Does stress cause infertility?

[Blueflower]

I read an article in Infertility Network magazine about stress and trying to conceive.

There is no proof that stress causes infertility, but there is proof that infertility causes stress, funnily enough! So when people annoyingly say “relax and it will happen” they are talking rubbish! Evolution is stronger than psychology and the world’s highest fertility rates are in areas affected by poverty, famine and war.

Anxiety levels can soar during the ‘2 week wait’ (the time between ovulation and test day) which coincides with the time that an embryo needs to implant, but studies indicate that stress does not prevent an embryo from implanting. Phew!

Studies have demonstrated that women experiencing infertility have stress levels equivalent to those with AIDS, cancer & heart disease and no one tells them just to relax! I suppose it makes sense, its not life threatening but has a big affect on your quality of life. The fear of not having a family can be similar to feeling that your life is over.

http://mindfulmumatobe.co.uk/is-evolution-stronger-than-psychology-stress-vs-fertility/

I thought it was really interesting and put my mind at rest a little bit!

 

[Sugarpop]

I personally think any stress can mess with your hormones which can make it temporarily difficult to conceive because your hormones are literally all over the place. I would never say that stress causes infertility because having a few messed up cycles is very different than being infertile.

There are so many articles online and it makes me so angry because they all contradict each other and it basically means no one has any bloody idea of what goes on.

 

[lisey]

That is interesting, I have never really thought it could be true although I did read once that when you are stressed, your body produces more prolactin (or something) and its not good etc. I think there are so many women under immense pressure and stress and manage to conceive. I find it very patronising when people tell me to 'relax', 'it will happen when you least expect it'...usually coming from people who don't have such problems. That turned into a mini rant but I have just heard it so often xx

 

[Blueflower]

This article was in a Fertility magazine at the clinic so should hopefully be a reliable source! It did go on to say about stress and tiredness preventing you from feeling like sex, and other factors, but the main point of the article was to reassure people so that's how I took it! And it doesn't necessarily mean permanent infertility.

 

[tinselcat]

I would get annoyed with people whose attitude was 'just relax and it will happen for you'.

When you have fertilised eggs in laboratory conditions and none of them are good quality embyros and none make it to blastocyst (as happened to me loads), makes you think that relaxing has nothing to do with it!

 

[Bethyboo87]

Oh my gosh, amazing. I just read her poem http://mindfulmumatobe.co.uk/the-unborn-mother/ and I'm choked. Not all of it applies to me (needles etc), but

"You did not stay. You did not grow
Did you choose to up and go?
Did no one tell you how you would be loved and kissed?
Did no one tell you how much you would be missed?
My little unborn non-existent baby."

Wow, just wow

That website is amazing, thank you Blueflower xx

 

[Blueflower]

I would get annoyed with people whose attitude was 'just relax and it will happen for you'.

When you have fertilised eggs in laboratory conditions and none of them are good quality embyros and none make it to blastocyst (as happened to me loads), makes you think that relaxing has nothing to do with it!

Exactly!

 

[Blueflower]

I'm glad it was helpful Bethyboo. I also liked what she put about being a 'mindful mum to be' and the mental and physical attitude you can adopt at times during the day when you are waiting impatiently for stuff. I've been doing that and finding it really beneficial.