Categories: Infertility Nutrition Help

Coping with Stress

Stress is our body’s response to anything that ‘stresses it out!‘ Fight or flight is the hormonal response from the body in times of stress, epinephrine and other hormones are what gives that ‘buzz’ associated with not being in a relaxed state. Fight or flight (stress) interferes with other hormone production, increases heart rate and blood pressure, constricts blood vessels (difficult to make sperm, and to achieve full erection), and releases excess sugar into the blood.

Unable to ‘switch off‘ is the most common stress we see in the modern world. Working long hours, more expected at the job, tougher to get by, poor eating habits, lack of sleep, too much alcohol, not enough water, another coffee?, traffic, money. Over time this leads to fatigue, and various medical conditions. Most of the body’s energy is going into simple survival, not reproduction.

Stress inhibits digestion and uptake of essential nutrients, induces heartburn, lowers sex drive, the immune system is considerably compromised, blood pressure goes up, people gain weight, memory suffers, dopamine becomes deficiency and depression may follow, and chronic fatigue may set in.

Stress releases sugar into the blood. The pancreas secretes insulin to make that sugar usable by our cells. The blood sugar levels rise and drop. This can create a situation called hypoglycemia. Extreme hunger and mood swings are cardinal.

Stress creates and overabundance of prolactin which may interfere with ovulation. Menstruation may become irregular, and the luteal phase of the cycle can become defective. Stress lowers sperm volume and numbers, and increases abnormal morphology rates.

Contents[show]

1 Dealing with Stress
- 1.1 Make sure sleep is plentiful. If you have trouble sleeping, try these few ideas to help

Dealing with Stress

You need to develop strategies and techniques to deal with and reduce stress in your life. Remember, anything you practice you will improve at, now is the time to start practicing stress management.
Find out what stresses you and write them down. The first step is recognition. When a situation arises that normally stresses you out, you will start to recongnize it, and the opportunity to install different reactions to the same situations shows itself.

Try to cut back on work, put more energy into your relationship.

Some things to look into and try are the following: (educate yourself, get proactive, stress management may be the single most important aspect to winning the battle of infertility)

Exercise lightly and regularly, something you enjoy doing.
Massage
Deep breathing techniques (Qigong)
Visualization (Qigong)
Meditation (Qigong)
Aromatherapy
Bach flower remedies (as your healthcare professional about these)

Make sure sleep is plentiful. If you have trouble sleeping, try these few ideas to help

get up at same time every day regardless of when you got to sleep, this establishes a cycle.
go to bed at the same time each night.
keep the bedroom dark, quiet, and cool.
keep anything stressful out of the bedroom (computers, work related items, etc.)
limit daytime napping.
massage the bottom of your feet while lying in bed
take hot baths in the evening with a few drops of lavender essential oil in the water.
eat supper before 7pm.
avoid caffeine after noon.
get fresh air and exercise.
seek counsel with issues that may be keeping you awake.
do not work after dinner.
read something pleasant in the evening.

Must Read: Reactive oxygen species: potential cause for DNA fragmentation in human spermatozoa

Dr Spence Pentland

Dr. Pentland is founder of The IVF Acupuncture Group of Greater Vancouver, available 7 days a week for on site embryo transfer and acupuncture treatments at the Pacific Centre for Reproductive Medicine (PCRM) and Genesis Fertility Centre. “The integrated relationship I have established with these clinics is something that I value very much as it expands my knowledge, gives me the opportunity to reach more people, and helps me better understand how to support women on their journey toward family.” says Dr. Pentland. Dr. Pentland, along with Dr. Jeffrey Roberts of The Pacific Centre for Reproductive Medicine (PCRM), and Dr. Christine Sutton of the University of British Columbia, authored research published in Fertility & Sterility on the stress reducing effects of acupuncture when administered in the weeks leading up to an IVF embryo transfer. In 2015 Spence published BEING FERTILE - 10 Steps to Help You Overcome the Struggles of Infertility, Get Pregnant, and Create a Happy, Healthy Family. A book written to provide hope, tools and resources for women and couples experiencing difficulty starting or expanding their families. Dr. Pentland is founder of The IVF Acupuncture Group of Greater Vancouver, available 7 days a week for on site embryo transfer and acupuncture treatments at the Pacific Centre for Reproductive Medicine (PCRM) and Genesis Fertility Centre. “The integrated relationship I have established with these clinics is something that I value very much as it expands my knowledge, gives me the opportunity to reach more people, and helps me better understand how to support women on their journey toward family.” says Dr. Pentland. Dr. Pentland, along with Dr. Jeffrey Roberts of The Pacific Centre for Reproductive Medicine (PCRM), and Dr. Christine Sutton of the University of British Columbia, authored research published in Fertility & Sterility on the stress reducing effects of acupuncture when administered in the weeks leading up to an IVF embryo transfer. In 2015 Spence published BEING FERTILE - 10 Steps to Help You Overcome the Struggles of Infertility, Get Pregnant, and Create a Happy, Healthy Family. A book written to provide hope, tools and resources for women and couples experiencing difficulty starting or expanding their families. Further demonstrating his commitment to reproductive health, he is a devoted member of IAAC (Infertility Awareness Association), CFAS (Canadian Fertility and Andrology Society), and ASRM (American Society for Reproductive Medicine). As the former president of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Association of British Columbia and the provincial BC TCM quality assurance committee, Dr. Pentland is well respected by peers and patients alike. He remains actively involved in educating healthcare colleagues and the public on the powerful benefits of Chinese medicine & acupuncture, working steadily on the integration of ancient Daoist wisdom into modern western life as a way to build awareness about reproductive health. This compassionate expertise is reflected in patient testimonials. When not helping others start their families, Spence can be found spending time with his own--his adoring wife Chantal and their two beautiful sons. “I am very proud to be part of the team of professionals at Yinstill. We are all dedicated to raising the bar in the field of complimentary and alternative reproductive medicine. Nothing is more important than family,” he says. 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