From 10-30-07 on fertilethoughts.com:
I did hypnosis for fertility just last night. It was my first hypnosis experience. The hypnoist I had, Lynsi Eastburn, owns the Eastburn Hypnotherapy Center with her husband. She has been specializing in infertility hypnosis for 10 years and wrote a book about it (It's Conceivable: Hypnosis for Fertility). She interviewed me for about 45 minutes (how long have I been trying, where am I at in the cycle, etc.). Then she had me sit in a big recliner and sat next to me and did relaxation exercises (close your eyes, take deep breaths). Then she walked me through guided visualization. If you don't have a fertility hypnotherapist in your city, I think you could walk yourself through it, so I'll tell you what she said.
One visualization was to imagine a miniature helper-person inside your body (she said it can be someone you knew or know, like your grandma, but I imagined my first RE, Dr. Welden, because he had a super kind mannerism and because he understands IF) checking out my eggs and uterus and saying they looked great. Then (since I had a retreival this morning), she had me visualize the retreival and imagining the little helper guy handing the doc the eggs. Then she had me visualize the transfer and imagining the little helper guy receiving each of the embryos and placing them into little car seats in my uterus. I imagined bean bag chairs instead, because they seemed more comfy for the round imaginary beings.
The second visualization was that the little helper guy was in a control room in my brain and was programming my mind and body to do what I wanted -- day 5 transfer with two blasts, one implanting, etc.
The third visualization was to imagine you are sitting down looking at a book of your whole life. In your past, you can tear out any pages you don't like. In your future, you imagine you and your husband in pictures with your baby and then in pictures as the child (or children) grows.
One visualization was to imagine a miniature helper-person inside your body (she said it can be someone you knew or know, like your grandma, but I imagined my first RE, Dr. Welden, because he had a super kind mannerism and because he understands IF) checking out my eggs and uterus and saying they looked great. Then (since I had a retreival this morning), she had me visualize the retreival and imagining the little helper guy handing the doc the eggs. Then she had me visualize the transfer and imagining the little helper guy receiving each of the embryos and placing them into little car seats in my uterus. I imagined bean bag chairs instead, because they seemed more comfy for the round imaginary beings.
The second visualization was that the little helper guy was in a control room in my brain and was programming my mind and body to do what I wanted -- day 5 transfer with two blasts, one implanting, etc.
The third visualization was to imagine you are sitting down looking at a book of your whole life. In your past, you can tear out any pages you don't like. In your future, you imagine you and your husband in pictures with your baby and then in pictures as the child (or children) grows.
These were awesome visualizations to do, and it was a good experience. Problem is, I just can't see driving 45 minutes each way and paying $150 every week. Maybe I can do it myself at home.
Commentary - 4-14-08
Commentary - 4-14-08
Funny, I just did hypnotherapy for a second time last week with my marriage therapist (we'll call him MT for short). MT had just been trained on hypnotherapy, and asked GS (my husband, the good sport) if we'd be interested. We said, sure, sign us up. MT is a super cool guy and really caring and wanting to help, so we trust that whatever he does will be helpful. MT wanted to see us separately for the hypnotherapy.
GS went first, three weeks ago, and he said it was not easy but overall a positive experience. Funny how it took me over a month to convince him to go to therapy and now he's totally in his zone when he goes.
GS went first, three weeks ago, and he said it was not easy but overall a positive experience. Funny how it took me over a month to convince him to go to therapy and now he's totally in his zone when he goes.
I was supposed to do the hynotherapy two weeks ago. I was in MT's office and he asked me to start by talking about what was wrong in my life. I must've been emotional because when I started to answer, I started crying. A crying woman wouldn't normally be a major freak show for a psychiatrist, but he said I'd better look in the mirror, and I saw I was crying blood. Guess I wasn't healed enough from the blepharoplasty I'd had 10 days earlier....the little incision on the side of my left eye must've got irritated by the saltiness of the tears or something, I don't know. Lucky for me, I rarely get embarassed, maybe that's a sign that I'm turning into a nutty old lady prematurely. Anyway, he said (a bit nervously) that we can't do the whole hypnotherapy today. I think I freaked him out -- I get the feeling therapists don't see too much blood in their offices. So instead, he just did a relaxation exercise.
Last week then was my 2nd try at my 2nd hypnotherapy then. It was different than Lynsi's because MT was trying to get to the root of any emotional baggage. He was trying to drum up disturbing thoughts rather than happy thoughts.
It was going well until MT asked me to think of a phrase to repeat to make me feel how I felt at the strongest parts of my life. All I could think of were those cheesy phrases from that SNL skit, "I'm good enough, I'm strong enough, and gosh darn, people like me." I stalled and tried REALLY hard not to burst out laughing. He said, just say the first thing that comes to mind. I said, "I'm here." The phrase doesn't appear to embody strength and self-esteem, but it speaks to the fact that I spent much of my life feeling invisible, and those feelings still creep into my adult life. And at least I won't feel like a total dork when I say it 25 times a day as instructed. MT recorded the session on a CD and told me to listen to it every day. That was....last Wed, and I haven't listened yet. But I totally intend to....perhaps I should stop blogging and start listening to that damn CD. But hey, this is blogging therapy, and it works wonders too!!
Last week then was my 2nd try at my 2nd hypnotherapy then. It was different than Lynsi's because MT was trying to get to the root of any emotional baggage. He was trying to drum up disturbing thoughts rather than happy thoughts.
It was going well until MT asked me to think of a phrase to repeat to make me feel how I felt at the strongest parts of my life. All I could think of were those cheesy phrases from that SNL skit, "I'm good enough, I'm strong enough, and gosh darn, people like me." I stalled and tried REALLY hard not to burst out laughing. He said, just say the first thing that comes to mind. I said, "I'm here." The phrase doesn't appear to embody strength and self-esteem, but it speaks to the fact that I spent much of my life feeling invisible, and those feelings still creep into my adult life. And at least I won't feel like a total dork when I say it 25 times a day as instructed. MT recorded the session on a CD and told me to listen to it every day. That was....last Wed, and I haven't listened yet. But I totally intend to....perhaps I should stop blogging and start listening to that damn CD. But hey, this is blogging therapy, and it works wonders too!!
