Pregnancies are scary. Pregnant women are scarier. The morning sickness, late night cravings, swollen feet, racing hormones are enough to make them your worse nightmare. Throw in a PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) and you have a “Ramsey Bolton meets Joffrey Baratheon” kind of a situation (I love Game Of Thrones).

PCOS is a common hormonal imbalance which can cause several symptoms such as excessive amounts of male hormones, ovulation and menstrual problems, ovarian cysts, and fertility problems. Hence, getting pregnant with PCOS can be challenging. The ovaries produce a male hormone called androgen. When you have PCOS, androgens are produced in excess which causes the imbalance in the other reproductive hormones. Because these hormones are important in development and maturation of an egg each month, you will be unable to conceive if your ovaries are unable to produce and release a mature egg.

How Can You Conceive With PCOS?

It is not impossible to get pregnant when you have PCOS. Remember, it is always advisable to consult with your medical practitioner before you try any of these –

Diet –

It is said that exercising contributes only 20% towards maintaining a healthy body weight. The other 80% is solely dependent on what you eat. Women with PCOS benefit from diets that include carbohydrates with low glycaemic index (GI) since they take longer to break down and keep your blood glucose levels stable for a longer duration. This reduces symptoms of PCOS and regulates your menstrual cycle.

Weight Loss –

Excess weight results in more fertility issues as the extra fat tissue foster insulin resistance which in turn leads to the production of excess androgens. Thus, obese women with PCOS tend to have higher androgen levels compared to non-obese women with PCOS. Losing even 5 percent of your total weight can impact ovulation and increase your chances of conceiving. Hence, it is recommended to start with weight loss therapies for promoting ovulation.

Fertility Drug Treatments –

It is important to consult with your doctor before you take these drugs to understand the dosage it needs to be taken in as well as the possible side effects.

The following drug treatments may be beneficial –

1. Gonadotropins – These are naturally occurring hormones that trigger your ovaries to release eggs. Gonadotropins may help in promoting ovulation if you are not ovulating regularly

2. Metformin (Glucophage) – Metformin alleviates high insulin levels and stabilizes your hormones. It helps in regulating your ovulation cycles

3. Clomid – This is usually combined with Metformin and often helps women with PCOD to conceive more quickly. Some women need high dosages of the drug which may result in uncomfortable side effect

Herbs –

Herbs have a long-lasting effect and may help in boosting fertility. You can try these –

1. Red Raspberry Leaf – Consuming red raspberry leaf strengthens the uterus lining which alleviates the chances of miscarriage

2. Chasteberry – It helps in regulating the hormone levels in your body and raise the levels of progesterone. Progesterone promotes ovulation and increases your chances of conceiving

3. Evening Primrose – It helps in regulating hormone levels as well and helps your body in creating a healthy environment for pregnancy by promoting production of cervical mucus

Avoid drinking or smoking, follow a healthy lifestyle, and keep having more s3x! Please share more tips to help women with PCOS get pregnant in the comments section.