Both men and women face fertility issues. A couple’s ability to conceive has long been recognized as being affected by stress levels, with anxiety about not getting pregnant leading to additional stress. Indeed, couples who adopt are sometimes surprised to discover an unexpected pregnancy, once the stress of not conceiving has diminished.
A recent October 2009 study tested and demonstrates the impact of stress reduction on fertility:
“Women who participated in a stress management program prior to or during their second IVF cycle had a 160 percent greater pregnancy rate than women who did not participate in a program.[...]”
“The study, [...] revealed a pregnancy rate of 52 percent among women who participated in a stress management program as compared to a 20 percent pregnancy rate for women who were not exposed to the stress management program. The program was designed to educate women on the utilization of cognitive, relaxation and lifestyle techniques to manage stress.”
“Stress management had an even greater impact on pregnancy rates for women who showed higher baselines symptoms of depression. Pregnancy rates jumped to 67 percent for women with signs of depression at the start of the study who engaged in the stress management program versus no pregnancies for those that did not.”
“Reproductive health experts have long wondered about the impact that stress may have on fertility, thus impeding a woman’s ability to conceive,” says Alice Domar, Ph.D., Executive Director of The Domar Center for Mind/Body Health at Boston IVF and assistant professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology at Harvard Medical School. “This study shows that stress management may improve pregnancy rates, minimizing the stress of fertility management itself, improving the success rates of IVF procedures, and ultimately, helping to alleviate the emotional burden for women who are facing challenges trying to conceive.”
The randomized, controlled study involved 97 women who were not more than 40 years of age. It was conducted over two IVF cycles. On day three of their cycle, the participants had E2 levels less than or equal to 80 and FSH levels not exceeding 12.
For the initial IVF cycle, both groups had a pregnancy rate of 43%. The second IVF cycle demonstrated variations in pregnancy rates between the two groups. The women who had received mind / body sessions had a 52% pregnancy rate, while the control group had a pregnancy rate of 20%.
While this is a small study, it highlights the importance of stress management on fertility. There are many good naturopathic approaches to reducing stress and to enhance fertility – feel free to contact me for an appointment.
Reference
Study: Link Between Stress Reduction And Increased Fertility