Women with PCOS often have concerns about their fertility and reproductive health, such as whether they can get pregnant at all. PCOS (PCOS) is a complex hormonal condition that affects up to one in five women of childbearing age.
Many (but not all) women with PCOS experience ovulatory dysfunction and infertility, which is when the ovaries don’t always release an egg during a menstrual cycle.
As a result, they may have more difficulty getting pregnant than other women. Fertility treatment or a longer pregnancy may be necessary for most women with PCOS, but receiving the right advice and support can help improve fertility and increase the chances of conception.
Understanding PCOS
PCOS, or PCOS, is when your body experiences hormonal imbalances and metabolic problems, resulting in multiple cysts on the ovaries.
An imbalance of reproductive hormones leads to problems with the ovaries, irregular menstruation, weight gain, acne, and facial hair.
PCOS can affect women of all races and ethnicities. However, the risk of PCOS increases if your mother, sister, or aunt had PCOS. PCOS can develop at any age after puberty, but most women find out they have the condition in their 20s and 30s or when they have problems conceiving.
Some of the symptoms of PCOS, such as acne, increased body and facial hair, and hair loss, are due to increased androgen levels. Androgens are present in all females, but those with PCOS have slightly higher amounts.
Recently, studies have found that PCOS often causes impaired glucose tolerance, prediabetes, and type 2 diabetes. In such a case, download HealthifyMe, which helps you understand your body’s glucose patterns through continuous glucose monitoring.
cgm Provides real-time, personalized feedback on whether your dietary and lifestyle choices are positively or negatively affecting the processes that lead to PCOS symptoms. It works through a small sensor that is inserted under your skin. CGM sends information wirelessly to the app on your phone or laptop so you can monitor your blood sugar throughout the day.
PCOS is as challenging as it gets, so taking care of your body to prevent or manage further health issues like diabetes is essential. However, even if you don’t have prediabetes or diabetes, sticking to HealthifyPro plans can be a powerful way to discover foods and exercises that lower your chances of developing a more serious health condition.
Instant, personalized guidance from a functional dietitian or health coach helps you understand exactly what works for your body to improve hormone balance, weight, fertility, and overall health.
For example, green tea is good for PCOS, but your body may not show any positive response to it. Or it has to do with whether you’re drinking green tea the wrong way and at the wrong time.
Here, HealthifyMe can help you understand whether drinking green tea before or after a workout makes it better tolerated by your body. After all, the body’s response to food is very individual.
Will PCOS affect fertility?
Let’s say you haven’t conceived after 6-12 months of trying (6 months if you’re over 35) and you have irregular and unpredictable periods. This means that PCOS affects your fertility.
Here’s how PCOS and its complications affect your fertility:
hormonal imbalance
Women with PCOS often experience an imbalance of crucial fertility hormones, such as LH (luteinizing hormone) and FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone).
For example, a lack of FSH production can lead to irregular menstrual cycles and difficulty conceiving due to scarce or absent ovulation. This is because FSH is responsible for maintaining regular menstrual cycles and producing healthy eggs, while it may also reduce estrogen levels. All of these hormonal imbalances can cause impaired fertility.
PCOS is one of the biggest causes of hormonal imbalance in women. It causes an imbalance of key fertility hormones, such as LH or luteinizing hormone, FSH or follicle-stimulating hormone, and estrogen.
FSH is responsible for maintaining a regular menstrual cycle and producing healthy eggs. However, PCOS leads to low levels of FSH. At the same time, you may experience a decrease in estrogen production. These hormonal imbalances cause irregular menstrual cycles, and not ovulating or ovulating occasionally. As a result, it causes problems with conception and poor fertility.
Anti-Mullerian hormone supports the early stages of development of the follicle, which is the reservoir for the egg prior to fertilization. Therefore, the balance of the AMH hormone is necessary to maintain the ovarian reserve. Unfortunately, a study shows that women with PCOS have higher levels of AML, which can make it difficult to conceive unless treated.
Ovulation infertility
Anovulatory infertility in PCOS occurs when the entire follicle development process is abnormal. It causes irregular menstruation.
There may be some bleeding with anovulatory cycles, which you may mistake for regular menstruation. Depending on the severity of anovulation, anovulation can progress to infertility. A study showed that being overweight and having PCOS increases the risk of ovulatory infertility.
Many women do not discover that they are infertile due to not ovulating if they use hormonal contraceptives because they allow monthly bleeding and mask menstrual cycles or irregularities.
Insulin resistance
A study showed that PCOS puts women at high risk for insulin resistance and defects in insulin secretion. It occurs in 70-95% of obese women with PCOS and can impair or prevent ovulation.
Read more: The Insulin Resistance Diet: Healthy Eating Habits
It can lead to infertility if ovulation is irregular or not at all. Insulin resistance due to PCOS can also cause secondary infertility. It is when you were pregnant at least once before but now you are unable to conceive.
overweight
Weight gain, a common side effect of PCOS, may be the biggest problem behind infertility. It is also more difficult to lose weight compared to women who do not have PCOS.
Research reveals that overweight and obesity have a detrimental effect on reproductive health, leading to infertility. Besides the subfertility common in PCOS, obese women experience disruptions in the system that controls female reproduction. This imbalance makes obese women with PCOS frequently suffer from irregular menstruation.
HealthifyMe note
PCOS causes hypoovulation, or hypoovulation, hyperandrogenism, and polycystic ovaries, along with obesity and insulin resistance. These endocrine diseases are known risk factors to induce infertility, pregnancy loss, and late pregnancy complications, suggesting that PCOS negatively affects fertility. However, a woman with PCOS can get pregnant with fertility treatment and lifestyle modifications, including eating a healthy diet and exercising.
Fertility Enhancement With PCOS: Just Like The Pros
Most women with PCOS will be able to conceive through fertility treatment, but cases vary a lot, and different treatments show different success rates. Working through PCOS can be a long, complicated, and anxious process. And HealthifyMe will invest the time in getting your diet right, creating a PCOS-specific fitness program, and de-stressing from your life.
Have you had pregnancy problems due to weight? Or do you want to lose weight with PCOS? HealthifyMe’s personalized weight loss plans may be right for you.
Although having PCOS makes getting pregnant more difficult, there are ways you can boost your fertility.
pharmaceutical
Many women with PCOS can improve their fertile period with the help of ovulation medications. These medications can promote healthy ovulation. First, talk to a fertility doctor or specialist to find the best type and correct dose of medication.
Reduce stress
When dealing with infertility, reducing stress shows a huge difference. You can benefit from therapy, yoga, meditation, exercise, or communication with loved ones. However, the long-term stress associated with PCOS may take some time to heal.
Find out your healthy weight
Losing about 10% of your body weight can improve hormonal balance and ovulation. In addition, maintaining a weight consistent with your height and age can improve your menstrual cycle, reduce insulin resistance, and increase your overall fertility.
Moreover, women with PCOS who exercise regularly have a 5% lower risk of infertility compared to those who do not exercise. However, excessive exercise and fad diets to lose weight are unhealthy. Instead, aim for moderate-intensity exercise 3-5 days per week for the safest and best results.
balanced diet
A balanced PCOS diet allows insulin to work properly, reduces androgen production, and increases fertility. Choose foods rich in nutrients, vitamins and minerals to reduce the severity of PCOS symptoms.
High-quality carbohydrates and fiber help stabilize blood sugar levels, which is beneficial for those who are insulin resistant. However, restricting or avoiding entire food groups will not produce long-term results. Therefore, work with a dietitian to determine a personalized PCOS diet to improve your health.
Surgical options
If lifestyle changes and medications don’t work, surgical procedures are available for women with PCOS to increase fertility. For example, ovarian drilling is a surgical treatment to stimulate ovulation. Although ovarian drilling is not always necessary, more than 50% of women can become pregnant within the first year after surgery.
conclusion
For women who are trying to conceive, PCOS can make it difficult due to hormonal imbalances and irregular periods. However, this does not mean that you cannot get pregnant.
You can reduce fertility problems with a balanced diet, regular physical activity, weight loss, and medication. Boosting your fertility when suffering from PCOS may take time, effort, and resetting your lifestyle habits, but it can happen.
Since insulin resistance and high blood sugar are common with PCOS, switching to HealthifyPro is an easy way to constantly monitor your blood sugar patterns.
It’s also important to routinely test your metabolic markers if you have PCOS. The HealthifyPRO 2.0 subscription includes a comprehensive metabolic dashboard that monitors over 80 key metabolic parameters. With a single prick sample taken, you can access accurate data on your metabolic health in the comfort of your own home. A person who is metabolically healthy is less likely to develop chronic diseases and other health problems, including fertility problems.
