Sit back, relax and think of the beach to get pregnant

Researchers found that women who actively took part in stress management therapy, including visualisation techniques like imagining being on a beach, significantly increased their chances of pregnancy.

In a small study of Israeli women undergoing IVF, 88 per cent of those who committed to a ‘talking cure' therapy programme became pregnant, compared to just 60 per cent who were not on it, the Telegraph reported.

Jo Czamanski-Cohen of Ben Gurion University in Israel found all but two of 17 who completed a course in cognitive behavioural therapy ended up getting pregnant.

By comparison, 10 of 25 of those who were not offered the sessions did not conceive.

The sessions involved breathing exercises, muscle relaxation, and ‘guided imagery' techniques such as imagining oneself in a relaxing place.

"Eighty per cent of the people I work with use the beach," she said.