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Mind Over "Matter"

Using the Mind/Body Connection
to Conceive

By Kelly Burgess

Quinn and Heller note that their therapeutic yoga model is based upon the work of Alice Domar, director of the Mind/Body Center for Women's Health at Boston IVF and the author of Conquering Infertility: Dr. Alice Domar's Mind/Body Guide to Enhancing Fertility and Coping With Infertility (Viking Press, 2002). She began her research into the emotional impact of infertility 18 years ago when she was working at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston.

Ten years ago, she published the first study on the issue. The study indicated that women suffering from infertility had the same level of anxiety and depression as women with cancer, AIDS and heart disease. This led to the development of programs to help ease the emotional impact of infertility on couples.

"I have done a lot of research which shows that women who go through the mind/body program not only have a decrease in psychological symptoms but a higher incidence of pregnancy," says Domar. "I'm a psychologist, so I'm looking for psychological improvement – and I've found that improvement."

Domar discovered that with alternative therapies designed to address the emotional aspects of infertility, depression, hostility and anxiety levels drop into a normal range. Even more significant, studies show that 55 percent of mind/body patients get pregnant within six months compared with 20 percent of the control group.

In her seminars, Domar teaches cognitive behavioral therapy, which involves a variety of techniques to help patients relax. She also addresses lifestyle issues such as vigorous exercise, caffeine, cigarettes and other behaviors that may impact fertility. However, she is also an advocate of training the physicians and support staff who deal with infertile couples to understand the emotional issues.

"I actually talk to them about why infertile patients are so anxious and about the impact infertility has on their lives," says Domar. "It's important that they understand that when they sit across from someone with infertility issues, you are looking at someone who is impacted by this in every corner of her life. The physician needs to recognize the signs of extreme anxiety; if they ask the same question over and over, it's because they're too anxious to hear the answers. That needs to be addressed."

Want to see more?

• Dollars and Sense: Affording Infertility Treatment
• The Facts to Relax: Coping With the Stress of Infertility
• Truth Be Told: Uncovering Common Infertility Myths
• Talk about it!