5 Signs You're Stuck in Fight or Flight While Trying to Conceive

Trying to conceive can be one of the most emotionally intense and physically demanding journeys a person goes through. You might be doing everything "right"—tracking, testing, timing—but underneath all of the effort, your body might be stuck in a cycle you don’t even realise is holding you back.

It’s called fight-or-flight. And when you’re trying to conceive, being stuck in this survival mode can work directly against your body’s ability to do what it’s biologically designed to do: create life.

What is fight-or-flight — and why does it matter during fertility?

Fight-or-flight is your body’s natural response to perceived danger. It's meant to protect you. But when stress becomes chronic — like the ongoing emotional toll of struggling to conceive — your nervous system can get stuck there.

In this state, cortisol levels stay high. The brain prioritises survival over reproduction, disrupting hormones like oestrogen, progesterone, and luteinising hormone. It becomes harder for your body to relax, rest, or feel safe — all of which are essential for conception.

You’re not imagining it. This isn’t just in your head. Your nervous system is doing what it believes is necessary to protect you — but it could be blocking your path to pregnancy.

Here are 5 signs you’re stuck in fight-or-flight while trying to conceive:

1. You’re constantly on edge or exhausted (or both)

You feel emotionally fragile, yet you're pushing yourself to stay strong. There’s a weariness that doesn’t go away, even after sleep. It’s not just tiredness — it’s nervous system burnout.

2. You can’t stop Googling or researching at all hours

Even when you’re exhausted, you keep scrolling. Deep down, it’s about control — because if you can just find the missing piece, maybe things will change. But it’s also feeding the anxiety.

3. Pregnancy announcements trigger deep pain or numbness

Someone else’s joy sends you spiralling — into grief, anger, guilt, or even emotional shutdown. You feel like you should be happy for them, but it hurts too much.

4. You feel emotionally flat or disconnected from your body

Instead of feeling hope, you feel numb. You go through the motions but feel distant from yourself. You may even struggle to imagine being pregnant because it feels so far away.

5. You feel ashamed for how much this is affecting you

You might think, “Other people have it worse,” or “I should be coping better.” But you’re not weak. You’re overwhelmed. And your body is trying to survive something deeply painful.

Why this matters for your fertility

When you're stuck in fight-or-flight, your body is flooded with stress hormones. Over time, this suppresses reproductive hormones, disrupts your menstrual cycle, and affects ovulation. It also increases inflammation, which can further interfere with implantation and hormone balance.

In short, the longer your nervous system stays in survival mode, the harder it is for your body to support conception.

But here’s the good news: you can shift this.

How hypnosis helps regulate your nervous system and support fertility

Hypnosis is a powerful tool to help calm the overactive nervous system, regulate stress, and create the internal safety your body needs to move out of fight-or-flight and into a state of rest, repair, and readiness.

As a clinical hypnotherapist, I work with women who are tired of being told to "just relax."

Through guided hypnosis sessions, we:

• Lower cortisol and increase parasympathetic nervous system activity (your body's "rest and digest" mode)

• Rebuild emotional resilience and inner calm

• Rewire limiting beliefs around failure, control, and self-worth

• Heal grief and loss stored in the body (often without needing to relive trauma)

• Reconnect mind and body — fostering a sense of safety, trust, and openness to conception

This is more than just mindset work. It’s nervous system regulation at the level of your subconscious — where 95% of your thoughts, habits, and emotional responses live.

You’re not broken. You’re not alone.

No one prepared you for how this journey would feel. And you shouldn’t have to go through it feeling disconnected, ashamed, or emotionally raw.

If you’re ready to feel calm again — to feel like yourself again — I’ve created a free resource to help you take the first step.

🕊️ The Fertility Calm Toolkit

This free download is a gentle yet powerful way to begin shifting out of survival mode. Inside, you’ll find tools designed to:

• Ease anxiety and regulate your nervous system

• Create a sense of safety in your body

• Rebuild emotional strength during one of the hardest chapters of your life

Download Here

✨ You deserve support that addresses how you feel — not just what you’re told to do.

And if you’re ready to go deeper, I invite you to book a free call with me. We’ll talk about what you’ve been carrying, and how hypnosis can support your mind, your body, and your hope.

📞 [Book your free call here]

You were never meant to do this alone.