A study presented to the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology conference in Berlin demonstrated how hypnosis can improve fertility and effectively double the success of IVF treatments.

Hypnosis and IVF are not typically associated together. However, if Board Certified Fertility Hypnotherapist Natalia Griffin and Israeli professor Eliahu Levitas had it their way, all women undergoing IVF will all be offered hypnosis as an option to increase their chances of IVF success.

Dr. Levitas’ research shows how hypnosis can significantly increase IVF success.

According to his team from Soroka Hospital in Beersheva, hypnosis can double the IVF success rate. Levitas studied 185 women. Eighty-nine were then given 1 hypnosis session while their embryos were implanted while remaining 96 women were the control group. The control group underwent embryo transfer without hypnosis. All women in the study transferred fresh embryos, had no known psychiatric issues, were between 30-40 years old and had no significant health diagnosis.  

In 2022, Natalia Griffin, Board Certified Fertility Hypnotherapist, confirmed that the women in the hypnosis group underwent hypnosis by Dr. Levitas’ colleague, Dr. Aldo Parmet, a Gynecologist and Certified Hypnotherapist. All sessions followed a similar method of therapeutic hypnosis induction followed by using the metaphor that the procedure they were experiencing was much like the anticipation of a beloved, a long awaited visitor. 

The results of this case-control clinical study show that the group of women who experienced hypnosis resulted in higher success rate of pregnancies (53.7%) than of the non-hypnosis control group (30.2%). 

“We gave hypnosis to a group of our patients during the most stressful part of IVF treatment – the transferring of embryos into the uterus. It’s a crucial point of the treatment, and the point in which the embryos comes in contact with the womb of the woman. It all builds up to that special moment, which is not very painful but is very stressful” said Prof. Levitas.

According to Levitas, the underlying stress can cause complications during the transfer that can put the procedure at risk.

“Studies have been done before which claim there’s so much stress in the woman’s body that it may induce contractions, albeit tiny ones, which may interrupt or even expel the embryos from the uterus at the same moment we’re introducing them,” he said.

To combat the stress other modes of relaxation have been given like relaxants and tranquilizers, but nothing has worked as well as hypnosis. Hypnosis has been known for many years for producing relaxation to the nervous system, and has even been used before surgical interventions to calm patients.

“Performing embryo transfer under hypnosis may significantly contribute to an increased clinical pregnancy rate” says Prof Eliahu Levitas.

Challenges To Making Hypnosis For Embryo Transfer A Mainstream Offering

According to Natalia Griffin, a fertility hypnotherapist located in Colorado, a challenge that IVF patients experience is that many doctors too easily disregard the request to have a hypnotherapist accompany them.

Natalia Griffin added that another challenge to assisting her clients in their embryo transfers are last minute appointment changes. 

“Transfers are scheduled in advance but most are shifted a couple a days before or after the initial transfer date. It is difficult to know the results of this research and then be unable to support her in person because I have a different client scheduled at that time. If I had it my way, the majority of cutting-edge fertility clinics would have a trained fertility hypnotherapist on staff. 

Effective Ways Around The Challenges

Natalia Griffin developed an effective way around these challenges. The Israeli study uses Hypnosis as a vehicle for deep relaxation. However since hypnosis can also be used as a mental training tool she also trains her clients over 6 sessions to experience the embryo transfer procedure all while remaining very relaxed.

“I am confident that my embryo transfer training is the second best option to having me by her side. This retroactively empowers her as well, showing her how powerful she can be, all on her own.” Natalia says.

IVF patients all wonder, how can I increase my chance of IVF success?

Prior to this study, a healthy lifestyle would be recommended. This study gives hypnotherapists and Reproductive Endocrinologists a powerful tool to share with women that she has control over. There isn’t one woman on the IVF journey who doesn’t want that.