Getting pregnant with PCOS – is it possible?
If you are depressed because you’ve been told that getting pregnant with PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) is impossible, and that you won’t be able to have your own child ever, please don’t. Things are not as bleak as they seem. Getting pregnant with PCOS is possible. Learn how you can well manage PCOS to increase your chances of getting pregnant and bringing it to full term.
PCOS is one of the main causes of infertility in women. While it is more difficult for women with PCOS to become pregnant and there is a significant risk for miscarriage, many women with this condition successfully gave birth to healthy children, proving that getting pregnant with PCOS is achievable.
Discover how you can overcome infertility and get pregnant naturally when you have ovarian cysts and tubul obstruction…
What is PCOS?
Women with PCOS have multiple small cysts (fluid-filled sacs) on their ovaries that prevent the ovaries from functioning normally, interfering with ovulation and hormone production. This leads to hormonal imbalance and thus affects fertility.
PCOS has been related to elevated male hormone levels (e.g. testosterone), insulin levels and glucose levels. These abnormalities can meddle with implantation and development of the embryo. Abnormal insulin levels may also lead to poor egg quality.
The exact cause of PCOS remains uncertain. It may be inherited, may be linked to diabetes and the use of certain seizure medications.
Besides the presence of cysts, other common PCOS symptoms include amenorrhea (no period) or infrequent periods (infrequent or no ovulation), irregular bleeding, overweight, abnormal production of male hormone testosterone (symptoms like excess facial and body hair growth), and infertility.
PCOS cannot be cured, but can be managed effectively, and thereby improving fertility.
Medical treatments
Since there is a hormonal imbalance issue, doctors usually prescribe oral contraceptive pills to women with PCOS to help restore hormonal balance and regulate menstruation. However, this may not be what you want since your intention is to get pregnant and not to avoid pregnancy.
To stimulate ovulation, doctors may prescribe ovulation medications, such as Clomid. Fertility drugs like this stimulate your body to produce multiple eggs, while by nature your body only releases one egg every cycle.
Sometimes, doctors may use the drug metformin, which is used to treat diabetes, to restore normal ovulation and fertility in women with PCOS.
Lifestyle changes
There are a number of things you can do to improve your odds of getting pregnant with PCOS. Adopting a healthy diet and exercising regularly helps a great deal in improving fertility. If you are overweight, losing even just 5% of body weight can make a huge difference in fertility. Cut down fat and carbohydrates consumption helps regulate insulin levels and promote fertility in PCOS.
Natural remedies
Natural herbal remedies are available to help getting pregnant with PCOS, by stimulating ovulation and balancing your hormones. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), which includes the use of herbs and acupuncture, are also quite useful. TCM has been reported to resolve a high percentage of PCOS-related infertility within a few months of treatment. However, don’t mix herbal treatment with the medicines your doctor prescribed to avoid undesirable effects.
PCOS is not a death sentence; it doesn’t mean that you’ll never have children. Getting pregnant with PCOS is possible, it just means that you have more work to do, and may need more care and intervention than your sister or girlfriend may.