Fertility

There’s a tired stereotype of the highly-strung type-A woman who just can’t fall pregnant. But is it true? Can stress really affect fertility?

Is stress stopping you from falling pregnant?

Yes, it has been scientifically proven that stress can affect fertility,” says specialist gynaecologist Dr Chris Venter of the Vitalab Centre for Assisted Conception in Johannesburg. There’s good scientific evidence that stress affects both the egg and the quality of the egg, and the production and quality of sperm, he explains.

TYPES OF STRESS

There are three types of stress to consider regarding fertility, says Dr Venter: emotional stress, physical stress and environmental stress. “Stress in the male and the female is exactly the same,” he says. There’s new data that shows that the physical stress of working a high number of hours per day or working shifts, which changes your sleeping pattern, can affect your ovulation cycle. It also decreases the chances of successful implantation – and there’s also a correlation with an increased risk of miscarriage. Strenuous exercise can also produce these risk factors, for example triathletes training for Ironman. “We say that exercise is good, but there are also limits,” says Dr Venter. “Emotional stability is important. There have been good studies to show that even

in IVF cycles, women who are highly strung or depressed will have poorer quality eggs, and even if there’s a good quality egg, implantation chances are decreased,” says Dr Venter.

CUT IT OUT

Environmental stresses include, unsurprisingly, smoking, drinking alcohol, excessive coffee intake, and any recreational drugs. These all may decrease the quality of eggs and sperm and the chances of successful implantation. Smoking is related to decreased implantation, decreased fertilisation and it decreases the quality of your eggs, so there’s no question – it’s time to quit. Another factor is obesity, which has a deleterious effect on the body. The free fatty acids levels in your blood have a stress-related effect on the production of both sperm and eggs, the quality and implantation, explains Dr Venter. If you’re significantly overweight or obese, try to bring your weight to within the recommended range.

GIVE IT A TRY

Dr Venter suggests exploring alternative practises such as acupuncture or yoga. “Whatever helps the patient is beneficial. There has been some controversy about acupuncture, but it has been shown to be helpful. If it helps the patient to feel more empowered, then there’s no harm in trying it,” he recommends. There’s a vast field of research about how important sleep is to your overall health, although personal requirements vary. “Sound sleeping habits like going to bed every night at a similar time, avoiding electronic media and bright screen devices for a few hours before bedtime and taking a bath to relax will set the tone for a good night’s sleep. Also, try avoiding a heavy meal before bedtime or caffeine-containing drinks,” recommends Dr Jana Rossouw, a specialist gynaecologist and obstetrician at Tygerberg Hospital.

TRY SOMETHING NEW

“More often than not, when we are stressed, or when we are very driven towards achieving a goal, we let go of all other life activities. Living in that way can raise our stress levels,” says clinical psychologist Jeanine Lamusse. Particularly if your work is very left brain, it’s important to engage in right brain activities. Simple things like socialising with friends, doing some form of art (adult colouring books, anyone?) or some form of expression like dance or movement therapy, or even going for massages, can help you be more engaged with your body and get out of your head, recommends Lamusse.

THERAPY CAN HELP

It’s all well and good to hear that you should minimise your stress, but it can be very hard to let go. If there’s an emotional issue that’s driving your behaviour, therapy can be very helpful, says Lamusse. Dr Venter agrees, saying that for some patients, seeing a therapist can reap rewards.

CONSIDER MINDFULNESS

Practising mindfulness through awareness of your physical surroundings, and really paying attention to the here and now, can help reduce and manage stress and can also help you to reframe a negative mindset in a more positive manner. “What’s useful is really paying attention to what you can control in the here and now. “Letting go of the stuff that you can’t control (which admittedly is incredibly hard to do), is quite liberating, because you’ve got all this energy to direct towards the things that you can achieve,” says Lamusse. “Be aware, however, that while mindfulness can be useful, it’s not for everyone and it should be overseen by a trained practitioner,” she advises. “If you are doing mindfulness practices and you are finding it distressing, it’s probably because it’s bringing up issues you haven’t learnt how to cope with, and you should see a therapist.”

SOUND SLEEPING HABITS LIKE GOING TO BED EVERY NIGHT AT A SIMILAR TIME, AVOIDING ELECTRONIC MEDIA AND BRIGHT SCREEN DEVICES FOR A FEW HOURS BEFORE BEDTIME AND TAKING A BATH TO RELAX WILL SET THE TONE FOR A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP