How to Get Pregnant with PCOS: 11 Tips to Get Pregnant Fast

What Is PCOS?

Polycystic ovarian syndrome, or PCOS for short, is a hormonal health condition affecting women’s fertility and overall health. It is caused by a particular kind of hormonal imbalance, which can make it difficult to ovulate.

Common Symptoms and Diagnosis

The most common symptoms of PCOS include:

• Irregular or absent periods
• Excessive body and facial hair
• Acne
• Hair loss
• Difficulties with getting pregnant
• Weight gain
• Heavy periods

Other symptoms of PCOS include thinning hair, darkening of the skin, and the development of skin tags in the neck area or armpits.

To be diagnosed with PCOS you must have 2 of 3 possible issues:

• Chronic high androgen levels
• Chronic lack of ovulation
• Polycystic ovaries (ovaries that have multiple small cysts containing eggs)

The Link Between PCOS and Infertility 

How PCOS Affects Fertility

PCOS may cause irregular ovulation or a lack of ovulation altogether (called anovulation). Ovulation problems occur because the hormonal imbalance found in women with PCOS impedes the normal function of the ovaries. This can interfere with a woman’s ability to get pregnant when she is trying to conceive naturally.

Explanation of How PCOS Leads to Infertility

PCOS is one of the leading causes of infertility. Irregular periods and a chronic lack of ovulation make getting pregnant with PCOS difficult. The high level of androgens present in PCOS disrupts the rhythm of women’s cycle. Additionally, the unusually higher level of androgen interferes with egg development and egg release. If an egg can’t be released, fertilization can’t happen, meaning you can’t get pregnant. Even though PCOS infertility is common, it doesn’t spell the end of your pregnancy hopes and can be treated. 

If you’re experiencing worrying symptoms that could be linked to PCOS, you might need to screen your key biomarkers with a blood test. This can be done at a doctor’s office or even in the comfort of your own home. 

Mira offers the ability to do a panel blood test, the Panorama lab test, from home. This minimally invasive blood test measures 5 key hormones with a quick and easy finger prick giving you the ability to test and track free testosterone, AMH, fT4, Prolactin, and TSH with lab-grade quality. You’ll get 5 individual and personalized hormone reports with actionable steps to understand what your numbers mean for your ovarian reserve, thyroid function, menstrual cycle, hormonal balance, and fertility health. 

Common Challenges Faced by Women With PCOS When Trying to Conceive

Knowing where to start can make the process of conceiving with PCOS feel less nerve-wracking. We’ve listed some common challenges faced by those with PCOS when TTC and how to alleviate them. 

Maintain a Healthy Weight 

Obesity affects as many as half of PCOS patients. If you are overweight, like many women diagnosed with PCOS, you may want to consider losing weight to restart ovulation.

Importance of Weight Management

The symptoms of PCOS include problems responding to insulin, which is called insulin resistance. Insulin is typically secreted to respond to increased levels of glucose when we eat, which is a small sugar molecule found in many carbohydrates. Insulin allows cells to uptake glucose so they can store it as energy for later use.

Insulin resistance doesn’t allow the body to respond to insulin well, which results in high blood sugar and low energy. Over time, it may cause weight gain and even obesity.

Impact of Weight on Fertility

Weight loss works for PCOS because it reduces the number of circulating androgens and increases insulin sensitivity. A large number of research studies have shown that reducing weight by 5-10% can reduce insulin resistance by about 50%, restore ovulation, and regulate menstrual cycles.

Tips for Achieving and Maintaining a Healthy Weight

While there is no magic pill or universal cure for infertility caused by PCOS, some people can balance their hormones naturally through diet and other lifestyle changes. Making changes to your diet can reverse many of the symptoms caused by the issues surrounding PCOS. 

Unfortunately, weight gain is a common symptom of PCOS but it can be managed. Read our post all about PCOS weight gain and how you can adjust your diet to increase fertility. 

Follow a Balanced Diet 

Nutritional Guidelines for Women With PCOS

Maintaining a healthy diet and exercising regularly can help women with PCOS maintain a normal weight and increase insulin sensitivity.

There is some debate about what type of diet is best for women with PCOS. Some believe a low-carb diet may help, while others disagree. However, what’s most important is that you eat an overall balanced diet rich in whole foods, with plenty of fruits and vegetables, fiber, and adequate protein. Though you should still treat yourself sometimes, of course, it’s also a good idea to avoid added sugar as much as possible.

Benefits of a Balanced Diet on Fertility

Research has shown that lifestyle modifications can greatly help those with PCOS but there are general fertility benefits as well. Eating a healthy diet is always a good idea but especially if you are concerned about your fertility. PCOS treatment almost always includes diet modifications since it can have a positive effect on fertility. 

Regular Exercise

Role of Physical Activity In Managing PCOS

Lack of physical activity is a known contributing factor to insulin resistance. By incorporating more exercise into your routine, you can help to combat it. 

Regular exercise has also been found to be helpful for PCOS patients. One study found that exercise therapy restored regular periods in 60% of PCOS patients.

Types of Exercises Recommended

There is no one specific type of exercise recommended (or shown to help) those with polycystic ovary syndrome. Many types of exercise can benefit those with PCOS but it can help to find one that you enjoy. 

Exercise Routine Suggestions

The important thing to remember with exercise routines is that anything is better than nothing and consistency is key. Whether that’s strength training, running, or even going for a walk any type of exercise helps. Find something you love so you’ll want to do it again and again. 

Monitor Your Ovulation

Many of those with PCOS experience problems with ovulation. PCOS may cause irregular ovulation or a lack of ovulation altogether. PCOS and getting pregnant can be challenging because of this but it doesn’t mean it can’t be overcome. One of the best things you can do is educate yourself and be proactive about your health, including monitoring your ovulation. 

Methods to Track Ovulation

The signs and symptoms of ovulation strongly vary among individuals, but there are a variety of methods practiced to predict ovulation. And using multiple fertility tracking methods can greatly increase your chances of accurately predicting ovulation.

Hormones are the primary cause of ovulation and are one of the most accurate and consistent signs of ovulation to track. If tracked correctly, like with the Mira digital fertility analyzer, you can achieve similar accuracy as lab-grade tests.

Other methods to track ovulation include the calendar method, tracking basal body temperature, cervical mucus changes, and ovulation predictor kits. Which method you choose ultimately depends on your goals but when it comes to PCOS and pregnancy, hormone testing is the gold standard for predicting ovulation. 

Importance of Timing Intercourse

One of the most important things you can do to boost your odds of conception is tracking your cycle and timing intercourse during your fertile window. Your chances of getting pregnant with PCOS dramatically improve when intercourse takes place at the right time. Timing intercourse for this period optimizes your fertile window and gives you the best chance of conceiving. It can be a cost-effective part of any fertility treatment and often the first approach your doctor will have you try. 

Tools and Apps to Assist With Ovulation Tracking

Tracking your cycle and ovulation can be tricky business but there are tools to help. You can use an app like our newly upgraded tracking app or a device to measure your actual hormone concentrations to better understand your cycle. 

It can be helpful to use fertility awareness methods like tracking basal body temperature to learn more about your ovulation. Combining these methods with a more effective means of fertility tracking (like hormone testing) can help confirm that ovulation has occurred and give you valuable insights into your fertility. We recommend tracking your PdG levels, which you can do with the Mira Hormone Monitor. 

Reduce Stress

Impact of Stress on Fertility

Stress has the potential to lead to a number of long-term health issues including those that impact fertility. When our bodies are stressed, it can affect multiple systems throughout the body including the musculoskeletal, respiratory, cardiovascular, endocrine, and gastrointestinal systems. And while stress doesn’t specifically lead to infertility or PCOS infertility we do know that stress can make it more difficult to become pregnant. 

Techniques to Manage Stress

Stress is a part of life but there are practical ways you can reduce stress, especially while you are trying to conceive. Regular exercise not only helps reduce stress hormones, but it also releases key endorphins to boost your mood. Similarly, yoga has multiple health benefits including reducing stress. 

Relaxation Exercises and Activities

Physical exercise isn’t your only option for stress-reducing activities. Relaxation exercises like journaling have been found to improve overall well-being, mitigate mental distress, and enhance physical functioning in adults. 

Other options for stress reduction include massage therapy, psychotherapy, and meditation. Consistent massage therapy can help you feel more relaxed and less stressed. While the various types of psychotherapy can help you manage your stress beyond self-help techniques. 

Meditation uses a combination of mental and physical techniques to focus or clear your awareness for certain benefits. Fertility meditations, like the ones offered by Mira, can help focus on feel-good fertility hormones in charge of your cycle’s wellbeing and focus on issues specific to your fertility journey. Whether that’s rebalancing your hormones, cycle, and ovulation, or reducing stress through meditations guided by fertility experts you can prepare for conception and be more in control of your emotions to help you conceive with a clear mindset. 

Take Supplements

The most common treatments for PCOS are usually based on lifestyle modifications like exercise and diet, but this also includes nutrient supplementation therapy. There are a number of supplements commonly used to help those with PCOS including fish oil, probiotics, and Inositol (among others). Most work to manage insulin resistance, metabolism and hormone balance but can have a range of other health benefits. 

Recommended Supplements For PCOS

The supplements recommended for PCOS treatment are those with the most evidence-based support behind them. These include fish oil, probiotics, zinc, Vitamin D, Inositol, resveratrol, carnitine, NAC, berberine, magnesium, Vitamin B12, and folate. 

It can be overwhelming to choose supplements with the sheer volume of supplements available and the barrage of information about them. Mira’s own PCOS supplements are third party tested (an important safety feature) and work to support ovarian health, promote hormonal balance, and assist metabolic function. 

Benefits of Supplements on Fertility

Research has shown that the right micronutrients can influence fertility. Your body needs these nutrients to support physiological processes like ovulation, fertilization, and implantation so supplementation ensures that you have the building blocks you need for PCOS and pregnancy. 

Consult With a Healthcare Provider Before Starting any Supplements

It’s important to note though that dietary supplements are regulated differently around the world and can actually interfere with other treatments and medications. It is always best to speak to your doctor before taking any supplement especially if you are trying to conceive or hope to conceive in the future. 

Limit Carbohydrate Intake 

How Carbs Affect Insulin and PCOS

Many people with PCOS have trouble with metabolic health and insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is when there is an overabundance of glucose and the cells stop responding to it. Essentially they become numb to the presence of insulin and that extra glucose is stored as fat. Insulin resistance makes PCOS worse by triggering the production of androgens thereby speeding up the progression of the condition. 

Tips for Reducing Carbohydrate Intake

Carbs aren’t all bad and you can and should still include them in your diet. When it comes to PCOS, going too low-carb can have negative effects so finding the right amount is crucial. 

To reduce carbohydrate intake, focus on slow-burn carbs like whole grains, starchy vegetables, beans, lentils, and fresh fruit. 

Example Of A Low-Carb Meal Plan

Many healthcare providers suggest the Mediterranean diet since it offers a wide variety of foods and is a lifestyle approach. Any well-balanced plan should include non-starchy vegetables, lean protein, and healthy carbs but it can be hard to know where to start. In this post on PCOS Fertility Diet Tips you can see more tips to follow when eating for PCOS to manage your symptoms and optimize your fertility. 

Seek Medical Treatment

Medical Treatments Available for PCOS

The first line of treatment for PCOS is always lifestyle change to include a healthy diet and getting enough exercise, but that doesn’t always address all symptoms. Medical treatments for PCOS include birth control, medications to control insulin resistance, and even anti-androgenic medications. 

Medications that Can Help with Ovulation

Birth control pills are a common treatment option for women with PCOS, but because they prevent pregnancy, they are not appropriate for women who are trying to conceive. Medications that can help with ovulation include letrozole, clomid, and gonadotropins. 

Letrozole suppresses the production of estrogen. Lowered levels of estrogen induce the pituitary gland to produce more follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), which promotes the growth of follicles within the ovary to induce ovulation. Mira can be useful for better understanding how your hormones relate to your PCOS.

Clomid, or clomiphene, is a common drug that is used for the treatment of infertility. Currently, it is the first-line treatment for anovulatory infertility in women with PCOS. Like letrozole, clomiphene works by blocking the body’s natural response to estrogen to induce ovulation. 

Clomiphene is an oral fertility medication — but when it stops working, women with PCOS may turn to gonadotropins for help with anovulatory infertility. While clomiphene can be taken orally, other gonadotropins are injectable. These “injectables” include brands like Follistim, Repronex, and Menopur.

Importance of Working With a Fertility Specialist

The best place to start when it comes to managing PCOS is with your doctor. They will be able to assess your individual situation and provide you with the very best advice for you and your pregnancy. 

Fertility is influenced by a variety of factors and the traditional aspect of taking fertility drugs and getting pregnant may not work for everyone. If you’re looking for more personalized support, consider consulting a professional who can help. Mira’s Hormone Health Clinic can empower individuals to learn how to balance hormones and take control of their fertility journeys. Paired with the Mira device to monitor your hormones they can even analyze your hormone results and provide an in-depth hormone analysis and cycle evaluation to help you make sense of your PCOS. Mira’s Hormone Health Coaches offer a practical and integrative approach on all things fertility – from a TTC plan with action steps to lifestyle changes to help manage PCOS. 

Consider Fertility Treatments

Overview of Fertility Treatments

It’s not impossible to conceive with PCOS but it can be more challenging and you may need fertility treatments. Options include in-vitro fertilization (IVF), in-vitro maturation (IVM), and egg donation. 

Success Rates and What to Expect

About 70 to 80% of women with PCOS experience difficulties with getting pregnant. Knowing this, the idea of conceiving with PCOS may seem overwhelming and you may worry that you will never be able to have a baby. The success rates for these procedures vary and depend on the age of the patient as well as the cause of infertility. 

The good news is that with the help of assisted reproductive technology, your odds of pregnancy are fairly good. About 60 to 70% of PCOS patients treated with Clomid get pregnant within six cycles, and approximately 70% of women who undergo IVF successfully get pregnant. Tracking your cycles with Mira’s digital fertility tracker may also increase your likelihood of conceiving with PCOS. 

During IVF, doctors inject ovulation induction drugs to stimulate the ovaries to develop a few eggs, which are retrieved from the ovary and placed together with sperm in a culture dish. After some of the eggs are fertilized by the sperm, one or two divided and grown ones will be transferred back into the uterus. Your fertility specialist will check for pregnancy two weeks after to see if the cycle was successful.

IVM works largely the same way as IVF, except that doctors do not usually use injectables to induce ovulation. Instead, they collect immature eggs from the ovaries and “ripen” them in a lab. In the past, immature eggs could not be used, but modern technology has enabled IVM to become possible. Once the egg has matured in the lab, it can be frozen or transferred into the uterus to promote pregnancy. As in IVF, your fertility specialist will check for pregnancy a few weeks later to see if the IVM cycle was successful.

When everything else fails to work, some women may need to use donor eggs if they want to become pregnant. These are eggs collected from another woman that are fertilized with your partner’s sperm and transferred into your uterus for pregnancy. Usually, only one or two embryos are transferred at once to reduce the risk of multiple births. Other embryos from the donation process can be frozen for use at a later time. Sometimes, the donor may carry the pregnancy herself in a process known as surrogacy. 

When to Consider Fertility Treatments

ACOG recommends that you seek an evaluation with a fertility doctor if you are younger than 35 and having trouble getting pregnant after one year of trying, or over 35 and having trouble getting pregnant after six months of trying.

Improve Insulin Sensitivity

Relationship Between Insulin Resistance and PCOS

The symptoms of PCOS include problems responding to insulin, which is called insulin resistance. Insulin is typically secreted to respond to increased levels of glucose when we eat, which is a small sugar molecule found in many carbohydrates. Insulin allows cells to uptake glucose so they can store it as energy for later use.

Insulin resistance doesn’t allow the body to respond to insulin well, which results in high blood sugar and low energy. Over time, it may cause weight gain and even obesity.

Ways to Improve Insulin Sensitivity

PCOS causes insulin resistance, which results in high blood glucose levels — a.k.a. high blood sugar. Having insulin resistance and high blood sugar increases your risk of developing type II diabetes, especially if you are overweight or obese. In fact, one study found that 19% of women with PCOS developed type II diabetes, compared with just 1% of the control subjects.

Women with PCOS can benefit from monitoring their blood sugar, especially if they have type II diabetes or prediabetes. If you do not have diabetes, you will need to visit your doctor for a blood glucose test. Together, you can decide how often to repeat the test to keep an eye on your blood sugar levels and monitor your risk of developing type II diabetes. Women with type II diabetes need to monitor their blood sugar more regularly at home to ensure they are staying within a healthy range.

Diet and Lifestyle Changes to Enhance Insulin Sensitivity

In between monitoring your blood sugar, you can also take steps to maintain regular blood sugar levels throughout the day. You can do this by limiting your intake of carbohydrates and starchy vegetables, getting enough protein, and drinking plenty of water. It may also help you to eat many small meals throughout the day, as opposed to three large ones at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. However, this is not recommended if you are insulin resistant or if you have prediabetes or diabetes.

Avoid Environmental Toxins

Common Environmental Toxins Affecting Fertility

There are many toxins and chemicals in our food and environment that can have a large impact on our fertility. These toxins can go unnoticed and can have adverse impacts on the body’s hormone production. These chemicals impact fertility through their disruption to the endocrine system. 

Tips to Reduce Exposure

Educating yourself on the type of toxins out there can help you make conscious choices about the chemicals you use and allow you to make alternative choices where possible. Always read the labels, use products safely, and be aware of possible dangers. 

Importance of a Toxin-Free Environment

Over time, exposures to toxins can add up and have a negative impact on reproductive health. In this post, we’ve gone over some of the chemicals that can cause infertility and how you can stay away from these endocrine-disrupting agents. 

Conclusion

Small changes can lead to big results over time. Whether you are just starting to notice the signs of PCOS or you are staring down the barrel of polycystic ovary syndrome and pregnancy, these tips can help put you on the path to achieving your pregnancy goals!

Stories of PCOS Pregnancy Success

If your goal is to get pregnant with PCOS, it can be inspiring to hear stories of other women with PCOS who went on to conceive successfully. Check out these pregnancy success stories if you want to be amazed!

• How Mira Helped Mary to Get Pregnant with PCOS
• How Mira Helped April to Get Pregnant with PCOS
• I Lost 30 Pounds and Overcame PCOS to Have My Baby
• My PCOS Story | Getting Pregnant with PCOS
• A Getting Pregnant with PCOS Success Story