Many couples struggle and become stressed out when trying to conceive. It is believed that stress reduction may help when trying to get pregnant. Relaxation is the key.
How Stress Affects Fertility
When a couple attempts to conceive a child, but is unsuccessful for a year or longer, it can lead to a great deal of stress on both people. This is a time that is normally exciting in a couple’s life. However, having difficulty getting pregnant can lead to more stress than the normal level of everyday life, which may further impact their ability to conceive.
The reason why stress can lead to difficulty in conceiving is that it can release certain hormones that can prevent the process it. Both women and men can be impacted by this problem as it can prevent ovulation and lower sperm count.
Of course, stress is a natural part of life, but when it is overly severe and constant, it can negatively impact both women’s and men’s bodies. The body responds to stress in ways that may prevent pregnancy from occurring in the first place.
The normal function of a woman’s body is to release an egg through ovulation, once a month. However, when there is a situation of chronic stress, she may not ovulate because the production of hormones needed to release an egg can be stifled.
A man who is dealing with chronic stress can likewise suffer from a lower sperm count, which in turn, lowers the chances of a sperm reaching the egg for fertilization.
Stress Reduction for Better Conception
One of the best things a couple can do when they are having difficulty conceiving is to simply relax. Taking certain steps can help in stress reduction can help to better a couple’s chances of getting pregnant.
- Give yoga a try. Yoga and meditation have been found to help greatly with stress reduction. They have also been known to help with preparing the body for conception. There are yoga poses that are essentially designed to boost fertility within the body.
- Keep a journal. It may bring you back to your childhood days, but research shows that writing out our daily thoughts and stressors can help to relieve stress. Many people just need a way to express their day and to get all of the complex or negative thoughts you may have off of your chest. This will help to let it all out and not hold feelings inside.
- Go outside. Enjoying time outside has been shown to reduce rates of anxiety and depression. You can plan fun activities for you and your partner, such as having a picnic, go for a walk, or play a game of tennis. This will help to get your mind off of fertility struggles and to bond with your partner.
- Have sex for fun. When trying to conceive, sex can become less romantic and more mechanical, as if it were a job. Make sure to enjoy sex. Try to avoid talks of ovulation and conception every time you and your partner do the deed. This will help to keep the fun within your sex life. This can help reduce your stress level and that of your significant other.
- Find time for you. It is important to take time out of your busy schedule to focus on you. Find something that you enjoy doing on your own. This could be something like reading, painting, listening to music, or enjoying your favorite coffee. By finding the time to relax and slow your heart rate down you can allow your body to reduce stress from day to day life.
- Reach out to a friend. While keeping a journal can help to get out your thoughts and daily occurrences, sometimes there is nothing better than talking to a friend. Pick a friend that will help to encourage you throughout your conception process. When struggling with fertility issues it can be a long, hard road. Many people feel as if no one else understands what they are going through. If you can find a friend that will listen to your struggles and help you to relax, it can help greatly.
When you and your partner learn new ways to relax, your stress will be reduced. Reducing your stress can work to improve the odds of getting pregnant and having that family you’ve always wanted.