Everyone’s fertility journey is different, but I think we can all agree that focusing on your mental wellbeing and stress levels can only help when you are trying to conceive. Easier said than done, I know. There are so many variables that contribute to high stress, anxiety and overall poor mental health when you’re in the thick of TTC-mode or fertility treatment and you can be hard-pressed to find time for yourself, never mind that inner calm we’re all hoping to tap into.
During my own journey trying to conceive (and later, in both my pregnancies), I was grateful to have a meditation practice in my toolkit, and as a meditation teacher, I’m passionate about sharing these techniques with others.
Does meditation help fertility?
Over the years there have been several studies that have found benefits to meditation. Although not necessarily providing a direct link to fertility, we know that decreasing stress, balancing hormones and improving your overall mental health can help with fertility outcomes.
Fertility Treatment and IVF Superstitions →
How meditation can help on your TTC journey:
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Provides an increase in the sex hormone DHEA
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Provides an increase in Oxytocin (the feel-good hormone, helping to get you in the mood for intimacy)
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Helps to decrease stress
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Can balance hormones in the body
Here are some specific ways you can use meditation to manage your infertility:
Meditation can help to reduce stress
Meditation is often used as a tool to reduce day-to-day stress—and when you add the stress and pressure of trying to conceive into the mix, you may have more than others to manage. Studies tell us that even eight minutes of meditation a day can help reduce your daily stress and boost your overall wellbeing. Meditation also has documented long term stress reduction benefits as well.
How Does Stress Affect Fertility? →
Meditation can help you stay present in the moment
When you are TTC it can be so easy to constantly be thinking ahead to the future and or dwelling on what happened in the past. Meditation forces you to be present in the here and now and just observe what you are experiencing in the moment, hopefully with some self-compassion and a lack of judgement.
Meditation can help you accept disappointment
Meditation helps you to observe what you are feeling more objectively, and without a narrative. When dealing with disappointment, this can be a powerful tool towards acceptance and letting each say be what it is.
Guided meditations for fertility
If you aren’t sure where to start, opt for a guided meditation. Doing a general stress-relief guided meditation (like this Focused Breath Meditation), can be a great way to take a few minutes for yourself. There are also a lot of fertility- and conception-specific guided meditations (a favorite is the Free Womb Clearing + Soul Baby Meditation Bundle).
