22 Nov Could Stress Be Behind Your Struggle To Conceive?
Stress and fertility … is there a link?
A 2018 study by Boston University found that high stress levels in women may be linked to lower rates of conception. The study relied on data from the Pregnancy Study Online (PRESTO). PRESTO is an ongoing preconception group of North American pregnancy planners that follows couples trying to conceive for 12 months, or until they fall pregnant.
Stress And Fertility – The Process Of Linking The Two
Researchers followed 4769 women and 1272 men who had no previous history of infertility. The subjects had not been trying to start a family for more than six months. They measured perceived stress using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). PSS is a classic stress assessment tool that asks participants about their feelings and thoughts over a one month period. In each case, they were asked to give an answer on a scale of 0 (never) through to 4 (very often). Researchers then tallied the scores to determine perceived stress levels. A higher score indicates a higher level of perceived stress.
Of the test group, both partners in each couple completed the PSS at each bi-monthly PRESTO follow up.
Stress And Fertility – The Findings
The researchers concluded that women with PSS Scores of at least 25 (medium to high perceived stress) were 13 percent less likely to conceive than those with scores under 10 (low perceived stress).
The link was stronger amongst women who had been trying to conceive for no more than two menstrual cycles before joining PRESTO than those who had been trying for three or more cycles before joining the group.
While the results don’t conclusively prove that stress leads to infertility, they do indicate that it might be a contributing factor.
It’s important to note that stress can compound the problem. Trying to conceive can be a difficult and emotionally-fraught time. This is particularly true if it’s not happening as quickly you’d hoped. Stress can also result in less frequent intercourse. It also spikes cortisol levels, which could affect the female’s cycle.
Suggestions To Overcome Stress
I always suggest couples implement stress management techniques. These include regular exercise, date nights or weekends away. Relax and unwind together. Do yoga, meditation and/or relaxation and breathing techniques.
Tracking the female cycle using specific tracking devices such as ovulation and hormone markers to pinpoint the female’s most fertile time. It helps take the guesswork out and improves chances of conceiving. My soon-to-be-released conceiveplease fertility tracking app will be a great resource. I also recommend looking at your lifestyle and reducing any potential stressful factors, such as an unhappy work place, or unnecessary financial commitments.
Other things that will help reduce stress include:
- Eating a well-balanced, healthy diet;
- Getting eight hours of quality sleep each night;
- Reducing alcohol intake;
- Maintaining a healthy weight;
- Keeping a diary of when you’re stressed and logging anxious moments to identify triggers; and
- Practising self-care – have a massage, take a long bath, listen to your favourite music, read a favourite book or simply take a calming walk in nature.
