Misconception: Relax to Get Pregnant

MYTH: Just relax and you’ll get pregnant

FACT: Not only is this one of the more prevalent misconceptions (just hint at the fact that you’re having trouble conceiving and someone in your life is bound to tell you about the infertile couple they know who got pregnant the moment they took a cruise), it also happens to be one of the more infuriating. You can’t help but feel as if you’re somehow being blamed for the pregnancy test coming back negative.

The fact of the matter is that the best stress management techniques in the world won’t cure a bona fide fertility problem. According to Diane Clapp, B.S.N., R.N., Medical Information Director for Resolve, The National Infertility Association, studies have failed to demonstrate any link between stress reduction and fertility improvement. Clapp advises that learning to manage stress is still a good idea for couples who are having difficulty conceiving, because “while it’s not a treatment, it can help you to survive the crisis.”

That said, it should be added that there are times when reducing stress can help to boost the odds of conceiving. Severe, chronic stress (as opposed to the everyday kind) can temporarily suppress menstruation, interfere with the hormones required to produce healthy sperm, and reduce the odds of in vitro fertilization procedures being successful, all of which can wreak havoc on your baby-making plans.

Fall 2005

Reader Faves

Are you an impatient woman?

If so, Dr. Jean Twenge's brand-new book is for you. Dr. Twenge has written "The Impatient Woman's Guide to Getting Pregnant," and shares some of her best advice in the first of our two-part interview with her. (Check back on April 23 for part two!)
How to Save Money on Fertility Drugs

The cost of fertility medications can force many couples to question whether they can continue infertility treatment. But there are ways to save, and...
Coping With The Feelings of Miscarriage

A noted poet, professor, and essay writer describes the loss of her first pregnancy. Now, years later, this mother of two happy, healthy children...
The Conceive Conversation: Dr. Randine Lewis

As author of The Infertility Cure and The Way of the Fertile Soul, Randine Lewis, Ph.D., L.Ac., has been a pioneer in introducing eastern medicine to western couples to help them become parents.

Quick Poll

Displaying 1 - 5 of 15 stories

Pregnancy Envy

You’ve only been trying for a few months, but you’re already starting to get annoyed rather than excited when you see a pregnant woman. Or you’ve been trying a lot longer. . . and you can’t even bear to look. Here’s how to get over it until it’s your turn.
What to Expect From Your First Visit to a Fertility Clinic

Eileen Garvin of Susanville, California, became a client of a fertility clinic the way most women do—she was referred there by her ob/gyn.
Negotiating Time Off for Fertility Treatments and Adoption

Everyone knows about maternity leave, but sometimes women need to take time off before a baby arrives. If you’re having fertility treatments or trying to adopt, here’s what you should know to get the time off you need. Whether—and when—to tell your boss that you’re undergoing fertility treatments or arranging an adoption depends a lot on your relationship with your supervisor. While most workplace experts caution against revealing too much personal information, how do you explain being late for work because of blood tests and ultrasounds, and then needing to get home for hormone injections? Or what if you must travel abroad to bring home a baby, and then want three months to bond with your adopted child?
How to Choose a Fertility Center

In an effort to attract patients and compete against the more-than 400 fertility centers providing IVF nationwide, fertility clinics today routinely...
IVF 101: In Vitro Fertilization Explained

As kids, we all learned about the birds and the bees. But we probably didn’t learn enough about fertility to know how babies can be conceived when nature doesn’t work perfectly.
Generous Donations: Egg Donors and Surrogates

When a couple is having trouble conceiving or carrying a pregnancy, sometimes a “third party” is enlisted to help. These women—egg donors and surrogates—are giving one of the greatest gifts of all. Find out why they do it.
The 7 Most Common Fertility Drugs

By now you’ve probably heard of Clomid, the most commonly-used fertility drug in the United States. But do you really know how it works and what the possible side effects can be? If fertility drugs are your next step in the attempt to get pregnant, then here is a quick rundown of the seven medications your doctor is most likely to prescribe.
Infertility: Dealing With the Diagnosis

No one wants to hear a doctor utter the dreaded word “infertility.” But couples can use the diagnosis as an opportunity to learn the skills they...