130 likes | 242 Views
Stress and Fertility Issues. Maxine L. James. “Your just too tired.” “Just relax and it’ll happen.” “You’ve got to calm down and let nature take its course.”. Could Infertility be stress related?. Allen Morgan, MD of Shore Institute for Reproductive Medicine in Lakewood, NJ-
E N D
Stress and Fertility Issues Maxine L. James
“Your just too tired.” • “Just relax and it’ll happen.” • “You’ve got to calm down and let nature take its course.”
Allen Morgan, MD of Shore Institute for Reproductive Medicine in Lakewood, NJ- • Infertility 20 yrs. Ago was between 10%-20% • Infertility today is up to 40%
Not just women who can carry fertility issues, Men are just as prone to having problems with fertility as well. • “1/3 of all cases of infertility involve problems solely with the male partner.” • So what factors are causing this and what can we do to increase the chances of conception?
possible stressors: women • “Trying too hard” may increase chances of infertility by 30%. • 40% of women with fertility problems were clinically anxious or depressed prior to being treated for infertility. • “Biological clock is ticking.” • Stress at work, with spouse/significant other, or other environmental factors. • May lead to increase in alcohol, drug, or tobacco consumption, which also increases infertility.
Possible stressors: men • Excessive smoking- significantly decreases sperm count • Chronic alcohol abuse • Tight underwear/pants- increase in temperature decreases sperm production • Steroid use • Excessive Stress!
As stress levels increase, the likely hood of taking on alternative reproduction techniques decreases as well. • When a natural conception doesn’t work, most couples will seek infertility care such as In Vitro Fertilization.
In Vitro Fertilization: Cont. • According to research published in Fertilization and Sterility in 2005, stress can still play a big part whether IVF treatments are successful or not. • After questionnaires were administered based on women’s stress levels, those who had higher levels of stress were 20% less likely to find success even in In Vitro Fertilization. • It was actually through each step of the process that the levels of stress increased even more, resulting in an unsuccessful embryo, due to nervousness.
Overcoming infertility stress • For many women, Acupuncture plays a key role in decreasing stress levels • 42.5% increase in pregnancy rate vs. 26.3% who didn’t practice acupuncture • Massage Therapy, guided imagery, foot reflexology • Engage in more times of intimacy with partner. • Meditation • Adequate amount of sleep • Progressive muscle relaxation
References • Bouchez, Colette. Stress and Fertility. Received from http://www.webmd.com/infertility-andreproduction/features/infertility-stress • Gelman, Lauren. Health 101: Stress and Fertility. Received http://www.parents.com/getting-pregnant/fertility/boost/fertility-conditions-stress-and-fertility • In Vitro Fertilization. (2007, May). Received from http://americanpregnancy.org/infertility/ivf.html • Mather, Mark. Fact Sheet: The Decline in U.S. Fertility. Received fromhttp://www.prb.org/Publications/Datasheets/2012/world-population-data-sheet/fact-sheet-us-population.aspx • What causes Male Infertility? Received from http://www.stanford.edu/class/siw198q/websites/reprotech/NewWaysofMakingBabies/causemal.htm