The relation between stress and infertility has been a highly debated one. We all know that infertility may be a cause of stress in any couple trying to conceive a baby. However, what is unclear is whether stress can cause infertility. The 21st-century couple has no shortage of reasons for stress. Be it work, general lifestyle, or any other thing under the sun, it can be a cause of stress. Can this excessive stress in the mind of a person cause infertility? This is a subject that has been studied extensively, and the answer is: yes, it can. Stress can, indeed, cause infertility.
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Not only is it essential to be healthy physically, a healthy and happy mind is also important for the conception of a baby. In fact, according to this quote made by a researcher;
“Your body is smart, it knows that periods of stress are not good times to have a baby.”
Although the topic is still up for debate, it has been established that stress does affect fertility in more ways than one. Here are a few of the reasons why stress and infertility are highly connected to each other.
Must Read - How Does Stress Induce Infertility?
One of the simple reasons why stress leads to lesser chances of conception is quite simply the fact that couples under immense stress do not engage in sexual activities as much as couples who have a stress-free mind. Stressed people are too busy worrying about life events making sex the last thing on their minds.
Stress also causes the increase in the level of cortisol and adrenaline hormones. These hormones disturbs the ovulation, menstrual cycle and also has impact on implantation of embryo in the uterus. In men, stress has effect on the levels of testosterone in the blood and also on spermatogenesis.
Another cause for infertility in stress, is that excessive stress usually makes us choose extremely unhealthy habits. These could be habits like smoking, excessive alcohol intake, a sudden increase in the caffeine intake, lack of proper sleep, or unhealthy eating habits. All of these are major contributing factors when it comes to infertility.
Must Read - How to deal with stress caused due to infertility?
As you can see, a healthy body and healthy mind are highly interconnected. Without one of them, you cannot have the other. If you feel comfortable with it, you can try to visit a therapist to reduce your stress. Doing so does not guarantee pregnancy, of course, but it will help reduce your stress and thereby increase your chances of pregnancy.
