Tips for Getting Pregnant If You Have Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) affects about one in ten women of childbearing age. The syndrome may occur in girls as young as 11 years old and may strike at any age. PCOS is the most common cause of female infertility (Women's Health). The cause is unknown and the syndrome causes high levels of androgens , missed periods and cysts on the woman's ovaries. The problem can affect woman's hormone levels, periods, and ovulation. This can affect fertility and pregnancy. PCOS can also cause male-type body changes.

When diagnosed with PCOS it may be very difficult for a woman to understand. Many woman go through a cycle of mixed emotions. Some women are embarrassed by their appearance, having more body hair then others or having more male like features. Others may worry about being able to get pregnant and have offspring of their own. Speaking with a doctor may help ease some of these feelings, yet the struggle for women with PCOS may be a long and difficult one.

If a person with PCOS decides she wants to become pregnant it may be very difficult. Lack of ovulation is usually the reason for fertility problems in women with PCOS. Missed periods may also become a concern. Most people with PCOS do not have regular periods and may not even know when it is the best time for them to try for a baby. Charting fertility periods is not even thinkable for most women with PCOS. Most women can not get pregnant without then help of a doctor and some women may try years before desperately tuning to a doctor for help.

Once PCOS is diagnosed a woman has many choices to take on her journey to get pregnant. Several medications that stimulate ovulation can help women with PCOS become pregnant, such as clomiphene citrate (Clomid®, Serophene®). This is normally the first choice for doctors in helping a woman with PCOS get pregnant. Clomid alone works for 70% of women with PCOS. Other drugs used may include metformin, and Gonadotropins . Often these drugs are used with the use of Clomid to better the chances of becoming pregnant.

Before any treatment plan is started though, the woman and her mate must be seen by a fertility specialist. Both their histories and medical issues are taken into consideration. The man may also be tested for male fertility problems along with the woman. All fertility issues should be ruled out by a doctor before starting a medication.

Some woman with PCOS may need to be started on another drug along side their fertility medication to simulate a period. Since many woman with PCOS do not have a regular period they must be induced or brought on by the use of a medication. This will help the woman know exactly what dates to take her fertility medication and help her better cart her cycles. Provera is a common drug a lot of doctors prescribe woman to induce a period. Provera is derived from the female hormone progesterone.

After a treatment plan is in place a fertility doctor will start a patient out on the lowest dose of medication possible. The fertility doctor will normally monitor the patient carefully and after each monthly cycle see the patient in his/her office for a routine blood test to check for ovulation. The blood test checks to see if the woman is ovulating on the medication. Later in the month another blood test is preformed to check for pregnancy. If no pregnancy is detected then another month's worth of medication is prescribed. Normally after three cycles on a medication and no sign of pregnancy the medication is higher to more stronger dose. Again the patient is monitored by the doctor. This process may be very long for some and most woman will become depressed. It may seem as if they will never become pregnant and most woman get very stressed out.

The best advice given by most doctors for woman trying to conceive on fertility drugs is to stay mellow. If a woman's body gets stressed the chances of her conceiving may become less. And while it may be hard to not become depressed after months on fertility drugs, the best advice is to think positive. It may take months to a year to become pregnant with PCOS, but for most it does happen. 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.

The use of fertility drugs may get very expensive for some and a lot of insurance companies will not cover the use of fertility drugs. Many pay a expensive amount to achieve their dreams of having a baby. One cycle of Clomid alone may cost a family up to $49 for a five day dose of medication. A lot of mothers with PCOS say though there is no price they wouldn't pay to conceive a child.

The success rate of becoming pregnant 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. Some doctors are turning to in vitro fertilization (IVF). IVF offers the best chance of becoming pregnant in any one cycle and gives doctors better control over the chance of multiple births. But, IVF is very costly. (Women's Health)

A lot of woman on fertility treatments are told to start on prenatal vitamins, these can help boost your body and help your fertility odds. Woman are also told to maintain a healthy diet and try to avoid a lot of caffeine in their diets. A lot of doctors may tell patients to read up and do as much as they possibly can to boost their fertility odds. Although doctors are steering patients away from the use of herbs and natural drugs as they may not mix well with the use of fertility treatments.

Overall, becoming pregnant with PCOS may be a long struggle for a lot of woman today, yet for most woman there is hope. With modern medicine and the help of a doctor most women who have PCOS and desperately want children WILL have them. Good luck on your journey and try to relax.

< Woman's Heath. Gov. Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). The National Women's Health Information Center . >