Please note, I am not a doctor. I am just sharing my experiences with PCOS and what worked for us. Talk to your doctor or other healthcare professional about getting pregnant with PCOS. Also, if you are sensitive, this post might be TMI. 😉 This post also contains affiliate links.
When I was 23, my husband and I decided to start trying for a baby. Since all the other women in my family seemed to get pregnant super-easily, I assumed this would be my experience, too. Wrong. After a ten months of multiple pregnancy tests and no pregnancy, my cycle went completely out of whack. I had extreme bleeding for over 60 days straight. I went to my family doctor after 30 days- she put me on birth control for a month to see if that would help. It didn’t.
After the next 30 days, I went to an OB-GYN for the first time. Immediately upon describing what I was experiencing, and on top of not getting pregnant, he told me I had Poly-Cystic Ovarian Syndrome, or PCOS. PCOS can reveal itself with a number of symptoms, and it seems that everyone’s body presents in a unique way.
Finally, after 15 months of trying, we were pregnant! I know this isn’t a huge amount of time for many people that have been trying for years, but when you really want a baby, any time you have to wait seems eternal!
We have been able to have four children, without fertility drugs, even though I have PCOS. I know that this will not be the case for everyone- I have a very good friend who had to do the full gamut of fertility testing, etc, before becoming pregnant. But these tips are worth a try!
Here’s what I’ve learned about getting pregnant with PCOS-
1.) Find a good doctor or midwife that you trust
A good doctor or midwife is invaluable in the “getting pregnant” journey. He or she can be a source of encouragement and of course, knowledge. In my opinion, if your healthcare professional’s first reaction is to get you on fertility drugs as a first step, start looking for another one. Fertility drugs should be used only after trying other methods.
2.) Try to Relax.
You knew it was coming, right? And it’s not easy for anyone, right? If you’ve been trying for a while, you’re likely to become more anxious about getting pregnant. But the more anxious we are, it seems it’s harder to get pregnant. Spend time in prayer each day. Ask others to pray for you. Spend time doing things you like. Get away with your husband for a romantic weekend.
3.) Consider using essential oils.
While I did not use essential oils to get pregnant, I am now using Progessence Plus Serum from Young Living to help regulate my cycle. Y’all! My period was a normal flow AND duration (4.5 days) for the first time in YEARS! I’ll keep updating here about my success, but so far I love it. It contains natural progesterone and I felt that my PMS irritability was regulated as well. UPDATE: my cycles were only 6 weeks apart (instead of 4-6 months) in December/February. YAAAAY!
E-mail me (eatprayreadlove@gmail.com) if you want more information on becoming a wholesaler to get it much more cheaply ($37.50 USD). (Also, even though it’s $50 retail, this bottle will last a long time. I’m thinking at least months. I’ll keep you updated on that as well.) UPDATE: I’ve been using the bottle almost daily for two months. It’s about halfway gone and I’ve also given away two small sample bottles out of it. WORTH IT!!
4.) Cut out sugar and white flour.
It may sound crazy, but I truly believe this is a huge contributing factor to how I got pregnant each and every time. If you’ve had a doctor explain PCOS to you, you probably know that the gene for PCOS and diabetes are closely related (or something like that!) and you may notice that eating lots of sugar affects your weight very easily. Each time I cut out sugar and white flour, I was pregnant within 2-3 months. And getting healthier is never a bad thing!
5.) Lose weight if you’re overweight.
This one goes hand-in-hand with number 2. Our bodies- whether we have PCOS or not- are more receptive to pregnancy when they are healthy. And of course, if you’re anxious, you may be stress eating (hello, chocolate!), causing even more weight gain. If you’re overweight, set a goal with your doctor to lose some weight. At the very least, you’ll feel better. And if you do get pregnant, you’ll be glad to be down those pounds!
6.) Ask your doctor about taking metformin.
If you’ve been trying a while to get pregnant and have cut down on your sugar intake, you may want to consider metformin. Metformin is a drug prescribed for help with blood sugar control. I was taking this when I got pregnant with our third child. Continuing to take it during the first trimester can also help reduce miscarriage in women with PCOS. It’s not a fertility drug like Clomid, but it can help with getting pregnant if you have PCOS.
Although none of these are a sure-fire way of gettting pregnant with PCOS, I believe it’s what helped us.
If you have PCOS, I’d love to hear your experiences in the comments.
(Suggested reading: How to Control PCOS. Definitely worth the $3!)
Astroglide TTC™ sponsored this blog post. The opinions and text are all mine
About Kelli Hays
Great information, Kelli. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Kelli,
A really kind and considerate spirit emanates from your writing. It’s very refreshing!
A little note I’d like to add, if you don’t mind, there are some natural approaches to addressing PCOS when trying to conceive that it is worth researching before deciding on taking medications. I find that so many women don’t know about them and when they do discover these options they say that they wished they had known this sooner.
What options other than drugs are there? I was diagnosed last week and am heartbroken over the thought of not being able to have any more children. I am already changing my diet, as I am quite overweight. I would love to know if there are natural supplements to take to aid the process.
Hi Brittany,
I would suggest that you see someone who can recommend the precise supplements for you. It is difficult to say what one person needs without knowing her overall health. Look into seeing a Mercier Therapy practitioner (I am in Los Angeles but there are practitioners throughout the U.S. and some in Europe). Also, a naturopathic doctor or integrative doctor could also be a great resource to look into.
I would also highly recommend seeking out a knowledgeable movement therapy practitioner. Movement (not necessarily exercise) is vital to the function of the body and this is the essential fact that I see being overlooked the most when it comes to fertility challenges.
I hope this helps. Feel free to contact me if I can be of anymore assistance. There are so many natural options to explore, I hope this sparks the interest to search out the right one for you.
Sincerely,
Marie
thanks for sharing your tips and your story. I have pcos also and it took 2.5years to fall pregnant with our daughter and now trying for number 2 is now becoming as difficult as the first time round. Even tho I’m in much better shape and healthier now than when I was back then.
Hello…. I enjoyed this blog and have a question. Do you have any advice as to where to start when cutting out white flour and sugar? The white flour part seems like it wouldn’t be to hard…. but the sugar part seems overwhelming, as there is sugar in everything.
Agreed! I thought in was doing so good switching to honey in my coffee and cutting out sweets. Then I realized how much sugar EVERYTHING has!
The best advice I ever got when eliminating all processed carbohydrates (which Dr. Robert Greene, “Perfect Hormone Balance for Fertility” calls chaos carbs), was to eat whole foods like fresh fruits and vegetables along with lean, grass-fed/finished meats, and whole, unpasteurized milk and eggs. I did a sugar detox for ten days to kick start ketosis. During the detox I did not eat any fruits and only vegetables that rank low on the glycemic index. It is vitally important that you do not allow yourself to get hungry. Eat plenty of vegetables, whole dairy, and lean meats. DO NOT COUNT CALORIES! Modern science is so completely backward in regard to calories. Eating the right foods is far more important than counting calories.
Hey Kelli –
Found your blog via Pinterest. I enjoyed hearing your success story! Congrats on 4 healthy pregnancies…that is amazing. I too have PCOS. It finally took a hail-mary from a doctor who would FINALLY listen to my complications to diagnose my PCOS. After that it took about a year and a half of Clomid & Metformin before I gave up on trying to get pregnant (after we’d already tried for 6 months). Lo’ and behold a few months later I was pregnant! 🙂 It was hard to hear at the time but I think your “relax” suggestion was probably the best one! No one who’s had a negative pregnancy test wants to hear it but I believe it’s truly impossible to get pregnant when you’re so stressed.
So happy for your family. Thanks for sharing your story!
Mallory
With my first we did glucohphage (met) we did clomid and eventually fell preg on femara. It was the hardest 18 months and most isolating moments I have ever experienced. I never went back on the pill and was told that my next would be easier. 3 and a half years later, 6 treatments of femara, still not pregnant. Struggling to lose weight, feeling lost. So glad I found this. I know I’m not alone
This is very helpful! Do you know of anything else
I am 23 years old and was diagnosed wth PCOS a few years ago. I have since then been placed on metformin & birth control. The struggle with getting my body to do what it should naturally do has been a constant challenge, my husband and I are actively trying to get pregnant at this time and we are praying hard that it is simple and quick despite my condition. These tips are helpful and I appreciate knowing I’m not the only one out here. We are putting our faith in God’s perfect plan and look forward to giving you a testimony of his faithfulness soon! Jeremiah 29:11