ‘The No Nonsense Guide To Getting Pregnant‘

Check out our website for more information and tips and if you feel that you are still doing all the right things and have tried everything then you may want to consult your doctor to see if there is an obvious medical problem as a large percentage of fertility problems do have a solution.

About the author:
NoneHeather Barnard - Author of the NoNonsense Guide To Getting Pregnant - Complete guide to getting pregnant

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