PCOS is a hormonal disorder that affects 1 out of 5 women of reproductive age. PCOS is the most common cause of anovulatory infertility. Anovulation is when an ovum (egg) does not release from your ovary during your cycle. More than 85% of women suffering from anovulatory infertility have PCOS. It has also been observed that a lot of women only learn that they have PCOS upon seeking treatment for infertility.
The Channel 46 has collaborated with Dr Lavanya R, Fertility Consultant at Nova IVF Fertility, who highlights reasons why it is necessary to plan your pregnancy if you have PCOS and tips to boost your reproductive health.
3 Reasons Why It Is Important To Plan Your Pregnancy With PCOS
Women with PCOS often have infrequent or inconsistent periods. Less of oestrogen production and excess of androgen production can cause tiny cysts to form on the outer surface of your ovaries in addition to several problems involving the hair and the skin.
1. Higher Risk Of Developing Gestational Diabetes Or Sudden Miscarriage
Pregnant women with PCOS are at a higher risk of developing gestational diabetes or suffering from a sudden miscarriage in the first trimester.
2. Higher Risk Of Developing Preeclampsia
Women with PCOS are also at a heightened risk of developing preeclampsia which is characterised by a spontaneous rise in blood pressure post the 20th week of pregnancy. This can prove detrimental to the kidneys, liver and brain of the mother.
3. Higher Risk Of Pre-Term Delivery
There is also a risk of a pre-term birth, that is, delivery before 37 weeks of pregnancy with PCOS.
While it is always important to take care of your reproductive health, it becomes even more so when you are planning your pregnancy while suffering from PCOS as there are additional things to be borne in mind. Getting pregnant with PCOS can prove challenging, however, a few tips that you follow can help in improving your reproductive health, boosting chances of fertility.
Read: Early Signs Of Pregnancy & Diet Tips For Your First Trimester
4 Tips For Better Reproductive Health
1. Maintain A Healthy Weight
In case you are suffering from PCOS, there are high chances that you are overweight. To conceive, it is important for you lose weight by consuming a balanced diet full of healthy nutrients and limited carb intake along with processed foods. Have a protein rich diet and cut down on sugars. Try to keep a check on your cravings and avoid giving into them unnecessarily. Indulging in a light-to-moderate routine every day will also help you in shedding those extra kilos.
2. Medication
Certain medications are required to boost oestrogen production in your body and bring down androgen levels to balance your hormones, stimulating ovulation. However, do not self-medicate. Get in touch with a gynaecologist, who can prescribe such medications to you in the right doses. Medication can also be provided to boost ovulation in the body to increase chances of a natural conception.
Read: Your 101 Guide To A Healthy Pregnancy Diet
3. Manage Your Stress
They (activities like yoga and meditation) normalise your hormones, further boosting your chances of a natural conception and healthy pregnancy.
High-stress levels can wreak havoc on your hormones causing further imbalances in the body. Indulging in stress-management activities such as yoga or meditation or developing a new hobby to relax your mind can prove fruitful for your mental health. They normalise your hormones, further boosting your chances of a natural conception and healthy pregnancy.
4. Assisted Reproductive Technologies
(In the case of IVF), ovaries are stimulated to produce a number of eggs, which are then retrieved through a small surgical process. The ovum is then fertilised by a sperm and the embryo is then implanted in the womb.
It can be tricky to get pregnant with PCOS. Women with this condition can better chances of getting pregnant using Assisted Reproductive Technologies such as IVF, wherein the ovaries are stimulated to produce a number of eggs, which are then retrieved through a small surgical process. The ovum is then fertilised by a sperm and the embryo is then implanted in the womb. Egg and embryo freezing can also be considered if there is a risk of fertility waning as time passes by wherein an ovum in an fertilised or unfertilised form can be frozen and preserved for implantation in the future.
Planning a pregnancy with PCOS should always be done under a gynaecologist and fertility expert’s guidance. PCOS can bring along with itself a host of complications, which might require medical intervention. There is absolutely no harm in consulting a doctor for even the most trivial things as it can help in averting something big that could have proved detrimental to your health or that of your baby’s.
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