Pcos & Your Fertility

PCOS & your fertility

PCOS stands for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. It is a common endocrine condition and affects up to 10% of all women. As the name suggests, it is a syndrome, meaning a group of symptoms that make up the condition.

Women who suffer from PCOS also have increased chances of experiencing infertility, insulin resistance and diabetes.

In this blog post we are taking a look at the main symptoms of PCOS, how to achieve a true diagnosis and some natural treatment options to reduce symptoms and increase your fertility.

Symptoms of PCOS

The main symptoms that cause women with PCOS to seek medical assistance include irregular periods, weight gain/insulin resistance and male pattern hair growth. Here is a more definitive list:

·       Irregular periods, which can end up being no periods at all for some women

·       Weight gain

·       Blood sugar dysregulation, which can show up as mad sugar cravings, light headedness etc

·       Male pattern hair growth in women, so hair growing on the face, back and buttocks.

·       Rapid hair loss

·       Acne, especially around the hairline

·       Difficulty getting pregnant and other fertility issues

 How is PCOS diagnosed?

PCOS can’t be diagnosed without a full medical history and some appropriate pathology testing. This does not include ultrasound. Let’s see why.

Ultrasounds and PCOS

It is difficult to diagnose PCOS based on an ultrasound alone. Female ovaries are in a constant state of flux and at the time of the ultrasound, the ovaries may appear to have immature follicles (as is the case in PCOS) however these follicles may be completely normal and will continue to develop.

To get a correct diagnosis of PCOS,  all three criteria must be present. These are as follows:

1.     Irregular cycles -> or an ultrasound that shows polycystic ovaries due to not ovulating

2.     Pathology testing for androgens that shows they are high

3.     Androgen excess is not due to any other reason; your doctor will rule this out to diagnose PCOS

Natural management options for PCOS

Like all health conditions, the driving factor behind PCOS can be different for each individual. With the help of a Naturopath, you can discover what drives your PCOS, which will dictate what measures you can take to reduce your symptoms and improve your fertility.

In saying that, the following lifestyle measures will aid most types of PCOS because insulin resistance can often be a main feature of the condition.

Reduce simple carbs in your diet. This means reducing or removing sugar and all white foods, such as white rice, white bread, white pasta, and bakery goods. Instead of these foods, focus on complex carbohydrates such as quinoa, buckwheat, brown rice and legumes.

Here are some food ideas that may be helpful:-

Breakfast 

·       Chia seed pudding

·       100 % wholemeal sourdough spelt or rye with avocado and a boiled egg or 2

·       Low Gi fruit such as berries, apples and pear with natural yoghurt, sprinkled with seeds

Lunch 

·       Leftovers from dinner!!

·       Salad with feta and a tin of tuna or salmon

• Lentil, walnuts and leafy greens salad

Dinner 

·       Meat with cauliflower mash and greens drizzled in olive oil

·       Quinoa with curry lentils and feta

·       Buckwheat pasta with bolognaise sauce filled with meat and grated veggies

Try gentle intermittent fasting by restricting your eating window to 8 to 10 hours each day. This style of time restricted eating has been shown to significantly improve hormonal and metabolic profiles in women with PCOS.

An example of an intermittent fasting schedule may look like the following:

Breakfast at 9am, lunch at 1 to 2pm and dinner completed by 6pm. There would be no food consumed between the hours of 6 pm and 9 am which would leave a 14 hour fasting period. 

Movement. Exercise is so important for health, especially where hormones are concerned. It helps to reduce insulin resistance and improve energy and functioning of the body as a whole. Things like yoga, pilates, walking and strength training 3 times per week are great options.

Stress management & sleep – this is huge in all area’s of health, and particularly so where hormones are concerned. You can start to manage your stress load with daily practices like meditation, gratefulness and spending time in nature. Good quality sleep is also essential for healthy hormones, and research has shown that a lack of good quality sleep can exacerbate weight gain and insulin sensitivity in women with PCOS.

Some of the herbal medicines used for PCOS such as Peony, Licorice, Black Cohosh, Cinnamon and Spearmint will be discussed in my next blog so stay tuned.

There are also some key nutritional supplements that are important in balancing blood sugar levels for those who have an insulin resistance that is driving their PCOS pattern. These too, will be talked about in an upcoming blog.

Egg Quality and PCOS

PCOS has been know to affect egg quality therefore it is highly recommended that you consider taking a supplement such as Nicotinamide, Resveratrol, Coq10 and/or Melatonin to help improve it, if you are trying to conceive.

If you wish to read more about getting pregnant when you have PCOS please click here or get in touch either by booking in a 15 minute free discovery call or an Initial Naturopathy appointment to get you started.

I look forward to helping you manage your PCOS symptoms and improve your fertility.