I hear so many sad stories of infertility, and women who desperately want to become mum’s but are unable. Or they finally conceive, sometimes after years of trying, only to then miscarry.
Infertility can create relationship stress, not only with your partner, but with other family members and friends. Going to baby showers, or hearing the “great news” of pregnancy from other women, can pull at the heartstrings and exacerbate feelings of hopelessness, grief, or even resentment.
This can create such stress in the lives of a sufferer, but could stress actually be contributing to the infertility in the first place?
In our rapidly changing world, stress has become a daily occurrence. Social, professional, personal, chemical…the list goes on. Its negative effects are evident in all aspects of our lives, and infertility is no exception.
But is stress truly important? And how can it affect our fertility?
Think of your brain as the mission control centre for your body
When you feel stressed, this mission control sounds a major alarm. This alarm tells your body to release powerful stress hormones (like adrenaline and cortisol) to help you deal with the immediate crisis.
The problem is, your reproductive system (the parts responsible for getting pregnant) is designed to listen to these same signals. When the stress alarm is blaring, your body gets a confusing message. It thinks, “We’re in emergency mode! This is not a safe time to have a baby.”
So, to put it simply:
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Stress can change blood flow to the uterus, making it less welcoming.
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Stress can even prevent a fertilised egg from implanting in the uterus, stopping a pregnancy before it can even begin.
In short, your body is wired to prioritise survival over reproduction when it’s under stress. It’s as if your brain is diverting resources from the “baby-making project” to handle what it perceives as a more urgent “crisis situation.”
Stress can also cause irregular periods, anovulation, and even a complete cessation of menstruation.
What causes stress?
Many factors! Unfortunately, stress can form a vicious cycle. Women who have trouble conceiving often experience lowered self-esteem, disappointment, anxiety over disappointing their partner, and self-blame. And this continues the pattern of stress.
So, can reducing stress improve your chances of conceiving? Absolutely! Of course, it depends on the underlying cause of infertility; however, studies have shown that decreasing stress through relaxation may help normalise menstrual cycles, improve the quality of the egg and sperm, and thus increase your chances of fertilisation and implantation.
Stress management programs can reduce anxiety, depression, frustration, anger and fatigue, all of which may be experienced by women struggling with infertility.
How can you soothe your stress?
The PCOS stress link: PCOS causes stress, stress causes PCOS? provides advice to help you.
The bottom line is that decreasing stress is well worth the effort, not only for improving life and health in general, but also when trying to conceive a beautiful, bouncing baby.
From PCOS to perfect health, with love,
Dr. Rebecca Harwin
The PCOS Expert
Chiropractor & Bestselling Author of
Conquer Your PCOS Naturally
www.ConquerYourPCOSNaturally.com
P.S. For more success strategies and scientific secrets, head to our Facebook page and hit ‘like’. There is so much more I have to share with you to balance your PCOS hormones!
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