About Fertility
How To Get Pregnant With PCOS
Polycystic ovary syndrome is a lifetime affair. Here’s what you should know about how to get pregnant with PCOS.
What Are PCOS Symptoms?
PCOS manifests often in the late teens and early twenties, often causing irregular menstrual cycles and elevated androgen (male hormone) levels. This hyperandrogenemia can manifest in unrelenting acne, hair loss on the head, and the development of hair on the face, chest, and back. When a couple is trying to get pregnant with PCOS, our efforts focus on reversing the abnormalities and restoring menstrual function. However, when reproductive needs are satisfied, PCOS remains.
How is PCOS Diagnosed?
To be diagnosed with PCOS, a woman must have 2 of 3 possible issues: irregular periods, high levels of androgen hormones (such as testosterone), and ovaries that contain multiple very small cysts. The cysts associated with PCOS are very small (<10 mm) and do not cause pain. Painful ovarian cysts are usually much larger and are not associated with PCOS.
How Does PCOS Affect Fertility?
PCOS is associated with infertility. Most commonly, women with PCOS have trouble conceiving because they may not ovulate (release a mature egg) every month. Nevertheless, some women with PCOS may conceive on their own. For overweight women with PCOS, even a small amount of weight loss (5-10% of their overall weight) may help them to begin ovulating on their own.
Contact Us
At Fertility Centers of New England, our goal is to optimize all aspects of a patient’s overall health in order to have the best possible chance of conceiving. If you are seeking more information on how to get pregnant with PCOS, please contact us today!
