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One of the biggest challenges to fertility success is stress. Most of us have some level of stress, which is, unfortunately part of living in modern society. Ideally, a stress response is meant to be temporary – after the stressor disappears, then the body should go back to baseline. In health, this happens quickly, and most of the day should be spent in the parasympathetic state, or “rest and digest” mode. In this state, the body relaxes, the digestive system is active, the heart rate slows down, and blood flows to all parts of the body. An animal only takes minutes to determine that it is safe from a predator, and quickly and naturally returns to “rest and digest” mode.
Humans and Stress
However, in contrast to animals humans are able to trigger a stress response by thought alone. Think about a difficult person, or a test you are nervous about, a project that you need to finish, almost anything can trigger the nervous system into the “fight or flight’ mode. Humans can easily stay stuck in this state all day long.
Robert Sapolsky in “Why Zebras Don’t get Ulcers” explains that instead of going through a quick cycle of stress, like animals, human often get trapped in the flight or fight mode for extended periods of time. High levels of stress mean that resources get diverted away from fertility and conception, and get sent into dealing with the stressor. Adrenaline and noradrenaline gets released, digestion slows down, heart rate increases. Over time if we stay in the flight or fight mode, resources are repeatedly getting diverted away from fertility. Studies have shown that some women do not ovulate as a result of this.
Dr. Sarah Berga has dedicated herself to supporting people to getting pregnant without the use of pharmaceuticals. She has been studying how chronic stress keeps some women from ovulating and how relaxation techniques can help. Her research shows that stress reduces the presence of two hormones that are needed for ovulation.
Dr. Berga’s studies reveal that:
- Stress reduces the presence of two hormones that are needed for ovulation.
- Women who do not ovulate have elevated levels of cortisol in the brain fluid. Cortisol is also known as the stress hormone.
- Doing exercise to reduce stress does not work, and the body reacts differently to exercise when it takes place under stress, and it in fact made the body more stressed.
- Under stress, the body will not ovulate. Cognitive behavioral therapy was shown to help restore ovulation in 7 out of 8 women who underwent the therapy, compared to 2 out of 8 women who did not do the therapy.
Tools to reduce stress:
- Go to bed & wake up at the same time each day. The body thrives on rhythm and routine, and this is one way to support the body. It is preferable to go to bed earlier rather than later.
- Follow a healthy diet. Reduce or eliminate sugar intake.
- Reduce caffeine intake – caffeine can increase cortisol levels, though it may not induce a cortisol response if it is consumed frequently.
- Use the emWave® Pro from HeartMath
device in order to visually see how expressing love or gratitude can affect your heart rate variability. Having a coherent heart rhythm is a clear sign that you are not in a stressed state. Then you can learn to use this technique when you are faced with a stressful situation. Using the Em Wave for 5 minutes, 3 times a day, can have profound effects on your health.
- Make meditation a part of your daily routine. You can do it on your own or use one of the many apps that are available (Insight meditation app, Headspace or many others)
- Specifically for fertility, you can use a mindfulness meditation program developed by Circle + Bloom. Their mindfulness programs are designed to help you lower stress and boost your fertility. Read my guest blog post on their website.
- Tulsi tea helps lower cortisol levels (the stress hormone) and is an excellent tool to have in your toolbox.
- Practice some self-care with Tibetan Foot Soaks. Contact me for more information about them.
- Schedule an acupuncture treatment, either with me or with your local acupuncturist.
