The Toxic Effects of Stress and What To Do About It

Stress Has a Huge Impact on a Woman’s Menstrual Cycle, Fertility, Birth and Postpartum Recovery…

This is How You Can Deal with it.

Art: @SpiritySol

One of my favorite books on women’s health compares a similar belief that shows up in Ayurveda, Chinese Medicine and even the western medicine model- that our sex hormones cannot be activated at the same time as our stress hormones.  This means, quite literally, our reproductive hormones cannot function when we are stressed, leading to a trickle down effect on PMS symptoms, libido, fertility, and our ability to recover from birth. Stress plays a huge role in the healthy functioning of our bodies, especially in women because we have lower levels of testosterone which is a hormone that is more resilent to stress. However, we also have different, and possibly better ways to cope with that stress, if we just tap into our unique bio chemistry. So keep reading to learn all about what stress is doing to your body and how to better manage it.

How Stress Impacts our Bodies…

• Pregnenolone Steal

 This hormone keeps our energy levels and moods regulated.  It’s also necessary for healthy sleep, immunity and is a pre-cursor for cortisol as well as female reproductive hormones, especially progesterone.  Progesterone is responsible for building the uterine lining post ovulation- and if a woman conceives progesterone is crucial to maintain a healthy pregnancy and build the placenta. 

 But here is how stress can sabotage the function of those hormones. When our bodies perceive a stressor, whether that is an unpaid bill, a big work deadline, sick family member, or even someone cutting us off in traffic we release cortisol to deal with it.

 Over time, if stress is more chronic, our bodies use up all the pregnenolene to produce cortisol which diverts away from the production of other hormones, like progesterone and estrogen.  This leads to premature aging of the ovaries, loss of libido, and potentially the inability to carry a pregnancy to term. From a biochemical and scientific perspective, stress may be the thing giving you PMS or even keeping you from getting pregnant.

• Decreases Blood Flow and Microcirculation

 When we experience a stressor our sympathetic nervous system becomes activated.  During this time blood flow and oxygenation is diverted away from body processes like digestion and shifted towards the extremeties in order to prepare you to “fight or flee.”  This is a highly intelligent response as it literally primes us to either run away from or fight a predator. However, nine times out of ten neither of these options make sense in our modern lives.

 Over a prolonged period, this can affect fertility, detox pathways and even nutrition status.  We need healthy oxygen rich blood flow to the liver and kidneys for elimination. We need our digestion to function optimally in order to receive nutrients from our food and eliminate through our large intestine.  We also need blood flow to the ovaries and uterus to make high quality eggs and endometrial lining. 

During pregnancy a lack of blood flow decreases nutrients and oxygen to the baby, which can lead to lower birth weights and premature delivery.  During postpartum this could mean decreased blood flow to the pelvis and therefore longer healing time.  

• Increases Blood Sugar

When the body is stressed out it releases more glucose into the bloodstream.  Over time this can lead to decreased insulin sensitivity which is a risk factor for diabetes, weight gain and PCOS.  All of these can interrupt optimal fertility and hormonal health.  

Increased blood sugar and insulin resistance can also be a contributor to gestational diabetes during pregnancy.  It’s not uncommon to reach for sugar or carbs for a quick fix when we feel stressed, but that’s the worst thing we can do!  It’s especially important if your hormones are imbalanced or you are pregnant to avoid sugar and stick with high quality fats, proteins and complex carbohydrates to keep your blood sugar stable. 

• Mental Health

We have found that cortisol and other stress hormones increase reactivity centers in the brain, which silences reflective centers. It also inhibits our pleasure centers. The science is clear that prolonged stress is linked to anxiety, panic disorders, and depression.  This is one of the reasons why some women who may not have a history of mental illness suffer from anxiety and depression during the postpartum period.  The body has experienced a highly stressful event, sleep seems like a thing of the past and there are major transitions to the family structure to integrate.  These are all stressful things that play a huge role in mental health. 

Honestly, this list could go on and on. But these are reason enough to get serious about how to manage the stressors in your life.  I work specifically with women to manage stress during their childbearing years and I’ve found a few things that work again and again.  We cannot remove all stress from our lives, and we wouldn’t want to because some stress is a good thing. But we can get it down to levels we can cope with.

Here are some of my top tips for stress management…

• Diet

It always goes back to diet right?  Blood sugar balance and eliminating caffeine are the two major ways to deal with stress through nutrition. When we nourish our bodies with good healthy fats and proteins at regular intervals throughout the day we avoid having blood sugar spikes and crashes.  This does wonders for hormone regulation and is the first thing I talk to women about during pre-conception, pregnancy and postpartum.  

Intermittent fasting is a hot topic right now, but it’s not necessarily the best choice for women unless done very intentionally. If you wake up feeling hungry, it’s better to eat a small breakfast or smoothie with high quality fats and proteins than to force yourself to wait. 

Ditching caffeine is pretty important when it comes to managing stress, as it raises cortisol and other catecholamines. So even if you are having a relaxing Sunday at home, just drinking one cup of coffee can make your body feel like it is stressed out. I love coffee, so I understand the resistance to giving it up.  I’ve replaced mine with decaf, which still has some caffeine but in much smaller doses.  Matcha is another great option because it also has tons of antioxidants and l-theanine-which is known to help decrease anxiety. 

• Therapy, Coaching, or Confiding in a Doula or Trusted Friend

Women have a unique way of handling stress called “tend and befriend.”  When we connect with another person and feel fully seen, heard and affirmed our bodies release oxytocin, which is a natural antidote to stress. Some research suggests that oxytocin is an anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and can even modulate the perception of pain.  This gives new meaning to the idea that women need to feel loved and supported during labor!

I recommend that any woman who is attempting to conceive, already pregnant or in the postpartum period find a therapist, doula or coach that is uniquely attuned to supporting the struggles of this time.  

This is a huge period of transformation that can come with joy as well as challenges, whether that be to work, friendships or partnership.  Talking these things through with someone will ease stress.  This person can also help encourage the necessary psychological skills to cope with stress, like learning how to say “no” and practice good boundaries, prioritize your needs, and establish routines that help with better time management. Talking through people’s fears and helping them to release stress is a huge part of my job as a doula.  

• Breathwork 

This one is a favorite for me because it has been so beneficial to my own anxiety, which is something I’ve struggled with on and off for about six years. Specific breathing exercises can literally take your body from fight or flight to rest and digest mode within minutes.  This lowers your cortisol levels, increases blood flow and microcirculation, and creates more spaciousness in your mind.  Sometimes all we need is to get away from the spiral of anxious thoughts for a moment to be able to see things in a new way.  

Breathwork is incredibly beneficial during pregnancy as a way to connect with your baby and work through any fears around birth and parenthood.  It’s also one of the best pain management techniques for birth.  

During postpartum breathwork techniques can be called on to help you relax and get back to sleep after late night feedings as well as keeping your nervous system regulated when your baby is crying.  It is truly the best practice for dealing with stress.

• Gentle Exercise

I emphasize the word gentle here, because too much exercise actually creates more stress in the body.  Dancing, doing yoga, or taking a long walk while enjoying music or a podcast is a great way to rid your body of excess glucose caused by a stress response.  

It also increases endorphins and feel good chemicals in your brain, which directly combat cortisol.  If spinning thoughts are causing your stress to increase then exercise can get you out of your head and into your body.  It also has the benefit of forcing you to do a little breathwork, increasing blood flow and oxygenation to all your cells, giving your body a much needed reset. 

In a culture that wears busy-ness like a badge of honor, what is that doing to our health? And how can we redefine what is expected of us out in the world?  How can we shift away from the belief that productivity is king?  Pregnancy and postpartum are perfect seasons of life to shift your relationship to stress and productivity. Allow yourself to be nurtured, say “no” to anything that is draining, and slow way, way down.  This will encourage all that good oxytocin to flow, relieving your anxiety and improving your bond with your baby and family. If you want to know how I can help you with this process, please get in touch for a one on one session!