The Connection between Stress and Your Capability to Reproduce

Often, you may have heard stories of wonder pregnancies; the kind where a long infertile couple got pregnant right after adopting a kid or while they were on vacation. It hints at the effect of de-stressing on people and their infertility issues.

However, science refuses to give its heartfelt blessings to this supposed correlation between infertility and stress. They also have a strong reason to not support this link- the lack of enough conclusive evidence.

So the question remains-Is stress an active factor, or any factor for that matter, in the lives of people who can’t become parents despite numerous efforts?

There Is a Fair Chance That Stress and Infertility Are Related

Human Reproduction published a study about 401 women. Out of this 401, the women who showed a consistent presence of alpha-amylase enzyme in their saliva also took a longer time to get pregnant than the ones without a high alpha-amylase count. They also had higher chances of experiencing infertility than the others. The alpha-amylase enzyme acts as a biomarker for chronic stress, thus solidifying the claim.

Annals of Epidemiology recently published another study. As per it, stress led to an approximate 40 percent decrease in the chances of conceiving for the women involved in the survey. The stress levels for women were noted down as regular reports during their ovulatory period as well for the entire term of the study.

The debate remains hot. The subject needs further investigation and many more studies to confirm or deny the claim that stress affects infertility. However, it must not be overlooked that stress plays a part in elevating many other medical conditions which may or may not affect infertility.

The Indirect Effects of Stress on Fertility

Stress can affect your body, your feelings, behaviour, and thoughts. From cardiovascular diseases to heart attacks, strokes, obesity, and a weak immune system, stress can cause and accelerate many conditions that make your body an unhealthy environment for a developing fetus.

Consider a weak immune system as a result of anxiety and tension for instance. It makes you vulnerable to a good range of infections, diseases, and complications. Consider raising a baby inside of you when the insides of you are at high risk of catching diseases that may hurt you and your child.

Thus, speaking in terms of indirect impacts, stress could result in a miscarriage, abnormality, or a painful labour. It may also affect your chances at conceiving or elongate the timeframe for the same.

Stress Worsens Inflammation- Inflammation Causes Gynecologic Diseases

Endometriosis and PCOS are two elemental conditions found in many cases of infertility in women. Containing inflammation levels helps in dealing with both these conditions. And since stress plays a role in enhancing the inflammation levels, it is mighty clear what decreasing stress levels could do in this scenario.

Reducing Tension and Stress- Eat Well, Relax, Practice Mindfulness and Acupuncture Too

Some studies show that acupuncture aids IVF procedures. Many others indicate enhanced chances of conceiving as a result of practising mindfulness. A few types of research shed light on the adverse effect of depression on IVF results.

While its connection to infertility isn’t a conclusion set in stone, stress does have harmful effects on human bodies. And since it is treatable, there isn’t much sense in not dealing with stress and inviting any chances of infertility when it is possible to avoid this mess altogether.