IVF abounds
with myths about the effects stress can have on its success . Blaming stress for every failed IVF cycle has become a popular trend , resulting
in the springing up of numerous “mind-body” programs for teaching stress
management to IVF patients.
With good
embryos, a good uterine lining and an easy embryo transfer being the hallmarks
of a well carried out IVF cycle many
patients naively expect each perfect IVF cycle to result in a pregnancy.
Doctors too aim to cheer up their patient by being enthusiastic at the time of
embryo transfer.
But when
this perfect IVF cycle fails it is
the patient who bears the brunt of the blame - not only from the doctor , but
also from her husband and in-laws. They ascribe the failure of the IVF cycle to the fact that she did not
relax sufficiently and her highly wound lifestyle resulted in the IVF failure. They blame her for getting
stressed and therefore having her body reject the embryos.
Unfortunately,
because there is no evidence against this claim, patients end up nodding a
silent head to this argument. Added to their already existent low self-esteem
on being unable to get pregnant in the first place, patients blame themselves
for being unable to provide a safe home for their embryos.
Dr. Malpani suggests that framing the
victim in this manner is cruel and heartless. There is no IVF patient who is not stressed out because no one desires to have an
IVF done. But despite this stress,
there are loads of successful IVF patients,
thus deeming this very argument irrational.
Embryo
implantation is a biological process which has no correlation with
psychological processes like stress. Even a woman who gets raped can get
pregnant and her levels of stress are off the scale ! Dr. Malpani believes that stress does not affect the outcome of the IVF cycle.
Are you
worried that stress is causing your IVF cycles to fail ? Please send me your
medical details by filling in the form at www.drmalpani.com/malpaniform.htm
so that I can guide you better !
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