Every couple trying to conceive hears "just relax, it will happen." In India it usually arrives with company — the questions at every family gathering, the advice from relatives who did not ask whether you wanted any, the quiet assumption that a year of marriage should have produced an announcement by now.
That pressure is real, and it does not help. The article below offers three practical ways to take some of the weight off.
When you’re actively trying to conceive (TTC), things can get a little stressful. Seeing that disappointing “negative”, month after month can really take a toll on your spirit. It may be hard to maintain that positive outlook when you feel like you’re just not getting anywhere. What’s worse is when people keep telling you to “just relax, it’ll happen”. Of course we know that relaxing is easier said than done. However, these people may be on to something.
According to The Baby Corner, stress can impact conception by inhibiting the body’s primary sex hormone, gonadotropin. “Stress also boosts a hormone inhibitor called gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone or GnIH” and a study from Oxford University in 2010 found that women with the highest levels of alpha-amylase, which indicates a person’s adrenaline levels, had significantly lower chances of becoming pregnant. So, as difficult as it may sound, if you’re TTC, you should try some of these stress-reducing techniques.
Adopting a healthy lifestyle can mean a variety of things. Here’s where to start:
Some women find massages extremely relaxing. In “research published in the International Journal of Neuroscience in 2004, doctors found that massage therapy worked to decrease the body's physical signals of stress, including heart rate and brain waves” (WebMD). While this may not work for all women, a relaxing day at the spa that touts health and TTC benefits might be worth a try. At the very least, try asking your man for a bedtime massage; just tell him it’s for the TTC cause!
Some people swear by the therapeutic benefits of essential oils, but that’s up to you to decide. The wonderful thing about essential oils is that there are many different ways to enjoy them. Once you find a scent that you like, you can put a few drops on your wrist, your pillow, the bathtub, or get an electric aromatherapy diffuser and fill your home with relaxing aromas (What to Expect). Two great relaxing scents to try are lavender and chamomile.
We understand that it may be hard to relax, but it can’t hurt to try! When you’re trying to conceive, remember these helpful stress-reducing tips. And for extra help on your TTC journey, try Pre-Seed™ Fertility Friendly Lubricant. Pre-Seed is sperm friendly and recommended by fertility experts.
Stress is worth managing for its own sake. But "relax and it will happen" becomes harmful the moment it replaces medical advice — and in India it very often does, for years at a time.
If you have been trying for twelve months, or six months if you are over 35, see a fertility specialist. Assisted reproduction in India is regulated under the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, 2021, and a registered clinic will start by investigating both partners, not just the woman.
Pre-Seed™ is registered with the CDSCO for sale in India and is available on Amazon, Flipkart and Tata 1mg. See how to use it correctly — most of the questions we get are about timing and quantity.
This article is for general information and is not a substitute for advice from your gynaecologist. If you have been trying to conceive for twelve months — or six months if you are over 35 — speak to a doctor rather than waiting.
Nine practical ways to reduce the anxiety of trying to conceive, from the author of The Impatient Woman's Guide to Getting Pregnant.
Cervical mucus is the clearest at-home sign of your fertile window — and the one almost nobody is taught to read. How to check it, and what to do when it is scarce.
A practising gynaecologist explains what ordinary lubricants do to sperm, and what to look for in one that does not.
