STRESS AND YOUR FERTILITY: HOW IT AFFECTS YOU & HOW TO OVERCOME IT

Oh, the holiday season -  that time of year when many of us feel the financial strain of gift buying, the chaos of holiday crowds, the never-ending family and work events.  Holiday cheer to some but holiday drear to many.  The increase of stress and frustration during this time of year is overwhelming for anyone, but can be even more immense for fertility patients who are trying to conceive.
 
Whether you are dealing with reproductive health issues affecting your fertility, or deciding to attempt IVF/ART the decision is a major step and an intense process.   When you add the family pressure that the holiday season can provoke on top of it all, the idea of managing your stress levels may seem like an impossible feat, but it is possible!  
 
WHAT IS STRESS?  
Stress is natural.   A bit of short lived stress isn’t always a bad thing – it can make you active and alert when you need to be.  It can help us find focus and can kick the immune system into healing wounds or fighting off infections. 
Stress is our body’s natural response to what we perceive as an imminent threat or potential danger.   You may know it as our “flight or fight” response.
Nowadays, our body’s stress response is triggered all the time, everyday, even when we are not in mortal danger.  Although our everyday stresses may not kill us, our constant responses to non-immediate stresses can wreak havoc on all the major systems of the body including our Reproductive Health. 

When we feel stressed out and our bodies feel 'attacked' it releases two hormones into our blood; Adrenaline & Cortisol.   What happens to our reproductive system when there’s too much cortisol present?

• Cortisol derives from progesterone which is the primary source of testosterone and estrogen (our reproductive hormones!)
• When the body is in ‘fight/flight’ mode it sacrifices our progesterone levels to convert into cortisol to stay alive and our estrogen and testosterone reserve is lessened
• When stress ‘steals’ progesterone then neither Estrogen or Testosterone can be in adequate supply to support our reproductive tissues growth.
• When this happens our body’s desire to be fertile is put on hold and its focus becomes survival
• High cortisol levels over a prolonged time can cause a lack of sex drive
• High cortisol levels can affect our menstrual cycle – periods may become irregular, less frequent, or stop altogether.

When the body enters crisis mode, other functions of the body that are not considered 'relevant' to this time are put on hold - such as getting pregnant. (Basically, the body feels that staying alive is more important than reproducing).   Stress can act as a natural contraceptive which is unfavourable when you’re trying to conceive.
 
Here are some simple, effective and affordable ways you can help ease your stress to get through the holidays, and help your chances of successful conception.
 
GET YOURSELF SOME ACUPUNCTURE
Acupuncture is most commonly known to relieve pain but it’s also incredibly effective in relieving stress and anxiety and regulate many of the systems that are directly affected by stress.   Acupuncture releases Oxytocin and endorphins that result in an analgesic effect, and activates our “rest and digest” response – the body’s natural ‘yin’ response to the ‘yang’ of our fight or flight mode. 
 
Some other amazing things that acupuncture can do for your body:

• Slows down heart rate, decreasing blood pressure, promotes blood flow to the organs stimulates our immune system
• Improves blood flow and vasodilation to the uterus and helps to build optimal endometrial thickness.  This is ideal when you're trying to conceive!
• Has positive effects on the digestive system, cardiovascular system and endocrine system – which are all affected by our stress response.
• Acupuncture works on the individual’s needs and works to give the body what it needs to heal itself and maintain health
• Regular acupressure on stress relieving points are very effective in calming the mind, and bringing the body to a state of balance.

FIND MINDFULNESS THROUGH YOGA & MEDITATION
Yoga and meditation are commonplace practices now.  It seems that there are yoga studios on every corner, and there are endless meditation retreats and centres to chose from.  With so many styles available out there, it can be overwhelming to decide which methods work for you. 

Experiment a little, and find a style of yoga and meditation that resonates with you.

Here are some useful tips on choosing the right practice for you, and how effective both practices can be once you've found your groove.  

• Yoga reduces physical tension we may hold in our bodies, and promotes relaxation.
• Yoga & meditation slows down our breathing, soothes the nervous system, calms the mind and eases tension built up in the body.
• Enhances body awareness which allows us to better recognize when stress or anxiety builds in our body.
• Interrupts our worry cycles.  Yoga & Meditation allows us to focus on what is happening in the now.
• Strengthen self-compassion and self-acceptance – which enables us to take better care of ourselves physically and emotionally.
• Mindful meditation reduces the activity of our amygdala – the part of our brain which is responsible for the feeling of fear.
• Mindfulness helps lower the inflammatory response that our stress hormones have on our body by 15%
• Start small – try just a few minutes in the beginning to avoid frustration, and slowly build your stamina.
• Do what is realistic for you!

CREATING BOUNDARIES AND SIMPLIFY YOUR LIFE 
We've all come across that idea of just quitting our jobs, and moving to a tropical Paradise for the rest of our lives to live a stress-free life.  As lovely, and ideal as that would be, let's face it - for most of us, it's just not probable.   Be gentle with yourself while making these changes, and focus on practical solutions that are within your abilities.  Make it simple to simplify your life!  

• Create boundaries for yourself. whether it’s cutting back on social media time or missing out on social situations that might trigger a stress response – you come first!
• Cut back on spending time with toxic people and make time for people that have a positive effect on you.
• Don’t be afraid to ask for help at work or around the house.
• Find someone you can talk to – join and IVF/Fertility support group, or find a therapist.  
• Schedule in self-care!  Book yourself some acupuncture or a massage.
• Don’t over work.  Delegate a small window of time outside of work to check your emails or voicemails. 
• Cut back on negative news in the mainstream media.  You do not need added stress/anxiety during this time.
• Prepare yourself during the holidays to deal with any questions family members may ask you regarding your current situation.   Come up with a clever canned response to help deflect any sensitive or invasive questions.  

Everyone's life experiences are different, and we all deal and manage stress in a variety of ways.   Methods that may work for some people might not necessarily work for you.  Don't give up! explore a bit to find which approaches resonate with you.  Be kind to yourself in the process,  focus on doing what is within your limits and is realistic to your pace of life.    It may be nearly impossible to eliminate all the stressors in our lives, but with the help of practices that strengthen our body-mind connection, we can change how we handle and react to our challenging life events.  

​https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/think-act-be/201609/7-ways-yoga-lowers-stress-and-anxiety

https://www.mindful.org/9-ways-mindfulness-reduces-stress/

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2017/01/24/mindfulness-meditation-lowers-stress-hormone-decreases-inflammation/

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/renaissance-woman/201509/acupuncture-stress-and-depression-yes-please

​https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/03/30/acupuncture-benefits.aspx