Stress and Fertility
Stress can be defined as:
‘A natural physical and mental reaction to both good and bad experiences that can be beneficial to our health and safety’.
Our bodies respond to stress by releasing hormones which increase our heart and breathing rates. As our brains get more oxygen it allows us to make decisions quickly. In the short term, stress can be a good thing and can help us perform when we are in a tough situation such as sitting exams or playing sport. However, if the stress is prolonged then it can have a significant effect on our entire wellbeing.
Central Nervous and Endocrine Systems
Your central nervous system (CNS) oversees your “fight or flight” response. Whether you live or die.
The CNS in an instant tells the rest of your body what to do, supplying all resources to the root cause. In the brain, the hypothalamus and pituitary glands stimulate your adrenal glands to release ADRENALINE and CORTISOL.
When the perceived fear is gone, the CNS should tell all systems to go back to normal. It has done its job. If the CNS fails to return to normal, or if the stressor doesn’t go away, it can takes it toll on your body. Potentially effecting all of the systems in the body from:
- Increased heart rate
- Rapid breathing
- Slowing down digestion
- Impacting sleep
- Muscular and joint pain
It also has a very big impact on our endocrine system, potentially further decreasing the likely hood of conception.
Normal cortisol production
- Stimulates liver to convert amino acids into glucose (energy)
- Counters allergies and inflammation
- Helps regulate mood and maintain emotional stability
- Maintains resistance to the stress of infections
- Maintains resistance to physical and emotional trauma
- Maintains resistance to temperature extremes
- Mobilises and increases fatty acids in the blood to be used as fuel for energy production
Excess cortisol production
- Leads to decreased glucose utilisation by the body’s cells and increases blood sugar levels.
- Decreases the body’s ability to synthesise protein.
- Increases protein breakdown, leading to muscle wasting and osteoporosis.
- Suppresses the sex hormones.
- Increases risk of hypertension, high cholesterol and heart disease.
- Has an impact on the brain and memory.
- Impairs other hormone action, such as insulin, leading to insulin resistance and the typical weight gain around the waist.
- Causes immune system to be supressed which can lead to allergies and infections.
- Can result in sleep disturbances, hot flushes and night sweats.
- Depletes progesterone levels as the body requires progesterone to make cortisol. The progesterone grab!
How stress effects the hormonal pathways
In times of stress our bodies are equipped to prevent conception from occurring. This is simply survival. Staying alive take precedent over conceiving a baby.
- The Adrenal gland produces adrenaline. Adrenaline inhibits us from utilizing progesterone. It also causes the pituitary gland to produce high levels of prolactin.
- The adrenal gland produces cortisol. The adrenal glands cannot make cortisol without progesterone, also known as the ‘progesterone steal’ to manufacture stress hormones therefore progesterone levels that are required for a healthy menstrual cycle and supporting a pregnancy drop. GnRH is also inhibited, therefore it will supress ovulation and sperm count.
- The pituitary gland releases high levels of prolactin that inhibits ovulation. It can also cause a deficiency in the amount of progesterone produced after ovulation which can result in the uterine lining being thin and less able to have an embryo to implant.
Cycle of stress and fertility
Stress can have an impact on fertility and infertility can have an even bigger impact on stress. Experts believe that the consequence of failing to conceive a baby after a 12-month period can have the same impact on stress levels as having cancer or heart disease. With many women in particular suffering from severe depression as a result.
We are very fortunate to be able to control most aspects of our lives, we have many choices available to us. Unfortunately, our fertility isn’t always in our control. This can be very hard to accept for some people.
The pain of wanting a child so badly can break up friendships and sever family ties. The couple unable to conceive will often find it extremely difficult to be around other couples that have young children and can dread family gatherings, questions such as “when are you going to have children” or Just relax and it will happen, go on holiday” can be so distressing that couples will just avoid gatherings altogether. The cycle of stress and depression can then become more serious due to people not having family and friends to go to for support.
Many couples particularly men find the subject of infertility a big taboo. This often results in them having no one to talk to, leaving them feeling isolated and alone. Failure to have children can make people feel inadequate. They find it difficult to cope with pregnancy announcements, christenings and baby showers.
What happens to the female hormonal system when stress doesn’t go away?
- Impairs follicle health and development. Stress reduces the secretion of oestrogen from the follicle which reduces the thickness of the endometrium and the fertile mucous.
- Supresses our sex drive.
- Stress may affect menstruation among adolescent girls and women in several ways. For example, high levels of stress may be associated with absent or irregular menstrual cycles, more painful periods and changes in the length of cycles.
- Reduces the secretion of progesterone from the corpus luteum in the luteal phase, and thus affects implantation. Stress can cause luteal phase defects.
- Affects the surge of luteinizing hormone (LH) from the pituitary gland which is responsible for stimulating ovulation.
- Increases prolactin secretion by the pituitary gland, which inhibits ovarian function.
- Affects the part of the immune system responsible for preventing miscarriage in early pregnancy.
- Negatively impacts many other health concerns which may impair fertility, such as thyroid health, autoimmune conditions, allergic conditions, PCOS, endometriosis, and gastrointestinal concerns.
How I can help?
- Having someone that understands this to talk to such as a reflexologist can be a lifeline for many.
- Give you information on local support groups or perhaps set one up yourself.
- Helping you understand what is available on the NHS in terms of support and tests.
- There are many charities and online resources such as Fertility Friend or Fertility Network UK.
- Facebook support groups where people can talk to others in the same or similar situation can help with the loneliness and isolation that fertility issues can bring.
- Helping you fully understand your cycle can be very empowering, giving you back some element of control.
- Having regular reflexology treatments can have many benefits on the whole body. Proven to reduce stress levels and lower blood pressure. Proven to directly impact the central nervous system positively. Having an hour or so to truly relax impacts every system in the body favourably.