Fertility Options Coach

A small, but important, new study shows that women with PCOS do have babies at almost the same rate as women without PCOS. The difference is that for many women with PCOS, they begin to ovulate regularly a bit later in life as their hormones settle out a bit. For women without PCOS, ovulation slows down as they move into their 30′s. For women with PCOS, as ovulation slows down, it allows for better ovulation and fewer cysts.

The study, published in the journal Human Reproduction, looked at the reproductive history of 91 women diagnosed with PCOS and 87 non-PCOS controls, all study participants were 35 or older. Participants in the study were asked about the number and timing of babies and results from women with PCOS and without PCOS were compared. Among women who had attempted to have children, 86.7% of PCOS patients and 91.6% of controls had given birth to at least one child. Among women with PCOS who had given birth, 73.6% had gotten pregnant on their own, without medical intervention.

As I have noted in other articles, women who have babies without help are rarely diagnosed with PCOS, even if they have all of the other symptoms. PCOS makes it harder to have a baby, but it does not rule it out.

While this study is pretty small, it fits with the answers I have gotten in surveys and anecdotal evidence from the many women who have shared their stories with me. Most women w

For many years now I have suspected a trend towards women with PCOS getting pregnant on their own a bit later in life. Over and over, women tell me that they tried for years, then were able to have babies without help.

You can read about the study in New Scientist magazine and I have also included a link directly to the study.

New Scientist Article

Link to Study

Now, we know that for women who ovulate normally, fertility decreases over time. Apparently, for women with PCOS there is an increase in fertility before it decreases again.

My advice (after waiting until my late 30′s for that first baby to finally make her appearance)? If you are ready to have a baby, try for one. If it doesn’t happen right away and you are in your early to mid 20′s, find something wonderful to do with your time while you wait. You’ll cherish the things you accomplished during that time long after the babies do finally make their appearance.

Natural treatments for polycsytic ovary syndrome (PCOS)are available. Untreated PCOS can lead to diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol, and an increased risk of cancer. Common medical treatments include metformin (Glucophage), birth control pills and symptom specific treatments for acne, hair loss, and restoring ovulation. Natural treatments for polycystic ovary syndrome include herbs, dietary changes, mind-body treatments, and exercise.

I started researching natural treatments for polycystic ovary syndrome because I was not able to tolerate metformin. Not only did my symptoms remain the same, I gained weight on metformin and I had gastro-intestinal effects for 6 months. No thank you! With natural treatments I lost more than 30 pounds and started having regular periods again.

If metformin is working for you, don’t stop taking it! All of these treatments are safe to use with metformin if your doctor oks it. You will want to be careful with diet and exercise because metformin can cause your blood sugar levels to get too low. You are also more likely to get dehydrated while on metformin, so make sure you keep your fluid intake high.

* Herbs for PCOS are very popular because they work well. Just be sure you know what you are taking and why. Any herb strong enough to help you is also potentially harmful. Be sure to research potential the side effects and get your doctor’s ok before taking any herb. The most common herb for PCOS is vitex, also known as chaste tree berry or agnus castus.

* Many women with PCOS report that a low-glycemic index diet has an amazing effect on their symptoms. For many women with PCOS, the low-glycemic index diets are the only way to lose weight. The majority of women with PCOS have insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is what happens when your body overreacts to sugar and carbohydrates in your diet. Eating certain foods such as white bread, rice, potatoes and sugary foods causes your blood sugar to rise quickly because these foods are digested very quickly.

Your body produces too much insulin to deal with this rapid increase in blood sugar. The insulin does its job of helping your cells to use blood sugar. However, too much insulin causes your cells to get too much blood sugar too quickly. To protect themselves the cells become resistant to insulin. Metformin helps your body to use insulin effectively again. However, studies show that diet and exercise are even more effective than metformin.

A low glycemic diet is basically about eating more natural foods that are digested slowly, such as vegetables. These foods cause your blood sugar to rise slowly so your body produces just the right amount of insulin. Combined with exercise, this diet retrains your body to use insulin properly and the insulin resistance is greatly reduced. I have listed some of the best low glycemic diet boosk below.

* Exercise is the best natural treatment for polycystic ovary syndrome. Exercise improves your mood, reduces your cholesterol, and teaches your body to use insulin efficiently. Moderate exercise is all that is needed. Thirty minutes a day 3-5 times a week is enough for most people. Do be sure to check with your doctor before beginning a new excercise program just to be sure everything is in order.

* Mind-body therapies include focused relaxation, reiki energy therapy, massage, support groups and life coaching. All of these things can help reduce your stress and improve your health. We know that stress drastically increases the symptoms of PCOS. Reducing stress can make a huge difference in your symptoms.

If you would like to learn more about natural treatments for polycystic ovary syndrome, I go into much more detail in my book Alternative PCOS Solutions