Fertility Options Coach

The first question asked by many women just diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome is “Will I ever get pregnant?” One source said that women with PCOS have an 80-90 percent chance of having a baby, but I was unable to find any research studies to back this up. While some women with polycystic ovarian syndrome will not be able to get pregnant, I believe that the majority can and do eventually have healthy babies.

First, 5-10% of women of childbearing age have PCOS. If their symptoms are mild they are often undiagnosed. If they have even one child, many physicians will say they can not have PCOS. This is ridiculous if you look at the diagnostic criteria. The most common criteria for diagnosis include a failure to ovulate regularly. However, for many women this means they have long cycles (35 days or longer in many cases) but they DO ovulate.

Some women with PCOS have unhealthy eggs because their periods are too far apart, in many cases this is correctable with herbs, diet or drugs. Many women with PCOS also have a thyroid condition. Frequently, if this is treated they begin to ovulate. Many women with PCOS have frequent miscarriages, but they eventually have a healthy baby—often with the help of progesterone cream or suppositories. Some women find that losing weight, taking vitex or other herbs, or reducing stress cause them to begin ovulating (for me it was all three!). Some learn to detect ovulation through cervical mucus and basal body temperatures (BBT or temperature charting). Again, these women often have healthy babies without medical intervention.

It is hard to know how many women with PCOS become pregnant without help since many women are first diagnosed with PCOS because they are having trouble getting pregnant. Often metformin or other insulin-sensitizing drugs work wonders and they are able to get pregnant and carry a baby to term.

The fact is, only a small percentage of women with PCOS ever make it to the stage of trying fertility drugs. Clomid (clomiphene citrate) is often the first drug of choice since it is cheap and easy to take. I did find studies indicating that Clomid alone works for 70% of women with PCOS. Other women find that they need Clomid and metformin or stronger fertility drugs. The success rate tends to drop a bit as time passes and stronger methods are tried, but the bottom line is that most women who have PCOS and want children have them.

Even for those who are told they will never succeed at getting and staying pregnant, there is much reason to hope. Several close friends of mine have surprised themselves and their doctors by getting pregnant after years of infertility. “Lisa” adopted three children and then found herself pregnant in her late 30’s. It seems that for many women their PCOS symptoms mellow out as they get older. “Anne” went to the doctor to find out why she was infertile after several years of marriage—she was 3 already months pregnant and boy number two followed just 15 months later. “Susan” had three miscarriages and was told she would never carry a baby to term. Four months later she was pregnant with her daughter and her son is two years younger. “Barb” got pregnant when she was not even thinking of fertility and now counts herself extremely blessed to have two healthy boys.

I know many women who have done everything possible to get pregnant, even IVF, and have not succeeded. But the majority of women with PCOS DO get pregnant. There is even more reason to hope for the young women who are just now learning they have PCOS. First, they are more likely to be diagnosed at all. This means many women will be diagnosed who would have been overlooked ten or fifteen years ago when my generation was first beginning the march from doctor to doctor looking for answers. We know so much more than we did then. Treatments, both natural and medical, are much, much better than ever. In addition, being diagnosed now means they have the chance to prevent much of the physical and emotional trauma older women have experienced because our doctors just didn’t know how to help us.

My advice to any particular woman is to do all you can to increase your fertility (see my other articles and my books for more information about this). Then do your best to relax and let your body work. The odds are with you in the long run.

Chronic, hidden inflammation is quickly becoming the most talked about medical phenomenon as study after study shows that inflammation is at the root of some kinds of infertility, PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome), heart disease, weight gain, diabetes, certain cancers, asthma and a host of auto-immune diseases. If you have PCOS or unexplained infertility, you may find that an anti-inflammation diet reduces your symptoms and increases your fertility. Dr. Sears, the well-known author of the bestselling Zone books has written a comprehensive explanation of how foods cause the diseases we are now seeing in epidemic proportions. Better yet, he explains how we can simply and easily treat these problems by changing what we eat.

Includes recipes, a gentle exercise program, and loads of references to the studies on which he bases his conclusions. Reducing inflammation is the key to treating the diseases we are all interested in preventing. Inflammation may also be at the root of many cases of infertility. Chronic inflammation can interfere with hormone production, cause swelling and circulation problems for the ovaries and other organs, and lead to auto-immune diseases such as celiac disease and thyroid problems.

Well-written in an easy to understand manner as are his other books, this one seems to have worked out some of the kinks in his earlier systems. Eating an anti-inflammatory diet makes it much, much easier to lose weight and restore your health. It seems so simple couldn’t be true, but the science is there to back it up. Eating this way can reduce cholesterol, reduce your risk of heart disease and diabetes, and improve your overall health. The healthier you are the better your fertility. Many studies have linked PCOS to chronic inflammation. Future studies will undoubtedly prove that inflammation is at the root of many other cases of infertility. Highly recommended!

If you suffer from PCOS, like up to 10% of women do, you may not know that you have it. Doctors often overlook the signs of PCOS and many women are lead to believe that symptoms such as weight gain, fatigue, acne, and even hair loss are in some way their fault. If you feel like you are the reason you feel horrible, you won’t keep looking for treatment. The good news about PCOS is that we know more now than ever before.

Sixteen years ago, when I was first diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome, there was almost no information available at all. Today there are a dozen good books, great web sites and even specialists who can help women cope with the medical and personal aspects of polycystic ovarian syndrome.

How do you know if you have polycystic ovarian syndrome?

Symptoms of PCOS are many and often seem unrelated. It is quite common for a woman with PCOS to be seeing a half a dozen different doctors without any of them seeing that there is a pattern to her symptoms. She may see one doctor for acne, another for painful periods, a third for weight loss, and yet others to deal with chronic fatigue, asthma, thyroid problems, infertility and other related problems.

Read about the symptoms of PCOS here.

What causes PCOS?

We don’t have all of the answers yet about what causes polycystic ovarian syndrome. We do know that it is more common in families where one person has already been diagnosed. It is also more common in women with a family history of inflammation related disease such as heart disease, diabetes and asthma.

Recent studies indicate that PCOS may be caused by a combination of chronic inflammation in the body caused by the typical Western diet and genetic factors.

What if I have PCOS?

PCOS can be treated naturally and with a number of new medications. Common medical treatments include using an insulin-sensitizing drug such as metformin (also known as Glucophage) or Avandia. Natural treatments include a low-glycemic diet, exercise, relaxation therapy and supplements such as Omega-3 essential fatty acid rich fish oil and an herb called vitex.

PCOS can’t be cured, but there are many women who have managed to reduce their symptoms through natural treatments. If pregnancy is your immediate goal, you may want to talk to your doctor about using metformin as studies show it is very effective in restoring ovulation and preventing early miscarriage.

A low inflammation / low glycemic diet can reduce PCOS symptoms, cause weight loss (which will also reduce symptoms), and reduce the risk of the more severe complications of PCOS including heart disease and diabetes.

Want to learn more? My web site has several articles with more information about PCOS.

Many women have cystic ovaries and are fertile. Others have no cysts and they still don’t ovulate. For many women being told that they have cystic ovaries comes as a shock and leads to a fear of infertility. In some cases this fear is well founded – cystic ovaries are one sign of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) a serious health problem that can cause infertility. However, for other women cystic ovaries do not appear to change their fertility.

A study at Tufts University shows that even if an ultrasound reveals that you have polycystic ovaries, you may be as fertile as other women. Even if you have PCOS this study suggests that if you can reduce your symptoms of polycystic ovarian syndrome, you may become more fertile in spite of having polycystic ovaries. (Hassan, M et al, Fertility and Sterility, 2003, 80(4):966-975).

Researchers used ultrasound to identify 210 women as having polycystic ovaries. One-third of these women had none of the typical symptoms of PCOS. The non-symptomatic women took no longer to get pregnant than women with normal ovaries. In other words, the asymptomatic polycystic women were just as fertile as women with normal ovaries.

Some women seem to have cysts on their ovaries with no other symptoms. Those who have other symptoms may find that if they can improve their overall health they can improve their fertility, whether or not their ovarian cysts disappear. Women with PCOS often find that if their health improves and their hormones become balanced their ovarian cysts go away on their own.

The typical cysts found in polycystic ovaries are small and while they may cause some minor pain or tenderness, they are not usually a serious health problem. Most cysts are actually fluid filled and often disappear on their own. Some ovarian cysts are filled with tissue and are called dermoid cysts.

Large cysts can be removed, if necessary, through surgery or in some cases by having the fluid removed with a syringe in laporoscopic surgery. Talk to your doctor about the risks of surgery and whether it is possible to wait a few months to see if the cysts resolve on their own. In rare cases ovarian cysts can be cancerous. In that case it is vital to have treatment as soon as possible to prevent it from spreading.

If you have larger cysts, constant or sharp pain, or your doctor recommends further treatment it is wise to have the cysts treated. Large ovarian cysts can rupture causing internal bleeding or may cause they ovary to twist and lead to severe pain or even loss of the ovary.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) sounds pretty scary. At least once a week I hear from a young woman who has just been diagnosed with PCOS. Far too often her doctor has said something like this, “You will not be able to get pregnant without help, if at all. You may get cancer, heart disease or diabetes. Lose weight, take metformin, come back when you want to get pregnant.” These women are terrified and often very depressed about their future. Yes, PCOS is a serious diagnosis, but it is not as bad as these doctors make it seem.

Most women with PCOS do have children if they want them. Yes, it is often more difficult to conceive with PCOS, but most women suffering from polycystic ovary syndrome are able to have children even if some of them need medical help to do it.

Polycystic ovary syndrome raises your risk of diabetes, certain cancers and heart disease. What the doctors leave out is that there are ways to significantly reduce your risk. PCOS is a wake-up call to take care of your body. It is a reminder that you can’t take your health for granted. It is no where near the doom and gloom prognosis that many women are given.

Treating PCOS is not easy. I don’t like having to pay attention to my diet and exercise. I would prefer to keep flying by the seat of my pants through life. Slowiing down and taking care of myself are worth it and the same things I have to do to care for my PCOS symptoms are the same things experts are now receommending we all do to take care of ourselves. Eat right, sleep right, exercise, relax….

I have been struggling with PCOS since puberty. More than 20 years later I am still going strong. I do have to be careful to take care of myself a little more than average. I am still working on having a baby. But my life is full and I am able to control the worst PCOS symptoms by taking good care of myself.

Living with PCOS is not always easy. It is far easier than living with many, many other conditions. In many ways I feel lucky to have PCOS instead of some of the illnesses I see other people struggling with.

When you learn you have PCOS it can throw you for a loop. Pick yourself up, learn more about it, learn how to take care of your body.

Most PCOS symptoms can be reduced or eliminated with good self care. Take the time to listen to your body and take care of yourself and you will reap the rewards. PCOS is a wake-up call – not a tragedy.