Tips For Getting Pregnant if You Have PCOS
PCOS is notorious for making pregnancy difficult to achieve. In fact, often, a woman's first sign that she may have PCOS is infertility. But difficult doesn't mean impossible. Every day, women with PCOS get pregnant and have healthy babies. Let's take a closer look at how you can increase your chances of pregnancy if you have PCOS.
1. Start Charting
Charting is a very useful tool, not only for you but for your gynecologist or RE. Charting involves taking your basal (upon waking, with no activity) body temperature each day. You will also note physical changes in your body and when your menstrual cycle starts and ends. When you see an increase in temperature over the course of three days in a row, generally you can assume you've ovulated. Here's more info on charting.
Why Do It?
2. Get in Shape
Studies have repeatedly shown that being significantly overweight can decrease one's chances of becoming pregnant. Of course, many see this as a chicken-or-egg situation -- did being overweight encourage PCOS to develop, or did having PCOS make you overweight? We've seen evidence for both possibilities, but there's no doubt that women with PCOS tend to suffer more with overweight than the average. We know how difficult this is to deal with.
Why Do It?
3. Balance Your Entire Bodily System
Women with PCOS often have other hormonal/endocrine issues. This may be because when one hormonal system is off, it throws off the others. It could also simply be that whatever caused or encouraged the PCOS to happen or worsen could be affecting other systems. Getting in balance can be a tremendous help not only for getting pregnant, but for treating PCOS systems in general.
Why Do It?
Photo: salimfadhley
1. Start Charting
Charting is a very useful tool, not only for you but for your gynecologist or RE. Charting involves taking your basal (upon waking, with no activity) body temperature each day. You will also note physical changes in your body and when your menstrual cycle starts and ends. When you see an increase in temperature over the course of three days in a row, generally you can assume you've ovulated. Here's more info on charting.
Why Do It?
- Charting helps you determine when you ovulate relative to certain bodily signs, such as the production of various types of cervical mucus. That means you can be ready the next month once those signs appear.
- Charting will show you patterns, even if you don't think there are any. If your menstrual cycle is irregular or occasionally absent, charting will pick up patterns that can help your RE help you better.
- If you aren't ovulating, charting will help you determine that. Your doctor may be able to provide you with medications (such as Clomid) to help you ovulate. You can also investigate herbal and natural remedies to help boost your fertility.
2. Get in Shape
Studies have repeatedly shown that being significantly overweight can decrease one's chances of becoming pregnant. Of course, many see this as a chicken-or-egg situation -- did being overweight encourage PCOS to develop, or did having PCOS make you overweight? We've seen evidence for both possibilities, but there's no doubt that women with PCOS tend to suffer more with overweight than the average. We know how difficult this is to deal with.
Why Do It?
- Being overweight tends to decrease fertility in the general population, as well as those who have PCOS.
- Being overweight and having PCOS can be a vicious cycle. You're heavier because you have the condition, but your condition worsens relative to the amount of weight your body seems to put on no matter what you do. (We get it, trust us.) Ask your doctor about such medications as metformin if necessary. Also eat foods that help with digestion and metabolism (be careful -- always do your research, as "natural" does not always mean appropriate to your particular medical condition).
- You'll feel better throughout your pregnancy. This is something we can vouch for too. It's very, very difficult to have PCOS, be significantly overweight, AND be pregnant. It's also all but impossible -- and most of the time, medically inadvisable -- to lose weight during pregnancy. So if you want to shed pounds, do it beforehand, not after you get the good news.
3. Balance Your Entire Bodily System
Women with PCOS often have other hormonal/endocrine issues. This may be because when one hormonal system is off, it throws off the others. It could also simply be that whatever caused or encouraged the PCOS to happen or worsen could be affecting other systems. Getting in balance can be a tremendous help not only for getting pregnant, but for treating PCOS systems in general.
Why Do It?
- Other hormonal issues often go hand-in-hand with PCOS. Balancing your hormones in general can be a huge help. Ask your doctor for a full endocrine workup to find out what's working well and what isn't.
- Hormones that are "off" can affect other bodily processes, not just reproduction. So it's important to your general health to investigate your endocrine system in general.
- Having PCOS can be a tip-off that your body is lacking nutrients. Always investigate dietary possibilities. Herbal treatments can sometimes help, too. Take this as a heads-up that your body is giving you to start balancing your body better so you can experience better health.
Photo: salimfadhley