"Don't Stress"

[awnmyown]

Okay, so I hear this one a LOT. "Don't stress". "Just relax and it'll happen". "Once you stop thinking about it, it'll just take care of itself".

The notion that stress is bad for conception and we all just need to relax, lay back and let go.

Part of me understands this. I've watched cattle about to give birth get stressed and suddenly the whole process stops dead in its tracks. Animals are designed to stop dangerous things when they're stressed; pregnancy is certainly a danger in the wild, and I can understand the logic.

Now what about eustress. I'm talking about happy stress. I find myself more negatively stressed when I'm worried about if I'm worrying, where in the TWW the only stress I'd normally feel is the kind you had as a kid as you counted down to Christmas. Is that present you always wanted going to be under the tree?? Is that octagonal gift that barbie mansion you've been dreaming of?? How many more days until Christmas?? Was that a barbie logo you could almost make out under the wrapping paper??

To me, that's the TWW. Granted there's no consolation prize in your stocking, but it still ends with eating way too much chocolate and being slightly let down that it's all over and you're back to waiting.

My question, is if this kind of positive stress, excitement, anticipation, is negative and inhibits conception?? Is it wiser to put the TWW out of our minds and pretending O never happened, or is it better to get excited about that "maybe flutter" in our belly or stare longingly at all the bassinets that are on sale, picking out the perfect newly released pattern that would be oh so right for our new baby??

I want to say I can just relax and ignore the next 14 days, but I don't think that will ever happen. Not now after 2 months, not after 20 months. How can you *not* get a little worked up about something you really want??! And if that's the case, how does ANYONE conceive by trying, when trying means you're thinking about it with great anticipation??!

 

[1nceUponATime]

I totallllllly get what you are saying. I think that under certain circumstances that stress can delay or inhibit our ability to get pregnant.... But, I think that in more cases than not, people say that because of those few stories where people stopped trying and got pregnant. That's not a majority rules thing though and it annoys me when people say that. most of the time I just laugh it off or whatever, but when someone catches me in the wrong mood here's the way I see it....

For me, I don't ovulate without medication. And that doesn't mean I ovulate sometimes or that my ovulation is delayed. I don't ovulate or have a period ever. For all intents and purposes, my ovaries are broken. I go to a doctor who monitors my cycles and gives me medication to fix them. Someone wouldn't have a broken arm, and relax, and then the broken arm heals. Well my ovaries are the same. No amount of relaxing will make my ovaries ovulate eggs. Therefore, I can't get pregnant by relaxing.

Now, there is some ways I agree that relaxing definitely helps, and I think it's more for our own sanity. Like for example , I didn't pee on OPKs this cycle cause that stressed me out (although, I didn't need to with the monitoring) and I'm not testing for pregnancy until my blood draw because seeing a million BFNs is stressful, although I admit I am going crazy now cause I'm 9dpo.

To sum it up, i think relaxing may have gotten people pregnant on a few occasions, but for the majority, no. But hey, it couldn't hurt... Getting a massage/pedicure... Treating ourselves as nicely as possible could not hurt one little bit at all!

Good luck Hun!