Hard to Conceive

At the end of the retreat week, I find I'm talking more slowly, moving more languidly, and my body feels like a flaccid udon noodle (which I'm no longer allowed to eat).

The Standard Medical View Most fertility doctors support the use of relaxation techniques, at least to the extent that they help patients endure IVF, which can be very stressful.

"If you can help patients get through treatment by helping them relax, then they might be able to do more [rounds of IVF] and ultimately be successful," said Chang. But beyond that, doctors don't tend to put much credence in a causal connection between stress and infertility.

What the Studies Show In 2001, a University of California, San Diego, study published in Fertility and Sterility found that women who expressed very negative emotions prior to starting an IVF cycle were 93 percent less likely to have a baby than those who were very positive.

That followed an NIH-funded study in the same journal showing that more than half of 151 participants who were having trouble becoming pregnant enrolled in a mind/body program became pregnant after one year, compared with just 20 percent in a control group. About 20 such studies have been done, with most of them finding similar results.

Still, since many of these studies can't be controlled very efficiently, whether stress reduction and mind/body work helps couples become pregnant remains a matter of speculation.

Hope, Continued

Four months have passed since I attended the retreat. Lewis -- with whom I exchange e-mails about twice monthly -- concocts new herb mixtures for me every month. And on the recommendation of another retreat attendee, three times a month I see an acupuncturist who communicates with Lewis on my behalf. I can't say I do yoga or qi gong every day, but I try to work it in.

I'm off caffeine, alcohol (okay, I may have a glass of wine once a week or so), sweets (yeah, okay, dessert every once in a while) and processed food. I'm on all things organic (except when dining out), as well a host of supplements (I take those religiously.) I've inadvertently lost five pounds, dropping to 112 pounds, but I feel healthier and more robust than ever. And I now sleep like a coma patient at night.

No, I'm not pregnant (yet). But two months into all these changes, my cycles lengthened from an average of 25 days to 28 days, which can be an indication of healthier eggs and better hormonal balance.

My husband and I have discussed borrowing the money to try IVF one more time in September. But I can't help but hope we won't have to.•

Suz Redfearn is a frequent contributor to the Health section.