Higher levels of stress in women may reduce their chance to conceive a baby a study has found. Women who reported feeling more stressed during their ovulatory window were approximately 40 per cent less likely to conceive during that month than other less stressful months. These findings add more evidence to a very limited body of research investigating whether perceived stress can affect fertility. The results imply that women who wish to conceive may increase their chances by taking active steps towards stress reduction such as exercising enrolling in a stress management programme or talking to a health professional said