Reproductive Myths & Mysticism Debunked: Stress
How many times do patients who struggle with infertility get barraged by well-intended friends, parents, colleagues, or clinicians about what they should and should not be doing in order to get pregnant. The myths and mysticism related to reproduction are deep and disenchanting; from the idea that you must ‘relax’ or try to limit stress to get pregnant, to the idea that you must ‘lay in bed for 30 minutes’ after having intercourse or pregnancy will not occur.
It is true that reproduction is unpredictable, and that some issues with fertility are well-studied and understood, and others, well…not so much.
Can Stress Affect Fertility?
Stress is related to reproductive function, but it is extremely rare for a patient to ‘stress’ themselves out of normal reproductive potential. One rare example of a stress effect is in extreme athletes or in patients with an eating disorder – most of whom will stop having periods altogether, showing obvious and detectable reproductive effects from stress.
But day to day stress, and living life is almost never a cause of reproductive dysfunction, other than thrashing the desire to have intercourse at times! Encourage your friends and loved ones that most of us conceive in significant times of stress in our lives, that reproductive function is complex and multi-factorial, and that effective treatments, which are often simple, are available if sought out.
Our goal at Caperton Fertility Institute is to shed light on many of the myths and truths related to reproduction, in our cutting-edge, compassionate fertility centers that focuses on outcomes for patients.
Dr. Lee Caperton, the only Board Certified Reproductive Endocrinologist, and Fertility Specialist practicing and living in the State of New Mexico, is the Founder, CEO and Medical Director of Caperton Fertility Institute, the premier fertility practice in the Southwest. Dr. Caperton is proud to care for patients and provide fertility treatments locally, regionally, nationally and internationally at both Caperton Fertility Institute Albuquerque, NM and Caperton Fertility Institute El Paso, TX.