If you’re trying to conceive and haven’t been successful yet, that might be raising your stress levels. Unfortunately, having additional stress in your life could be contributing to infertility. There are many different factors surrounding fertility, of course, but stress is one factor that many couples don’t think about when they look for ways to improve their odds of conception.
Your Body is Reacting to Stress
One of the reasons that stress matters is that human bodies are sensitive and intelligent. Your body knows that bringing a baby into the mix when you’re already experiencing a lot of stress isn’t a good idea. Additionally, couples that are dealing with a lot of stress in their lives might not be having as much sex, further lowering their chances of getting pregnant.
Women who are battling stress might also smoke or drink, they might eat poorly or get less sleep, and they may also get too much caffeine. While those things don’t necessarily stop you from conceiving, they can make the process more difficult. Sometimes, too much stress can also result in pregnancy loss, which can be devastating.
What You Can Do To Help
Couples that want to conceive naturally can raise their chances of doing so by lowering their stress levels and reducing any behaviors that stress causes, such as smoking or overeating. Exercise is a good way to reduce stress, but women who are trying to conceive generally don’t want to exercise too heavily.
You can also consider mindfulness and other forms of meditation to help you conceive, because these practices have been shown to help people reduce their stress levels, even if their external situation doesn’t change. Stress reduction isn’t a guarantee for conception, of course, but if stress might be holding you back there’s no reason to reduce the problem.
Research has shown that infertility and stress are connected, and when stress is reduced there is a higher chance of conceiving. That’s worth considering, so you can make your fertility journey as easy as possible as you work to create or expand your family.
If you have any questions about nutrition and fertility or seek additional guidance, the team at the Fertility Institute of San Diego, can give you the support you need. We are a boutique San Diego fertility center that firmly believes that total wellness is an essential component to maximize your success rates. Whether you want to get a fertility testing or get support about fertility nutrition, Dr. Hosseinzadeh and her dedicated team of fertility specialists are here to help you on your fertility journey. Southern California residents can take advantage and book a complimentary virtual consultation with Dr. Hosseinzadeh, to go over the effects of obesity on fertility or any other fertility-related questions, by clicking here.
