How to get Pregnant with PCOS : The Quick & Natural Guide to PCOS Pregnancy

What are the chances of getting pregnant with PCOS?

PCOS is a condition which affects your hormonal balance and occurs in about 1 out of 10 women of childbearing age. When you’re dealing with PCOS, you have higher levels of insulin and androgens. This leads to an imbalance of your hormones which causes various side effects, including fertility problems.

With PCOS, your ovaries are much larger than normal. And there are several immature eggs trapped in the cysts of your ovaries. This makes it difficult to release the egg and make them infertile. Additionally, PCOS babies are at a much greater risk of needing neonatal intensive care. 

They’re also more likely to develop comorbidities and even die during or after birth. Common conditions like metabolic syndrome and increased androgen levels during pregnancy can increase the risk of impacting infants during delivery.

Also, PCOS lowers the level of progesterone in your body. This hormone makes your endometrium lining thick. It further  supports the development and growth of an embryo in your uterus. It increases the risk of an early miscarriage. 

But treating the effects of PCOS improves your chances of conceiving. It gives you better odds of getting pregnant with PCOS. Thus, a lot of factors determine your chances of getting pregnant with PCOS naturally.

Let’s begin by understanding how hard pregnancy with PCOS actually is, before you get to know how to get pregnant with PCOS!

How hard is it to get pregnant with PCOS? What are the reasons behind it?

When you’re dealing with PCOS, you’re more susceptible to gain a lot of weight rapidly. This in itself can lead to several complications. Excessive weight gain and obesity hamper your chance of getting pregnant with PCOS. And gaining a couple of pounds is not the only thing you’ve to worry about.

There are several reasons why pregnancy with PCOS is hard and complicated. Let’s discuss them so you know what you have to deal with!

Miscarriage and Early Pregnancy Loss

When you’re suffering from PCOS, you’re three times more likely to have a miscarriage, especially in the first couple of months. The reason for an early loss of pregnancy is largely attributed to the symptoms of PCOS.

These include a higher rate of insulin resistance, hyperandrogenism and obesity. Another reason is very high rates of luteinizing hormones in your body. It causes abnormal follicular development and anovulation, which increases the chances of miscarrying.

Gestational diabetes

Gestational diabetes is a form of diabetes that’s only witnessed during pregnancy. It’s quite common in PCOS patients due to their unstable blood sugar levels. With gestational diabetes, there are chances that the size of your body increases. This makes a normal delivery very hard. It also increases the complications for the mother as well as the child. 

It leads to high blood sugar levels in your body and breathing problems. Having gestational diabetes also puts the child at a risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Obesity and a history of insulin resistance puts you at a greater risk of developing this condition.

PCOS patients with gestational diabetes have a twofold increased chance of developing preeclampsia and pregnancy induced hypertension. It also increases the chances of prenatal morbidities or other severe birth complications.

Preeclampsia

Preeclampsia is a sudden increase in your blood pressure post the 20th week of pregnancy. This can have a grave effect on your kidney, liver and brain. Apart from that, the effects of PCOS can even lead to eclampsia.

There are several risks caused to the mother as well as child due to eclampsia. It could lead to organ damage and even death, in adverse cases. It can also increase the need for a preterm delivery. This can further affect the child's development and risk for several health complications.

Pregnancy induced high blood pressure (PIH)

You’re at an increased risk of high blood pressure problems during the second half of your pregnancy. This can increase the chances and severity of preeclampsia in your body. It may also complicate the delivery. 

PCOS increases the chances of inducing high blood pressure during pregnancy. Due to this, you’re at an increased risk of contracting hypertensive disorders. This happens during your third trimester as well as when you’re in labor.

PIH can put the fetus at a risk of growth restriction, preterm birth and placental abruption. It also increases the chances of inducing eclampsia and increasing cardiovascular risks. In adverse conditions, extreme high blood pressure can also lead to intrauterine growth restriction and stillbirth.

Preterm Birth

Preterm birth is if the child is delivered before completing 37 weeks of pregnancy. Infants born before the due date are at the risk for several health problems, some of which may be life long. Having PCOS may raise the odds of needing a preterm delivery.

Thus, preterm birth is one of the biggest and most severe complications that can arise with PCOS. 

Low Apgar Score

Apgar is a quick medical test performed on babies at 1 and 5 minutes post their birth. The results from the first test signify how well the baby tolerated the birthing process. And the second test determines how well the baby is coping to the conditions outside of the mother’s womb.

The test examines the newborn’s breathing effort, heart rate, muscle tone, reflexes and skin color. The scoring is done with either a 0, 1 or 2 based on the response of each factor. Infants born to mothers with PCOS have a relatively low Apgar score (<7) at 5 minutes after birth. This indicated that the health of infants could be severely compromised based on the defects faced by them.

Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that repeatedly stops and starts your breathing. Loud snoring, gasping for air, waking up with a dry mouth, and insomnia are some of the most common indicators. It could cause your brain to send improper signals to muscles that control breathing. 

You’re at an increased risk of dealing with Sleep apnea in the last trimester of your pregnancy with PCOS. It’s even more common if you develop preeclampsia.

While these concerns make pregnancy quite hard with PCOS, it still is possible. But before we figure out how to get pregnant with PCOS, let’s discuss if there’s an age factor involved.

Best age to get pregnant with PCOS

With PCOS, age is a very important factor! It plays a role in determining your chances of getting pregnant with PCOS.

The more that you age, the lesser are your chances of carrying a successful pregnancy with PCOS. Getting pregnant with PCOS after 30 becomes very tough. Your chances keep deteriorating more and more. And once you cross the age of 34, your chances decline even more starkly.

After crossing this age, even if you ovulate successfully, your chances of carrying the pregnancy to term are compromised. The effects of PCOS get harder to deal with and carrying a child becomes very difficult. 

Also, the more you age, the more fertility treatments are required to get pregnant. This means that natural measures have a lesser impact on helping you conceive. The reason behind this is based on the general age-related decline in fertility. It’s just that PCOS elevates that.

he more that you age, the lesser are your chances of carrying a successful pregnancy with PCOS. Getting pregnant with PCOS after 30 becomes very tough. Your chances keep deteriorating more and more. And once you cross the age of 34, your chances decline even more starkly.

After crossing this age, even if you ovulate successfully, your chances of carrying the pregnancy to term are compromised. The effects of PCOS get harder to deal with and carrying a child becomes very difficult. 

Also, the more you age, the more fertility treatments are required to get pregnant. This means that natural measures have a lesser impact on helping you conceive. The reason behind this is based on the general age-related decline in fertility. It’s just that PCOS elevates that.

Thus, it’s not the frequency of ovulation that matters. But it's the egg quality that gives you a better shot at pregnancy. 

But, it’s important to note that while age is an important factor, it’s not the only factor. Your body mass index (BMI) plays a vital role in determining your chances of pregnancy with PCOS. And your hormonal and metabolic factors impact your chances. The progress of improving your PCOS side effects also plays a major role.

How to get pregnant with PCOS quickly?

Having PCOS doesn’t rule out your chances of getting pregnant. All it does is makes the process hard, time consuming and increases the chances of failure. But there are several measures that help speed up the process. And that’s exactly what you’ll get here.

The first step in how to get pregnant with PCOS is to be in your best possible health before trying for a baby. This includes adopting a healthy lifestyle. So stay in good shape, quit smoking and avoid drinking too much alcohol.

You also need to maintain a good diet, regular physical activity and getting plenty of sleep to ensure that your body is fit enough. This is not only important for understanding how to get pregnant with PCOS but also for carrying the pregnancy till term and protecting the child’s health.

You can lose weight with PCOS by picking the approach that best suits your condition and needs. While doing that can be enough for some of you, it’s not enough in most cases. Apart from controlling your weight, you also have to control your PCOS symptoms. Increased blood sugar and androgen levels are the major reasons why you don’t ovulate periodically with PCOS. And if you don’t ovulate, there would be no egg released to fertilize.

Thus controlling insulin resistance and hyperandrogenism is the key to a successful pregnancy. And you have to use a combination of measures to improve the effect of these 2 conditions in your body.

How to get pregnant when you have PCOS?

You may need to adopt a variety of measures. These may include dietary changes, exercise, medication or even full fledged fertility treatments.

Diet

The food that you eat has a direct effect on your body’s working. It plays a role in regulating your hormones both directly and indirectly. Insulin resistance and increased androgen levels are the most common problems. Your dietary choices can help in dealing with both of these issues with PCOS.

Exclude all food items that can spike your blood sugar levels. These include all refined carbs and sugary substances. Also avoid dairy products as animal milk contains IGF-1, which replicates insulin activity. It also leads to increased androgen levels.

On the other hand, include leafy greens, lean protein and antioxidant rich food in your meals. This helps you stay fit, which increases the chances of getting pregnant with PCOS fast. The best option is to design your very own diet plan using the PCOS meal planning guide. This way you can customize according to your requirements and cater to your tastes.

It’s important that you follow a PCOS Diet Plan to take care of your nutrient requirements and keep dietary triggers in control.

Workout

Your body needs to be active to function at its best physical capacity. It improves your internal functioning and balances your hormones. Once your hormones are in better control, only then you can have a better shot at pregnancy with PCOS.

You need to engage in at least 40-45 minutes of consistent exercise, 5 days a week. The exercise depends on your fitness levels, bodyweight as well as your flexibility. 

The key here is to work on reducing those symptoms first that come in the way of your fertility. For a better idea of which workout to follow, look at the Best Exercises for PCOS & 7 Day Sample Plan{Grab the free PDF!}.

These exercises will help overcome roadblocks that reduce your fertility chances. But there's more that you can do. Yoga can play a major role in improving your chances of getting pregnant with PCOS.

Thus, your best bet is a combination of exercises like cardio and strength training. These reduce the effects of PCOS on your body. And include regular yoga sessions to boost your chances of fertility.

Medical Help

If the above changes do not help, even after trying actively for a period of 8-12 months, you’ve got to take the next step. Visiting a fertility specialist is the right call. They will help you by first recommending medications and then fertility treatments. Even with these, you have to focus on maintaining the right lifestyle.

While a fertility specialist will help you, it’s important for you to be aware about your options. This will help you discuss your options well and ask about the potential risks.

If you’re having trouble ovulating, consider ovulation induction. It would make your ovulation regular and increase fertility chances. You could use medicines or injections for this.

You could also use intrauterine insemination. This treatment stimulates the release of your eggs and helps fertilize them. You may also have to resort to more invasive treatments like IVF in a lot of cases.

Now, let’s have a look at some tips which help with getting pregnant with PCOS.

Tips for getting pregnant with PCOS

In this section, you’ll find out some tips on how to get pregnant with PCOS.

Don’t forget your prenatal vitamins

PCOS negatively affects your body’s nutritional balance. There are a lot of food groups that you've to avoid to deal with several effects of PCOS. This may lead to a deficit of certain nutrients that your body needs for a healthy pregnancy.

There are prenatal vitamins which provide your body with the right nutrients. Calcium, folic acid, vitamins B12, D and C, and zinc are some of the most important nutrients that your prenatals should necessarily contain.

Keep your blood sugar in check

This is something that you’ve to do throughout your fight against PCOS. But even more so, during pregnancy. As you know, gestational diabetes is one of the biggest pregnancy risks for a PCOS patient as well as the fetus. It can impact the child’s growth and increase the risk of complications during delivery. 

So make sure that you avoid everything that can cause a spike in your blood sugar levels. And don’t forget to track them using a simple fasting or random blood glucose test.

Minimize Caffeine Intake

Avoid extra medication

Make sure that you inform your OB about all the medicines that you’ve been taking. This includes the supplements as well. While you might be able to continue most of them, you might need to hold some of them for the term of your pregnancy.

In case the medication is unavoidable, your doctor might suggest an alternative.

How to stay pregnant with PCOS?

Now that you’ve understood how to get pregnant with PCOS, the next stage is just as tricky. As difficult it is to get pregnant with PCOS, staying pregnant is much more difficult. You have very little chances of getting your egg fertilized due to the scarce ovulation and bad egg quality with PCOS. But other factors and effects involved with PCOS make it hard for you to carry the child till term.

So you have to work even more hard and put more effort into staying pregnant with PCOS. You have to take special care of your health and lifestyle to make sure that you’re fit enough to complete your term.

Diet

Starting off with your diet, you have to follow the instructions mentioned above. But additionally, you need to get rid of all inflammatory foods. These include artificial trans fat and processed food. The more inflammation you develop, the greater risks you put the child through.

And while you’re at more risk for contracting other diseases, the baby is at quite a lot of risk for developing morbidities too. Also, you need to cut back on alcohol. In fact, avoid it entirely once you find out you’re pregnant.

And while you’re at more risk for contracting other diseases, the baby is at quite a lot of risk for developing morbidities too. Also, you need to cut back on alcohol. In fact, avoid it entirely once you find out you’re pregnant.

Exercise

As far as workout is concerned, you need to continue with it to maintain your fitness levels. You also have to avoid excessive weight gain. Diet and regular exercise helps you do that. However, once you get pregnant, you need to change your exercise plan. 

Focus more on mind and body exercises. It puts less pressure on your body and helps balance your mental and physical fitness alike. Yoga and pilates are two great alternatives. They help by keeping your hormones regulated. You can also stick to low intensity cardio exercises.

Other factors

Taking care of yourself and following up with the right lifestyle changes can take you a long way.

Keep an eye on your health metrics like your blood pressure levels, cholesterol and hemoglobin levels. So, visit your OB for regular checkups and monitor your nutritional levels. Taking care of your health is your best bet at having a successful pregnancy with PCOS.

Thus, with regular and consistent efforts, you can overcome all the hurdles that cause fertility problems with PCOS. If you start at the right age, you can significantly find success and improve your chances of getting pregnant with PCOS.