Knowledge | Stress can make it harder to conceive: research reveals the subtle relationship between emotional health and fertility
When trying to conceive, being told to “just relax” can sound almost ironic. Yet growing research and real-world experience suggest that chronic stress may not only affect emotional health but also directly interfere with conception.
Urit Chaimovitz, who sought help at a Boston fertility clinic, experienced four miscarriages in two years following both natural conception and IVF, each during the second trimester. Near an emotional breaking point, she joined a 10-week intervention called the Mindful Conception Program, which included yoga, meditation, and cognitive behavioral training. Several months later, she became pregnant and welcomed her daughter Romi in 2018.
“At the time, I felt my body was my enemy, but the program helped me make peace with myself,” she recalled.
What the science says: how does stress disrupt ovulation?
Alice Domar, PhD, executive director of mind-body health at Boston IVF, began studying stress and fertility in the 1990s. She found that higher concentrations of alpha-amylase, a stress biomarker in saliva, were associated with a longer time to pregnancy—an average delay of 29%.
Dr. Domar also noted that women under stress generally have sex less often and may be more likely to smoke or consume excessive caffeine or alcohol, all of which can further reduce the likelihood of conception.
Although her early research was questioned, later randomized controlled trials with larger samples found that women receiving cognitive behavioral therapy were nearly twice as likely to become pregnant as those who did not receive the intervention. It is now widely accepted that chronic stress can affect ovulatory cycles by allowing hormones such as cortisol to disrupt signaling between the brain and ovaries.
More than an emotional issue: chronic stress may disrupt the entire reproductive cycle
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 1 in 10 women of reproductive age has difficulty becoming pregnant or maintaining a pregnancy. Although many cases have clear physical causes, such as blocked fallopian tubes, psychological stress can quietly build during prolonged attempts to conceive, creating a vicious cycle.
Dr. Domar noted that anxiety and depression levels among women with infertility can be comparable to those among patients with cancer or HIV. Many women may even begin to resent their bodies and stop caring for their health.
What can help with stress?
Domar’s mind-body program uses three core interventions to help women regain a sense of balance:
Talk therapy: helps women identify and challenge automatic negative thoughts such as “I will never get pregnant” or “This is my fault”;
Hatha yoga: combines breathing and postures to help women reconnect with their bodies;
Partner communication and community support: encourages open communication between partners and participation in support groups to reduce isolation.
“Many women become silent after repeated failures,” Domar said. “What we need is open, gentle, and realistic support.”
Besides reducing stress, what else may improve the chance of conception?
1. Moderate exercise
Lauren Wise, PhD, professor of epidemiology at Boston University, found that 1-5 hours of moderate exercise per week, such as walking, may reduce stress and improve conception rates. Excessively vigorous exercise, however, may be unfavorable for pregnancy.
2. Weight management
Stress often leads to emotional eating, and women who are overweight or have obesity may be three times as likely to have difficulty conceiving as women of normal weight.
3. A balanced diet
Research suggests that a Mediterranean-style diet rich in whole grains, deep-sea fish, olive oil, legumes, and soy may improve the chance of conception, while high-fat and processed foods may be unfavorable.
Knowledge | Stress can make it harder to conceive: research reveals the subtle relationship between emotional health and fertility
Knowledge | Stress can make it harder to conceive: research reveals the subtle relationship between emotional health and fertility
When trying to conceive, being told to “just relax” can sound almost ironic. Yet growing research and real-world experience suggest that chronic stress may not only affect emotional health but also directly interfere with conception.
Urit Chaimovitz, who sought help at a Boston fertility clinic, experienced four miscarriages in two years following both natural conception and IVF, each during the second trimester. Near an emotional breaking point, she joined a 10-week intervention called the Mindful Conception Program, which included yoga, meditation, and cognitive behavioral training. Several months later, she became pregnant and welcomed her daughter Romi in 2018.
“At the time, I felt my body was my enemy, but the program helped me make peace with myself,” she recalled.
What the science says: how does stress disrupt ovulation?
Alice Domar, PhD, executive director of mind-body health at Boston IVF, began studying stress and fertility in the 1990s. She found that higher concentrations of alpha-amylase, a stress biomarker in saliva, were associated with a longer time to pregnancy—an average delay of 29%.
Dr. Domar also noted that women under stress generally have sex less often and may be more likely to smoke or consume excessive caffeine or alcohol, all of which can further reduce the likelihood of conception.
Although her early research was questioned, later randomized controlled trials with larger samples found that women receiving cognitive behavioral therapy were nearly twice as likely to become pregnant as those who did not receive the intervention. It is now widely accepted that chronic stress can affect ovulatory cycles by allowing hormones such as cortisol to disrupt signaling between the brain and ovaries.
More than an emotional issue: chronic stress may disrupt the entire reproductive cycle
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 1 in 10 women of reproductive age has difficulty becoming pregnant or maintaining a pregnancy. Although many cases have clear physical causes, such as blocked fallopian tubes, psychological stress can quietly build during prolonged attempts to conceive, creating a vicious cycle.
Dr. Domar noted that anxiety and depression levels among women with infertility can be comparable to those among patients with cancer or HIV. Many women may even begin to resent their bodies and stop caring for their health.
What can help with stress?
Domar’s mind-body program uses three core interventions to help women regain a sense of balance:
Talk therapy: helps women identify and challenge automatic negative thoughts such as “I will never get pregnant” or “This is my fault”;
Hatha yoga: combines breathing and postures to help women reconnect with their bodies;
Partner communication and community support: encourages open communication between partners and participation in support groups to reduce isolation.
“Many women become silent after repeated failures,” Domar said. “What we need is open, gentle, and realistic support.”
Besides reducing stress, what else may improve the chance of conception?
1. Moderate exercise
Lauren Wise, PhD, professor of epidemiology at Boston University, found that 1-5 hours of moderate exercise per week, such as walking, may reduce stress and improve conception rates. Excessively vigorous exercise, however, may be unfavorable for pregnancy.
2. Weight management
Stress often leads to emotional eating, and women who are overweight or have obesity may be three times as likely to have difficulty conceiving as women of normal weight.
3. A balanced diet
Research suggests that a Mediterranean-style diet rich in whole grains, deep-sea fish, olive oil, legumes, and soy may improve the chance of conception, while high-fat and processed foods may be unfavorable.
Source:
Collected online