Out of the 13 myths proposed by Dr Geisler, this is the one which I discuss with patients most frequently and it is clearly the most controversial.
A consensus on the influence of stress on fertility is yet to be established. Generally speaking, there are two schools of thought. Some fertility specialists say the connection has no scientific proof. They reason there is no physiological mechanism through which the link can be explained. Conversely, other specialists acknowledge there may well be no proof, but are of the opinion (through their clinical experience) that stress may have a negative influence. In turn, these specialists offer the advice to keep stress to a minimum as a precautionary measure.
Unfortunately, the relationship between stress and health is not easy to measure or explain. Psychogenic symptoms (those caused by stress) can manifest in many different ways. Moreover, the timing of the appearance of the symptoms is impossible to determine.
*This is the twelfth of a list of 13 myths concerning conception which was compiled by Dr Minna Geisler from The Waterstone Clinic in Ireland.