Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome or PCOS is the absence of ovulation in the woman’s body. Under normal circumstances a human female ovulates each month on or around the 14th day after the start of menstrual cycle.
Women who have PCOS fail to ovulate completely or the ovulation is delayed because of medical conditions. It is difficult for a woman to become pregnant if ovulation does not take place within her body.
Polycystic ovarian syndrome is more common than thought; two in every ten women have PCOS. Ironically, some women aren’t even aware that they have the condition because they ignore the warning signs and don’t get themselves diagnosed.
Symptoms Of PCOS
Women who suffer from PCOS have irregular or no periods at all. The periods are scant and light in occurrence. Some women tend to menstruate once in four or six months during PCOS. PCOS is difficult to diagnose in some cases because there are no visible symptoms like excessive hair growth on the arms and the face. This excess hair growth is an indication of presence of abnormal level of the male hormone testosterone in the female body.
Reasons For PCOS
Some women have excessive number of follicles present inside their reproductive organs which are responsible for the lack of ovulation. Because of lack of space inside, the follicles occur together in closed groups making it impossible for them to burst open and release the eggs necessary for ovulation to take place. In the absence of ovulation the follicles convert into tiny cyst formations.
Ways To Get Pregnant With PCOS
It is a myth that women with PCOS cannot become pregnant. Becoming pregnant with PCOS is difficult but not impossible. There are plenty of women with PCOS who have given birth to healthy babies. If you suffer from PCOS and wish to become pregnant, here are a few things that you should take care of while trying to conceive.
1. Women who suffer from PCOS are often overweight and even obese in some cases. A recent study revealed that if overweight women lose even five percent of the body’s total fat they will find it easier to conceive. Losing some weight before becoming pregnant can also help reduce occurrence of gestational diabetes.
2. Make changes in your lifestyle especially if you are leading an unhealthy one. Poor eating habits, stress at office and at home often take toll on the woman’s body. This results in various medical disorders like depression, anxiety and even diabetes. It is important to get rid of these disorders by choosing to live a healthy life. Eat nutritious food, exercise regularly and stay off foods that are likely to trigger the above mentioned conditions. Get treated for the disorders if you are unable to control them on your own.
3. Stop smoking and drinking to boost your chances of conceiving. Alcohol and cigarette are harmful to your health and are also responsible for decreased fertility even in women who don’t suffer from PCOS. Caffeine stimulated drinks like coffee are also best avoided when getting treated for PCOS. Coffee and sugar have hormone prolactin that causes miscarriages in human females. Hence it is best avoided in any form.
4. Include lots of fresh fruits and vegetables in your daily diet. This will boost your chances of conceiving as your body will be healthier and better prepared to look after a foetus. Do not eat canned fruits and vegetables because they have harmful chemicals added to them for preservation.
5. Prepare your body for conception by getting yourself checked for and treated for any nutritional deficiencies. Take supplements for important minerals like iron and calcium. Also take vitamin supplements as they are helpful in balancing the hormones. Remember, a healthy body finds it easier to conceive because it is better prepared for the travails of pregnancy.
6. Women who have PCOS also have hormonal imbalance. When the doctors will treat you for conceiving during PCOS they will first give you medication for correcting the hormonal imbalance in the body. Many times hormonal imbalance is responsible for decreased chances of fertility. The male hormone testosterone is found in abundance in women who have PCOS; the male hormone makes it impossible to conceive. Doctors will probably place you on medications and advice hormone replacement therapy to correct the balance of hormones.
7. If you decide to take medical help for treating infertility caused by PCOS then you must be regular with the medications and the treatments the doctor advices. This is very important if you wish to conceive successfully. Any missed medications and therapies can land you on the start point again. Metformin is the first medication your doctor will put you on. This medicine is continued for a period of six months before any other treatment can be started.
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8. Another medication that is given for dealing with PCOS is Clomid. The medicine should be taken as per the doctor’s advice and regularly as it helps to regularize the pattern of ovulation. This means that Clomid makes it possible for you to have periods every month. In some cases injections of HCG are also given to start the process of ovulation.
9. You will have to make note of your body temperature regularly if you are planning on conceiving. Basal body temperature is very crucial to conceiving. Your doctor will also let you know about the days when you should try to conceive. Four days near to the date of ovulation is generally considered the best time.
10. Once your periods become regular your doctor might advice you intrauterine insemination. This treatment increases the chances of fertilization.
11. If all else fails you still have the option of in-vitro fertilization or IVF. This is a very popular method of conception in couples who have tried various other treatments without success.
12. Check with your doctor about the other options that you may have. Your doctor understands the functioning of your body and is in a better position to make suggestions.
13. Women who are trying to conceive must learn to relax their minds and bodies. Often stress plays a major role in failure to conceive. Besides, stressing is not going to help you in any way. Once you are relaxed and in a happy state of mind your body responds well and positively to all the treatments. Studies showed that women who had a positive approach to the fertility treatments conceived quicker than women who did not.
