You’re excited to build your family and you want to do everything you can to ensure that everything goes smoothly. Whether you’re trying to get pregnant or you already are, you should pay close attention to your stress level. The effects of excessive stress on the human body can negatively impact your fertility and/or your pregnancy.
To help ease your stress and restore metabolic balance to your body, the team of licensed acupuncturists here at Family Wellness Acupuncture specialize in acupuncture that’s directed toward stress reduction.
Here’s a brief look at how stress can impact your ability to get pregnant, as well as the pregnancy itself, and how we can help.
When you encounter a worrisome or perilous situation, your body enters a flight-or-fight mode that triggers a cascade of responses.
First, your brain signals for more adrenaline and cortisol hormones, which are known as the stress hormones. The release of these chemicals then creates a system-wide reaction in your body that leads to:
These physiological reactions are designed to help you better fight or flee, and they wane once the threat is gone.
When you’re in a constant state of stress, however, your body remains stuck in this heightened state, which can affect your health in myriad ways, including your fertility and your pregnancy.
The direct link between the effects of excessive stress on your fertility isn’t clearly defined, but many medical researchers believe that there is a connection. For example, studies of women who seek fertility help have found high rates of anxiety and depression among this group. More specifically, a literature review concluded that, “25%-60% of infertile individuals report psychiatric symptoms and that their levels of anxiety and depression are significantly higher than in fertile controls.”
When it comes to the effects of stress on your pregnancy, research has shown that long periods of stress can lead to higher levels of stress hormones in the amniotic fluid.
If you want to better navigate your preconception and pregnancy journeys, we believe that stress reduction can play a valuable role. Through acupuncture, we’re able to stimulate certain acupressure points in your body to reduce your body’s natural stress response and restore hormonal balance.
If you’d like to experience for yourself how acupuncture can greatly reduce your stress and ease your family-building journey, please contact our office in Irvine, California, to set up an appointment.
