My friend has PCOS and wants to fall pregnant

[mam1998]

Posting on behalf of a friend
"
So I've been diagnosed with PCOS and I've been with my partner 5 years, my issue is my periods are that irregular that I can count on my hand how many times I've had a "natural period" in the whole time we've been together. We started going down fertility treatment route with the NHS and I had some tests done and had the dye test done and found that I have no blockages etc I just don't ovulate and get periods often. So my question is we're going to start trying again, I do have a bit of weight to lose before I can get help from NHS but does anyone have any advice or similar experiences to myself, can anyone recommend any supplements I could possibly try before hand or whilst I'm trying to lose weight? Any advice or help is really appreciated."

She had messaged this into a pcos support group but I feel awful that nobody responded to her, I'm really hoping to come across some helpful advice or even hopefully pregnancy story's to keep her hopes high. She hasn't had any children yet, hoping this is her year 🤞🏻

Fertility interventions work well for many women with PCOS. Weight loss if BMI is elevated will be the single biggest help beyond any supplementation - ovulation can naturally return for some women who reduce. This is because fat cells are hormonally active and contribute to the existing hormone imbalance, often resulting in non ovulation and/or impaired egg quality.

Important to also work on potential insulin resistance by cutting down on sugar and simple carbs. Vegetables and whole foods. Again more important than any supplement.

Your friend could seek assistance from a GP independent of fertility considerations, however, and could be prescribed something like metformin which could have a knock on positive fertility impact. This is because PCOS is a metabolic disorder with other potential consequences, such as heart disease, diabetes etc.

Disclaimer: I don't have PCOS but have encountered lots of information about it.

I have PCOS. For supplements, try Myo inositol powder - 4g twice a day mixed into juice or squash really helps stabilise menstrual cycles. You can get it combined with Folic Acid (for pregnancy) or you can take it separately.

For Medication, Metformin does a similar thing (but works slightly differently so you can take both the Myo and Metformin together if needed) - but it is only available from the GP on prescription and can have nasty side effects for some people (diarrhoea is commonplace).

Diet wise - low sugar (and lower carb as carbs convert to sugar) is the way to go but it takes a lot of willpower and isn’t much fun! 😢 (especially since presumably she has already given up things like alcohol and caffeine since she’s trying to conceive).