“Don’t stress!” I’m sure a well-meaning friend has said this to you at one time or another… just like I heard it countless times throughout my fertility and IVF journey. And we all know, it doesn’t help anything! Because we all know that stress is bad, but simply knowing that doesn’t help you get rid of it. So first things first, please don’t stress about your stress.
Long-term stress can cause havoc to our reproductive hormones which can result in a host of issues. But know this:
Stressed people get pregnant. Even really stressed people get pregnant
There are simple things you can do to help reduce your stress
I’m going to lay out some facts here for you, but if you’re already over-stressed (about this emotion!), why not skip right to the end part where you’ll find specific actions you can take to target that stress?
Stress disrupts flow
In Chinese Medicine, our uterus and ‘middle jiao’ is a very important part of our body, or ‘kingdom.’ Beautifully poetic, right? Even better, the uterus itself is called the ‘palace.’ That gives you an idea of the grandeur of the home of reproduction in TCM.
What we really want in this palace—indeed around the whole body—is flow. We want the blood flowing freely, hormones to be released, received and cascaded freely, juicy endometrial linings perfect for implantation, and ideal egg quality. Everything needs to flow.
In short, one of the main impacts of stress on the body is the disruption of flow.
And we feel this, don’t we? When we’re stressed we hold our breath, we hunch up our shoulders, we lose our appetite—we lose our flow.
Stress can lead to hormone havoc
From a Western Medical perspective, there’s conflicting research about whether or not stress directly impacts fertility—BUT there is definitive agreement on hormone involvement in female body-stress.
Stress impacts the activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the sympathetic-adrenal-medullary (SAM) axis. The hormones secreted by these systems after stress can cause a reaction that’s abnormal, prolonged and/or excessive—meaning the hormone release goes a little astray. And this can lead to long-term neuroendocrine changes which can then affect female fertility.
Basically, stress releases hormones—ironically meant to calm us down—that become long-term and ongoing, and they’re associated with decreased conception rates, long menstrual cycles and lower outcomes of reproductive medicine. Eek.
In addition, chronic lifetime psychosocial stressors in infertile women were also identified as detriments to ovarian reserve—meaning lower number and quality of eggs.
What you can do to reduce stress
Okay, so now that we understand how stress can affect our fertility—what can we do about it? I’m glad you asked! There are a number of things you can do to help reduce these levels.
1. Acupuncture
Acupuncture can help to correct imbalances in the body that can affect physiological functions and emotional health, as well as support relaxation. It can have a regulating effect on hormones within the body and may increase blood circulation to the uterus—valuable for fertility and conception.
2. Eat your greens
It’s well known that food can have a significant effect on fertility, and recent studies have also demonstrated a link between a healthy diet and lower stress levels.
One study showed that women following a ‘fertility diet’ including plant protein, full-fat dairy, iron and mono-unsaturated fats, had a 66% lower risk of infertility related ovulatory disorders and a 27% lower risk of infertility due to other causes compared to women who didn’t follow the diet. Those are some pretty impressive numbers.
At all stages of the fertility journey (and beyond!) nutrition is super important. It’s the nutrients from our food that provide the building blocks for our reproductive hormones and support the function of our reproductive tissues. So eat those greens!
3. Movement is medicine
Moderate exercise has a host of benefits, including releasing feel-good hormones, and positive impacts on fertility. Enough said, right?
But beyond this, moving your body outside will help move you from fight or flight—which is perfect for stress reduction. As an added bonus, if you exercise outdoors, you’ll also get a bit of sunshine and vitamin D. Movement really is medicine.
4. Herbs & Supplements
There are other key stressors that can have a huge impact on your fertility. Food intolerances, toxins and hormone imbalances can create havoc through inflammation and stress in the body. This is where the addition of vitamins, supplements and herbs can be helpful (under the care of your qualified practitioner of course). A simple supplement routine can help balance out conditions beyond your everyday control.
5. Talk to someone
It’s been shown that therapy and counselling while you’re trying to conceive may result in greater pregnancy rates. So find yourself a good therapist or counsellor to help support you in your journey.
Don’t stress about stress
Finally, please don’t get overwhelmed by your stress. Yes it can be detrimental to our health, but there are loads of things you can do to counteract it. Remember, life is shaped by what you put in to your body and mind, including:
The foods you eat
The books you read
The chances you take
The experiences you have
The thoughts in your head
The environment you are in
The people you spend time with
And you can control nearly all of that! Now is a time for connection, community, your village, and rest.
You’ve got this x
Sources
1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6275085
2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35677754/
3. https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/10/11/1606
4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30109221/
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6016043/