Difficulty in conceiving a baby even after following everything correctly can affect one’s mental health to a great extent. The societal pressure, the stress of ageing every day and difficulty in conceiving being the only hindrance to your family planning can have an affect the well-being of person. More importantly, the amount of stress that it causes in turn is not healthy as well. Although there are a lot of reproductive technologies like IVF treatment that can help with conceiving a baby. Undergoing an IVF process can be helpful as the assurance and the success rate is a proof that can take the weight of your chest.
It’s difficult to assess the degree to which stress impacts your fertility when you are in such a stressful situation as trying to conceive without success. Each month when it becomes absolutely apparent that one is not pregnant, the feeling of despair comes very easily. There are a lot of emotions at play at once. You can feel frustrated, sad, hopeless and most importantly, anxious. Anxious because even after following everything that is in your control, the results received are not the one you wanted.
HOW STRESS AFFECTS FERTILITY:
Can the psychological effects of stress contribute to conception difficulties? This is an ongoing question that researchers and physicians are trying to figure out based on existing medical evidence. It is possible that women “fake good” in order to appear mentally healthier than they are. It is also possible that women feel a sense of hopefulness/increased optimism prior to initiating infertility treatment, which is when most assessments of distress are collected. A study found that couples are more likely to get pregnant during times they feel happy and relaxed, compared with times of strain. It is estimated that as much as 30% of all infertility cases may be controlled by stress factors. A study carried out by the NIH shows that stress alone can affect and cause bodily changes in a women’s body that can affect fertility eventually. Apart from this, it is also studied that the women that are infertile tend to be more depressed than the women who get pregnant.
Fertility completely depends upon how your body reacts to stress. This is because your body reacts in a lot of ways. For example, the physiological response that pushes your metabolism into high gear also interferes with blood flow to your reproductive organs, causes weight gain and other physical issues that may interfere with ovulation. It is well known that any problem with ovulation can become a hindrance for conceiving. There are many other factors that can become a cause of stress that affects the fertility of a woman. They are:
- Miscarriage:
One of the biggest reasons why women stress over their pregnancies is because they fail to retain pregnancy. Patients who experience a pregnancy loss have met the criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder; the majority of women report suffering from anxiety and depression.
- Repeated failure:
Some patients will get pregnant quite easily from IVF treatment, conceiving on their first cycle. However, that is the exception; for many it may take years, or not happen at all. The cause of infertility is not always clear; it may be an underlying health condition such as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis, or male factor infertility, or the frustrating diagnosis of unexplained infertility. Knowing the root cause of an infertility diagnosis can reduce the burden for patients as they understand why this may be happening to them; while still heart-broken, they can place blame on “something.” This has led to an increased amount of stress which in turn has shown to affect the fertility of a woman.
- Unhealthy diet:
This is one of the major causes that affect the fertility. This factor goes hand in hand with the infertility factor since a stressful situation cause stress-eating or eating unhealthy or junk food. This might also include drinks that might affect the fertility. If a couple is unable to conceive, they get stressed and the cycle continues. This is one of the toughest loops to break.
- Smoking:
It is no secret that smoking can affect the fertility of a woman. There are physiological changes in the body. Certain hormonal changes that might fail the regulation of the ovulation or might even result in failure of retention of pregnancy.
All of these factors can be controlled and some reversed completely. There are various treatments that can be adopted to reduce the stress or at least control it so that it does have a negative impact on the fertility of the woman.
- Acupuncture
- Meditation, guided meditation
- Cognitive behavioral therapy for the women
- Yoga
- Support groups
- Journaling
Studies have reported all of the above points to be independent treatments for reduction of stress. There is always a way to cope up with the feelings that are overwhelming. Out of this, joining support groups is extremely beneficial since knowing about other people’s experience and stories can make you understand that you are not alone in this journey.
Taking couples therapy is another good option since the amount of stress felt by a man during the entire process is also heartbreaking. Collectively, setting goals for the future if the issue of fertility does not resolve can help to reduce the strain and stress.
Keeping you mind, body and soul as healthy as possible is necessary for a nice outcome of the results that you await. For this, reducing stress or merely keeping in check of your emotions can help to work wonders. If there are any issues with fertility, you can always consult an IVF doctor that can guide you through the IVF process and can also make you familiar with the procedure of the IVF treatment.
KJIVF provides with the best solutions to your fertility problems and the best IVF treatment in Delhi. Consult an IVF doctor today and solve the problem of your compromised fertility and turn your dreams into a unimaginable reality.