Stress and fertility

 

Stress & your fertility

 

The world we live in is increasingly demanding. Long working hours, never-ending to-do lists, and chronic overstimulation are only some of the emotional stressors we encounter in our everyday life. But did you know that stress also comes in many physical forms that we may not necessarily consider when we think of our stress levels? Interrupted sleep, heavy exercise, imbalanced blood sugar levels, exposure to environmental toxins and inflammation, amongst others, are some of the less obvious stressors on our bodies.

 

Regardless of the stress you encounter in your life, the science is telling us that stress is a key contributor to the inability of couples to conceive. Here’s how.

 

Stress causes our bodies to go into a ‘fight or flight’ response. Sure, these days we don’t need to worry so much about being attacked by a sabretooth tiger but even though the world around us has evolved, our brain still perceives every stressful situation as a potential threat to life. So, whether you’re faced with a life and death situation or a night of bad sleep, the stress response is the same: all of our energy is directed to the brain, heart and limbs in preparation to either fight the threat or run away. This results in all of our systems that are not crucial for our immediate survival being shut down, including our reproductive system.

 

Additionally, stress hormones and reproductive hormones are made from the same building block, cholesterol. When faced with stressors, our bodies use the available cholesterol to make our stress hormone, cortisol, rather than making reproductive hormones such as oestrogen and testosterone.

 

Learning how to reduce and manage stress levels is therefore an invaluable skill to not only improve our overall health and wellbeing, but also to help optimise chances of conception.

 

5 simple tips to manage stress

 

Breathwork. Throughout the day, stop and check in with your breathing. You’ll be surprised how often you will find yourself shallow breathing and not using your lungs to their full capacity. Spend a minute or two taking a deep breath in to the count of 4 and then slowly breathing out through pursed lips to the count of 8. Breathing deeply helps to reduce stress hormones and calm your mind. Deep breaths before bedtime may also help to improve your sleep.

 

Yoga. Gentle yoga exercises encourage mental as well as physical relaxation which in turn helps to reduce stress levels. Fertility yoga in particular can be a helpful tool in promoting calmness whilst at the same time increasing blood flow to the hips and pelvic area.

 

Morning walks. Try to go for a daily walk if you can, ideally before 11am in the morning. Walking has a calming and mood-boosting effect whilst catching the early morning light can help to improve your sleep.

 

Sleep hygiene. Poor sleep has been shown to raise stress levels, however introducing a sleep hygiene routine may help to encourage relaxation and deeper sleep. Try switching off all electronic devices 2 hours before you go to bed and instead spend the time having a relaxing bath or reading a joyful book.

 

Healthy diet. Last but not least, a poor diet can be a key stressor on the body. Try to focus on whole foods, including a wide variety of colourful fruits and vegetables while avoiding excessive sugar, alcohol, caffeine and refined carbohydrates.

 

Do you feel stressed?  We’d love to help you manage your stress and your fertility in a way that works for you. We take a deeply personal approach, taking into account every part of your health history, to develop a bespoke programme for you. If you’d like to find out more, contact us today to book your free 30-minute chat with our team!