Does stress affect pregnancy? A study seems to confirm this
Those looking for a baby who doesn’t arrive on time are often the target of friends and relatives who “kindly” pronounce: “you’re too stressed out, so you can’t get pregnant!!”
Which then perhaps is promptly denied by our doctor because, at least until some time ago, there were no scientific foundations capable of confirming the link between fertility and stress.
Now things seem to have changed: A scientific study has shown for the first time that high levels of stress can delay pregnancy.
Oxford University researchers monitored the levels of two important ‘stress hormones’ in women trying to have a baby. These hormones are adrenaline and cortisol.
From the results it was observed that women who had the highest levels of these hormones had a reduced probability of becoming pregnant.
Therefore for these couples it would be very helpful to find a way to relax and this would certainly have positive effects on fertility.
The study was published in the journal Fertility and Sterility and was performed on 274 healthy women aged 18 to 40 who planned to become pregnant.
Factors such as alcohol, smoking and obesity have long been known to affect fertility. Stress, on the other hand, has always played an unclear role.
In the research, the two hormones, adrenaline and cortisol in the saliva of women were monitored thanks to particular markers (alpha-amylase in the case of adrenaline).
The study showed that women with the highest levels of alpha-amylase (and therefore those who had high levels of adrenaline) had a 12 percent reduced chance of becoming pregnant during their fertile days.
Cortisol levels, on the other hand, appear to have no influence on fertility.
Consequently, couples looking for a child should live this moment with serenity, trying to be relaxed as much as possible. This is why relaxation techniques with yoga and meditation aimed at conceiving a child are increasingly gaining ground .
Of course, stress will have different effects on each woman, more on some, less on others. The important thing, when you decide that it’s time to become parents, is to start living healthily , taking folic acid supplements and being as relaxed as possible (work and family permitting…).
Kathryn Barlow is an OB/GYN doctor, which is the medical specialty that deals with the care of women's reproductive health, including pregnancy and childbirth.
Obstetricians provide care to women during pregnancy, labor, and delivery, while gynecologists focus on the health of the female reproductive system, including the ovaries, uterus, vagina, and breasts. OB/GYN doctors are trained to provide medical and surgical care for a wide range of conditions related to women's reproductive health.