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Infertile No More

Making the Transition from Infertility to Pregnancy

By Mark Stackpole

"We now have solid scientific evidence that stress-reducing techniques lower blood pressure, improve sleep and immune function and reduce recurrence of heart attack," says Dr. Paul Miller, part of a fellowship trained team of reproductive endocrinology and infertility specialists at Greenville Hospital University Medical Center in South Carolina. He is also part of a 10-week mind-body program launched by the medical center to support women who are trying to conceive.

"Pregnant women, especially those who are pregnant for the first time, could benefit from stress management as they experience dramatic physiologic changes for the first time," Dr. Miller says. "Pregnancy itself is a series of physical challenges and emotional swings. Add to that fear and anxiety over becoming a parent with no formal training, and you can understand how stress reduction could come in handy."

Dr. Miller acknowledges that pregnancy can be a stressful time, and that for previously infertile couples, the more involved medical interventions can make it worse. "Many women must take supplemental hormones or other medications to support early pregnancy, thereby adding stress if a dose is missed or delayed," he says. "We also create a situation that indirectly induces stress later on in pregnancy by peforming frequent ultrasound examinations in the first trimester. Although some would argue that this alleviates stress early on, many women become 'addicted' to the immediate feedback and develop anxiety later on when their obstetrician tells them that there is no medical indication for repeat imaging."

Want to see more?

• Am I? The Early Signs of Pregnancy
• "Mark!" One Man's Story of Fertility Success
• Pregnancy Can Be Stressful: Managing Stress During Pregnancy
• Check out our Article Library.
• Talk about it!