Is Stress Keeping you from getting Pregnant?

The American Journal of Epidemiology published the finding from the Pregnancy Study Online (PRESTO), an ongoing preconception cohort of North American pregnancy planners that follows couples for 12 months or until pregnancy, whichever comes first. The researchers followed 4,769 women and 1,272 men who did not have a history of infertility and had not been trying to conceive for more than six menstrual cycles.

The items referred to the past month, with five response choices ranging from 0 (never) to 4 (very often), up to a total of 40, with a higher total score indicating a higher level of perceived stress. Both partners completed the PSS (Perceived Stress Scale) at baseline, and women also completed the PSS at each bi-monthly PRESTO follow-up.

The researchers found women with PSS scores of at least 25 were 13 percent less likely to conceive than women with PSS scores under 10. The association was also stronger among women under 35 years old.

The researchers did not find an association between men’s PSS score and the likelihood of conceiving. However, couples in the study were about 25 per cent less likely to conceive when the man’s PSS score was under 10 and the women’s was 20 or higher.

 

Some effective common practices for stress relief include meditation to promote mindfulness. The meditation allows a person to feel centered and the mindful portion of this practice allows the person to live in the "now". 

Another underestimated practice is taking 5 minutes from your work day and perform breathing exercises.

Some foods even contain stress relieving capabilities. Foods like herbal pregnancy tea (Secrets of Tea) and dark chocolate with high concentrated cocoa (Endangered Species, Ghiradelli) are just few of the many foods that can help with stress relief.

Along with meditation, and choosing to eat/drink stress relieving foods, addressing the office setting social dynamic is crucial.