According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “PCOS is one of the most common causes of female infertility, affecting 6% to 12% of women who are in their reproductive age.” And its effects continue beyond the child-bearing years.
Even in India, nearly 3.5 to 22.5% of reproductive-aged women have PCOS. PCOS is an endocrine disorder where the ovaries develop multiple cysts, causing a spectrum of symptoms from acne breakouts and hirsutism to irregular menstruations, rapid weight gain, and anovulation. PCOS is also characterised by elevated androgens or male hormones that can give rise to such symptoms presenting themselves.
Although PCOS has no definite cure, it can be managed well through lifestyle modifications, dietary changes, and exercise. This article gives you some expert tips on how one can manage the symptoms and get pregnant with a prevailing PCOS condition.
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In this Article
How can PCOS impact pregnancy chances?
Almost 70 to 80% of women with PCOS suffer from fertility problems. PCOS disrupts the regular menstrual cycles, making it difficult for a woman to conceive. Pregnant women with PCOS can also develop pregnancy complications like gestational diabetes, preterm delivery, high blood pressure, and miscarriages.
However, dietary changes, exercises, and lifestyle amendments can help alleviate PCOS symptoms and improve fertility. Owing to the advanced reproduction techniques (ART), fertility treatments like IVF and IVM can also help women with PCOS improve ovulation and regularise menstruations.
Here are some tips on how to get pregnant with PCOS quickly.
Regularise ovulation through Weight Reduction
The first thing a woman with PCOS must consider is to maintain a healthy weight. Women with PCOS often struggle with overweight or obesity issues. This can be because PCOS negatively affects insulin metabolism. Impaired insulin metabolism can trigger weight-gaining processes.
Studies have shown that shedding extra kilos can effectively help regularise the ovulation process. Losing even 5 to 10% of weight can significantly normalise menstrual cycles and menstruations.
Maintain a Healthy Diet and Exercise Regime
Diet and exercise play a key role in weight reduction. Dietary changes include,
- Inclusion of low-carb foods,
- Fresh green leafy vegetables and fruits,
- High-fibre intake,
- Foods with essential micro and macronutrients.
Having a healthy diet can reduce the risk of gaining weight and also aid insulin regulation.
If you are planning for weight loss with PCOS, you need to remember that exercising is equally important and goes hand in hand with dieting. PCOS exercising requires no long haul of intense exercise.
Moderate exercising for 30 minutes a day, or three times a week, with a minimum of three hours per week, can show enhanced metabolic and reproductive functions associated with PCOS.
Limit Junk food intake
Avoid junk, oily, and processed foods to keep away PCOS-associated complications. These foods can hamper insulin metabolism and affect your weight loss goals. A piece of general advice is to have a larger breakfast portion and lighter dinner with the incorporation of high-protein and greens in the diet. Low sugar and low carbohydrates are ideal with the inclusion of complex carbs.
A study also showed how a combination of brisk walking and a healthy diet could improve menstrual regularity by 50% in women with PCOS.
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PCOS Medications
Like diet and exercise, medications are an important part of PCOS treatment. Women with PCOS require medications to treat the condition and help them get pregnant. Medications such as metformin aid promote weight loss and resume menstrual regularity. It is generally advised in women with PCOS having insulin resistance to improve the effectiveness of other fertility medications and reduce miscarriage possibilities.
Letrozole is another medication prescribed to regularise ovulation. Clomid is a fertility-enhancing medication often given to women with PCOS undergoing fertility treatment. If oral medications do not help much, ovulation Induction (OI) may be recommended along with Intrauterine Insemination (IUI).
In OI, injectable fertility medications such as gonadotropins- Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), Luteinizing hormone (LH), or a combination of both may be prescribed to induce ovulation, followed by an IUI procedure. During IUI, the processed sperms are placed in the uterus at the right time of ovulation. Here, ovulation and follicle development are regularly monitored through ultrasound scans.
Also Read : https://pregajunction.com/blog/pcos-test/
Fertility Enhancing Treatments
If you want to get pregnant with PCOS, and when OI with IUI does not work, In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) or In Vitro Maturation (IVM) can be the next fertility treatment option. PCOS impacts ovarian functions. The cysts developed in women with PCOS can affect ovulation. Sometimes, ovarian drilling or ovarian wedge resection can help. However, surgical drilling of cysts can lead to low ovarian reserves. Though not required, in severe PCOS conditions, associated fertility issues, or advanced age, egg donors can also be considered.
Conclusion
One of the prime causes of infertility among women accounts for PCOS. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome or PCOS affects almost 5 million women in India. It is common for women with PCOS to deal with conception issues due to irregular ovulation. PCOS also causes obesity and can impair insulin metabolism.
Diet modifications and regular exercises can help normalise menstruation and the ovulation process. These lifestyle changes can also aid in weight reduction and improve fertility. In addition to these amendments, tracking
menstruation, taking medications regularly, and visiting a fertility specialist is cardinal.
The fertility specialist will guide you through your PCOS treatment and help you with various fertility-enhancing options depending on your underlying health condition.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can one get pregnant with PCOS quickly?
To get pregnant with PCOS quickly, you will need to follow some tips, which include
- Have a healthy, nutritious diet,
- Exercise regularly,
- Maintain a healthy weight,
- Learn to destress,
- Take medications regularly,
- Track your menstrual cycle and ovulation.
What is the best age to get pregnant with PCOS?
Typically, women with PCOS often struggle to get pregnant naturally. In such scenarios, the best thing to do is to try often. The best age for conceiving naturally for women with PCOS is before the age of 35, provided you have regular menstruations, frequent ovulation, and no other associated fertility concerns.
Can I get pregnant with PCOS?
Infertility in women with PCOS is a treatable and manageable condition. With a few lifestyle management efforts women with PCOS can get pregnant. And for this, you will need to regularise your menstrual cycles and maintain a healthy diet and exercise schedule.
