The Overlooked Key to Conception: Emotional Wellbeing

If you're deep in TTC, chances are you've done the deep dive. You've googled every tip, tried all the supplements, stocked up on ovulation tests, swapped your coffee for herbal teas, tracked your cycle like clockwork, and maybe even overhauled your diet and lifestyle. And while all of those things can be important, there’s one area many women overlook until it’s quietly screaming at them—your emotional wellbeing.

When we focus solely on doing more, trying harder, fixing everything externally… we forget the inner landscape. And yet, it’s often that inner world—the thoughts we carry, the tension we hold, the stories we tell ourselves—that shapes how safe and open our body feels to receive new life.

The Emotional Toll of Infertility

Struggling to fall pregnant isn’t just physically exhausting—it can be mentally and emotionally heartbreaking. In fact, research has shown that women navigating infertility often experience levels of anxiety and depression comparable to those facing cancer or heart disease. It’s a silent grief. One that’s hard to name, and harder still to explain to others.

And yet, this emotional load is often carried alone. Quietly. Bravely. But it doesn’t have to be.

The Mind-Body Connection

Our emotional health and our fertility are not separate. They're deeply interconnected.

When the nervous system is in a chronic state of stress (even if it’s subtle or internalised), our body shifts into “survival mode.” This means blood flow is prioritised to essential organs for protection—not reproduction. Fertility takes a back seat when the body doesn’t feel safe.

Over time, ongoing stress can throw hormones off balance, reduce libido, disrupt sleep, affect nutrition and digestion, and leave you feeling disconnected from yourself and others. This isn’t just a theory—it’s biology.

But here’s the hopeful part: studies have repeatedly shown that when women engage in mind-body practices to reduce stress, improve emotional regulation, and create safety within, conception rates improve—both naturally and via IVF.

6 Ways to Support Your Emotional Wellbeing During TTC

As a Fertility Therapist, this is where I see the biggest transformation. When we tend to the nervous system, shift limiting beliefs, and make space for emotional healing, something opens. Hope returns. The body softens. And fertility often follows.

Here are some of my go-to strategies:

1. Mindfulness & Nervous System Regulation

Simple practices like conscious breathing, meditation, and body scans can help move you from ‘fight or flight’ into a state of calm presence. This not only supports your overall wellbeing but directly benefits reproductive health.

2. Hypnotherapy for Fertility

Hypnotherapy is one of the most powerful tools I use with clients. It creates a state of deep relaxation and heightened receptivity, helping rewire stress responses, reshape subconscious beliefs, and potentially improve uterine receptivity during assisted fertility treatments. One study even showed it doubled IVF embryo transfer success rates.

3. Focus on Joy

Joy is medicine. Whether it’s a creative hobby, a slow walk in nature, connecting with friends, or dancing in the kitchen—your joy matters. You are more than your fertility journey. Reconnect with the things that remind you who you are.

4. Build Your Village

You don’t have to do this alone. Seek out those who truly “get it”—whether that’s a therapist, support group, or a friend who knows how to hold space without trying to fix it. Community is part of healing.

5. Create Boundaries

It’s okay to protect your emotional space. You don’t need to justify why you’re skipping a baby shower or avoiding certain conversations. Your peace matters more than other people’s opinions.

6. Practice Self-Compassion

This journey can stir up a lot—doubt, shame, frustration, grief. Be kind to yourself. Speak to yourself as you would to a dear friend. And have a list of nurturing rituals to turn to when you need support: a warm bath, journaling, a walk outdoors, a massage, a favourite meal, or even just rest.

Final Thoughts

If you’ve been doing all the right things physically but feel emotionally drained, this is your gentle reminder to shift the focus inward. Your emotional wellbeing isn’t just important—it’s essential.

Because a calm, supported, and emotionally nourished woman isn’t just more likely to conceive… she’s also more likely to enjoy life in the meantime.

If this resonates with you, know that you’re not alone and there is support out there.

With love and baby dust, Kate - Mind Body Fertility