Mental Health and Fertility: A Complete Guide

There’s no doubt that a fertility journey can mean a number of things; physical struggles, new habits, regular supplement routines, and the mental and emotional toll it can play as well. That’s why it should be of no surprise that when it comes to mental health, its correlation with fertility can have a direct impact on how the journey goes when you’re trying to conceive

Everyday Causes of Fertility Problems

A number of factors can contribute to fertility issues in both men and women. While there are a number of medical conditions or genetic discrepancies that can account for more severe fertility struggles, there are also a number of day-to-day factors that can affect fertility just as much.

The Impact of Stress on Mental Well-Being and Fertility Health

The physical impact of stress can be found in women as well as men. Women are often burdened with pressure that they are meant to be mothers and that conception should be an easy process. As a result, if a woman is having difficulty conceiving, it can have a huge toll on her mental health. Many women who struggle with fertility issues often blame themselves and feel as though they have failed or that something is wrong with them as a woman. When her mental health is affected in this way, it can make the journey to conceiving that much more challenging by negatively altering the release of hormones that can block natural conception by preventing ovulation, decreasing blood circulation to their uterus, and extending a woman’s ovulation cycle.

Similarly, men can also be victims of their own stress levels. Men are also looked at as being strong and virile when they father children. As a result, if a man has a fertility issue that leads to difficulty impregnating his partner, it can be detrimental to his mental health. Studies show that men who have infertility problems may experience lower self-esteem and negative emotional responses, and men can develop mental health issues as a result. Because it’s traditionally more difficult for men to express their feelings, this can all build up inside them and cause even bigger problems such as lower sperm count or impaired sperm health, or erectile issues when TTC.

Click here for Tips on Managing the Stress of Trying to Conceive

Maintaining Mental Health When TTC

Without a doubt, stress can affect the body in a number of ways, but when it affects your overall mental health while you’re trying to get pregnant, it can be overwhelming. Whether you are trying to conceive naturally or through assisted means such as in-vitro fertilization (IVF), there is a link between your mental health and fertility health. This is why it is so important to continuously work toward improving your psychological state and manage stress as you continue on the journey to conceive.

Click here for Tried and True Stress Reduction Techniques to Help with Conception

Things to Do to Balance Your Mental Health When TTC

It’s important to know that you are not alone when dealing with mental health and fertility issues. Around one in eight couples in the United States struggle to conceive or maintain a pregnancy to term. There are things you can do to improve your mental health and ultimately your fertility journey.

Ways to Deal With Conception Struggles

It takes a great deal of patience and preparation when you’re struggling with mental and fertility issues but want to conceive. It’s natural for you and your partner to feel stressed, but there are things you can do to deal with it. They include the following:

Click here for Tips on How to Mentally Cope with Infertility

Click here for Steps on Practicing mindfulness to Improve Fertility

While mental health and fertility often go hand in hand, there are a slew of options you can find to help you discover the right outlet, lifestyle choices, specialists and mediums to improve your chances of successfully conceiving and having the baby you’ve always wanted.

Click here for Tips to Prepare for the Road to Conception