How Stress Impacts Fertility and What to Do About It

While trying to conceive, you often hear that "it's better not to build up stress." But how does stress actually work on your body? This article gently explains how stress works, how it relates to pregnancy, and how to cope with the kind of worry that comes specifically with trying to conceive.

What is stress? What happens in your body

Stress is the reaction that arises when a load is placed on your mind or body. Humans naturally have a built-in "defense system" that raises the heart rate to respond quickly when we sense danger. The stress hormones released at this time include cortisol.

A short-term stress response is an important function that is meant to protect us. Once the danger passes, the body naturally settles back down. The problem is when stress with no clear end in sight, like worries about work or relationships, continues for a long time. When stress hormones keep being released, various effects can show up in a woman's body.

• Menstrual cycle: Your hormonal rhythm can be disrupted, so ovulation may be delayed or your cycle may become irregular.

• Energy: Tiredness may be harder to shake off, and you may feel sluggish more easily.

• Sleep: You may find it harder to fall asleep, or wake up more easily during the night.

How to notice chronic stress

Unlike short-term stress, chronic stress is hard to notice on your own. Take a moment to look back and see whether signs like these have been continuing:

• Getting irritated by little things, or tearing up easily

• Feeling tired even when you think you slept well

• Ongoing stiff shoulders or neck, headaches, or stomach trouble

• A big increase or decrease in appetite

• Trouble staying focused, or a mood that won't lift

If several of these apply to you, your mind and body may be signaling that they "would like a little rest."

Does stress affect fertility?

Some people may feel anxious after hearing that "stress makes it harder to get pregnant." It's true that some reports suggest strong, ongoing stress can disrupt the rhythm of ovulation and affect how long it takes to conceive.

But the important thing here is that stress is only one of many factors that influence pregnancy. Stress alone does not make pregnancy impossible, and there is absolutely no need to blame yourself by thinking "it's my fault for feeling stressed." It's enough to keep it in mind as one possible factor in the background when your cycle is irregular or you have unexplained symptoms that continue.

If you find yourself wondering "how much is stress affecting things in my case?", try looking at your emotional state and your body's signals together. For example, if your menstrual cycle suddenly became irregular, ovulation was delayed, or your period was skipped during a time when busyness or worries increased, and the waves of stress line up with the disruptions in your cycle, that may be a sign it's having an effect. Recording your basal body temperature and cycle in Moonly makes it easier to notice changes later, such as "my high-temperature phase was short during that busy month."

Coping with the worry that trying to conceive itself creates

The stress you feel while trying to conceive has a character all its own. For example, have you had experiences like these?

• Endlessly searching for pregnancy-related information late into the night

• Repeatedly checking tiny changes in your body, wondering if they're a sign of pregnancy

• Feeling low every time you see a pregnancy announcement on social media

• Feeling restless and unsettled as ovulation day or your expected period date approaches

These are all completely natural reactions that come precisely because you are taking pregnancy seriously. But over-researching and over-worrying can actually wear your mind down. Setting small rules, like "I'll stop searching once it reaches this time today" or "I'll jot down what's on my mind and ask it all at my next appointment," can help protect your mind from the flood of information.

Summary

Stress is a natural defense response in the body, but when it continues for a long time, it can affect your menstrual cycle, sleep, and energy. Strong stress can play a part in the journey to pregnancy, but it's only one of many factors. There's no need to think "it's my fault for feeling stressed." Because trying to conceive tends to create its own kind of worry, such as over-researching or over-focusing on tiny changes, the first step to continuing without pushing yourself too hard is simply to notice the signals from your own mind and body.

In the rest of this week's lessons, we'll share specific ways to ease stress and cope well with worry. Please take a look at those too.