Relaxation therapy said to aid pregnancy

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BEERSHEVA, Israel, Oct. 26 (UPI) -- Stress management therapy, including visualization techniques for relaxation, significantly helped women's chances of getting pregnant, Israeli researchers say.

Scientists at Ben Gurion University say in a study of Israeli women undergoing in-vitro fertilization, 88 per cent of those who took part in a "talking cure" therapy program became pregnant, compared to 60 per cent who were not taking part.

The therapy sessions involved breathing exercises, muscle relaxation and "guided imagery" techniques such as imagining being in a relaxing place, Britain's The Daily Telegraph reported.

Researcher Jo Czamanski-Cohen said many women undergoing IVF convince themselves they can't become pregnant as a self-defense mechanism.

"I'm never going to be a mother," Czamanski-Cohen said many of the women in the study told her.

"I think a lot of the negative thinking is preventing disappointment for them," she said. "It's to stop them being disappointed if it does fail."

All but two of 17 women who participated in a course in cognitive behavioral therapy ended up getting pregnant, she said, while 10 of 25 who were not offered the sessions did not conceive.