There are many factors that affect a person’s fertility – from age, to biology, to diet, exercise, health, and even luck. Couples that are having issues with infertility may also find themselves struggling in silence, concerned about whether they are going to be able to conceive, and feeling as though they are under immense pressure to get pregnant soon.
We are here to talk to you about infertility in NYC, and help you process your struggles and figure out how to best move forward as an individual and as a couple. But today, we want to talk about the effects of stress on fertility – and how, in some cases, your own stress over the process may be impacting your ability to conceive.
The Effects of Stress On Pregnancy
We all experience stress. It’s also not uncommon to feel stress and anxiety if you and your partner have had difficulty conceiving. Problems can arise, however, when a person is feeling intense pressure to conceive – where their stress and anxiety about the process is overwhelming, and they’re having difficulty coping with it.
The relationship between stress and fertility is a complicated one. But studies have shown that patients that are under a significant amount of stress do tend to have a more difficult time conceiving:
- Stress affects the menstrual cycle, affecting ovulation date.
- Stress affects the ability of the egg to stick in the uterine wall.
- Stress affects sleep quality, which can affect fertility.
- Stress affects libido, which can cause couples to not be as intimate during ovulation.
This does not mean that stress itself is to blame for infertility, as stress is unlikely to be the only cause. But severe stress does have the potential to affect a person’s ability to get pregnant in different ways. If you’re struggling with severe stress caused by infertility, it is possible that your stress levels could also be leading to further infertility issues.
Therapy for Infertility – What the Science Says
While the science is mixed on how much stress creates infertility, research has shown that reducing stress levels through psychotherapy has the potential to improve fertility. Fertility is complicated, and therapy alone may not be enough to create the change that you and your body needs. But research has shown that it can help and, if you still struggle to conceive, therapy for infertility can help you move forward with the next step in the process.
If you’ve been struggling with infertility in Brooklyn, NYC, or anywhere in New York State, contact Flourish Psychology today and let’s talk about the therapy and support we can provide.