Pregnancy by hypnosis

Hypnotherapy has long been used to help people stop smoking - but now women are turning to it to help them have children.

Clinical psychologist Dr Elizabeth Muir uses hypnosis to treat women with fertility problems, or those who have been told they are too old to have children.

She believes guilt about an abortion or fear of childbirth can "send signals to the body telling it not to get pregnant".

She runs a five-month programme from her Kensington clinic. She said: "Most of my clients are women aged between 36 and 45, many of whom have already explored IVF, artificial insemination and donor eggs. The oldest woman I have had success with was 46 on giving birth."

Dr Muir, who will present her work to delegates at the National Infertility Day on Saturday, claims to have a 40-45 per cent success rate.