Other Questions About Getting Pregnant
Can you get pregnant while breastfeeding?
Yes, a woman can get pregnant while breastfeeding. It is possible to become pregnant as soon as three weeks after giving birth, even if the person is exclusively breastfeeding and has yet to begin menstruating again according to the U.K.’s National Health Service .
Can you get pregnant on your period?
Yes, it is possible to get pregnant if a woman has sex during their period, according to theCleveland Clinic. A woman is less likely to get pregnant during menstruation, but it is still possible. Women are most fertile around the time they ovulate, but predicting this window is not an exact science and this is particularly true for women who have irregular periods.
How to get pregnant fast
Many people want to know how to get pregnant as quickly as possible. There is no sure-fire way of ensuring a speedy conception, however by following the science and evidence the above tips can help you find the most optimal times to have sex and get pregnant.
Are pregnancy tests accurate?
When used properly, pregnancy tests are claimed to be up to 99% effective, according to the Mayo Clinic. If your test reads positive, this is rarely an error, however false negatives are more common, according to the NHS.
A pregnancy test works by detecting the human chorionic gonadotropin hormone . Around six days after successful fertilisation, the body produces this hormone.
Can You Conceive Naturally With Pcos
If you are suffering from PCOS, it may be difficult for you to conceive naturally. Doctors will examine you and provide you with certain medications, which will increase the ovulation and hence your chances of getting pregnant.
If somehow, the medicines didnt work for you, the other best option to get pregnant with PCOS is IVF. IVF has a 60% of the increased chance of you getting pregnant.
Factors That Can Boost Fertility
Fertility-boosting measures, like changing your diet, taking nutritional supplements, or increasing your physical activity can make your body healthier and help you have a healthier pregnancy. If you’re overweight, weight loss that’s associated with healthy eating can be an effective tool to help your fertility.
Some studies have shown that women who live a healthier lifestyle have more regular periods and as a result, have increased rates of conception.
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Further Reading For Getting Pregnant If You Have Pcos
My doctor suggested the book Making Babies: A Proven 3-Month Program for Maximum Fertility by Sami David, MD and Jill Blakeway, Lac. You can pick up a copy here.
I havent read it, but for those of you who like to research, this is a doctor recommended resource that just might help.
This is one of the studies I read about the effects of myo-inositol on PCOS.
Use a planner like this one to keep track of your temperatures, cervical mucus, sex, doctors appointments and more:
If youve managed to get pregnant with PCOS, PLEASE share what worked for you in the comments! I get tons of comments and emails from women who just want so badly to carry and hold their own baby. You never know whose life you may touch by leaving a piece of advice that someone out there desperately needs to hear.
Even With Endometriosis Or Pcos Pregnancy Is Not Impossible
Either way, theres no cause for alarm. Having endometriosis or PCOS doesnt disqualify a woman from having a successful pregnancy these women just may need to work harder and be more aware, says Dr. Minkin. Both endometriosis and PCOS can interfere with ovulation, but typically only PCOS will threaten a pregnancy after conception.
Therefore, if you are concerned about infertility, the experts suggest using a home ovulation tracker , or a fertility monitor these tests assess the level of luteinizing hormone, which spikes at 24 to 48 hours prior to ovulation. This is a simple and proactive step you can take to help inform your gynecologist about the regularity of your cycles and may be a good conversation starter at your next visit.
If you do decide to do one of these tests, its helpful to do the test first thing in the morning, or at least the same time each time you do it. And, reduce your liquid intake for at least four hours before taking the test to get the more accurate hormone readings.
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How Does Pcos Make It Harder To Get Pregnant
Higher levels of androgens in women with PCOS can alter luteinizing hormone and gonadotropin-releasing hormone levels, which is the hormone responsible for the release of follicle stimulating hormone . Because of this, a mature follicle may never be stimulated to release an egg.
As we know, conception cannot occur without an egg. Lack of ovulation in women with PCOS can make it much more difficult to get pregnant.
Additionally, when ovulation does not occur, there is no empty follicle to produce progesterone. A lack of progesterone in comparison to estrogen levels can lead to an even greater hormone imbalance. Progesterone is also responsible for stabilizing the uterine lining and preparing it to receive an embryo. Without enough progesterone, it can be more difficult to get pregnant.
But while PCOS can make it harder to conceive, it is actually one of the most treatable causes of infertility in women. Using various ovulation prediction and confirmation methods can help women with PCOS understand more about their cycles and get pregnant faster.
PCOS is one of the most treatable causes of infertility in women.
There Are 2 Medical Conditions That May Explain Why Women Face Infertility While Lifestyle Changes May Lessen The Struggle
With Gloria Richard-Davis, MD, and Mary Jane Minkin, MD
Everyone talks about what to expect when youre expecting, but what about when you want to be pregnant but you just cant seem to get there. Fertility problems are one of those things we learn not to talk about, but about 12% of women of all ages are known to have difficulty conceiving or carrying the pregnancy to term.1Two of the most common causes of fertility in women are endometriosis and polycystic ovarian syndrome .1
To better understand how each condition impacts the ability to get and stay pregnant, EndocrineWeb spoke with two fertility experts: Gloria Richard-Davis, MD, FACOG, a specialist in infertility and reproductive endocrinology, and Mary Jane Minkin, MD, a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Yale University School of Medicine.
If you have been trying to get pregnant for months, ask your doctor if PCOS or endometriosis might be the cause of your infertility. Photo: 123rf.
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The Exact Method I Used To Get Pregnant Fast With Pcos:
- One teaspoon of this brand of myo-inositol almost immediately when I woke up
I always mixed the inositol with milk because then I could hardly taste it. It made the milk a little sweeter, but it wasnt unpleasant at all.
I truly feel like if youre desperate to conceive a baby, and your doctor is on board with these options, even trying all of them is cheaper than IVF and other fertility interventions! This is my secret to keeping my sanity while trying to get pregnant all while battling PCOS.
I absolutely cant imagine our lives without our second son in it and I feel like I owe him to this inositol / folic acid combination.
Before I ever visited the fertility doctor to discuss trying to conceive with PCOS, I went to my amazing PCP to discuss natural options to get pregnant with PCOS.
What Are The Causes Of Pcos
The exact cause of PCOS is not known but it may be genetic as you are more likely to have it if any of your relatives have it.
The symptoms of PCOS are linked to hormones:
- Women with PCOS have slightly higher than normal levels of testosterone – this is linked to many of the symptoms, such as more facial hair.
- If you have PCOS, your body may not respond to insulin , so the level of glucose is higher in your body. High levels of insulin can lead to weight gain and fertility problems. If you are diagnosed with PCOS, you are at increased risk of developing diabetes in later life
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Tip Two: Track Your Ovulation
Track your cycles! One of the hardest parts of PCOS is that your cycle may not be predictable. It may be difficult to know exactly when your fertile window is, which makes timing intercourse challenging! If each month your cycle is different, you will want to use ovulation strips to help find your fertile window!
Tracking your cycle will allow you to visualize the rise and fall of your LH levels . LH stands for luteinizing hormone, which is the hormone that triggers the body to start the ovulation process. When you use ovulation strips, you will be able to see when exactly your body is going through this process, which will allow you to have intercourse at the correct time and boost your chance of pregnancy!
Some women with PCOS have higher baseline LH levels, meaning the resting LH level is higher than a woman without PCOS. Premom offers a solution for this with the quantitative strips. The quantitative strips measure an actual LH value — as opposed to looking at the ratio between the test and control line — and can be a better option for women with PCOS. Learn more about the difference between quantitative strips and regular ovulation strips here.
Tracking My Basal Body Temperature
I wrote a lot about this in my post about how I got pregnant with baby number 2, but unless you have sex at least once every 4 to 5 days, I think its absolutely worth doing.
Pick up a good thermometer made specifically for basal body temperature charting. This is the exact one I used.
This next part is key to accurate basal body temperature!
Be diligent about taking your temperature the second you wake up.
Yes, I know you have to pee and really want to get out of bed and then take your temperature. Dont!
Take your temperature as soon as you can.
I kept my thermometer under my pillow to make this easy.
This thermometersaved my most recent reading, so I could take it, wait for it to beep, go to the bathroom, and wait until I could actually see to record my temperature.
When we were trying to conceive baby number 2, I noticed a huge difference in my temperature in October compared to when I had been diligently taking it in July and August.
Sure enough, on October 12th, I got my positive pregnancy test.
I proceeded to strap my son into his carseat, drive to the local dollar store, buy a basket full of pregnancy tests, and came home to take every one.
When you see that dip and spike in your basal temperature, its a good indication youre ovulating and its time to have sex! Lots of it for good measure.
If youve been trying to conceive for a while, you already know to watch for egg white cervical mucus or EWCM. Obviously, if you see this, its time to get busy.
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How Do I Confirm Ovulation With Pcos
In women with PCOS, it is especially important to confirm ovulation, as anovulatory cycles can be common. Additionally, women with PCOS should also confirm that ovulation was successful, meaning post-ovulatory hormone levels were adequately elevated and allow for the best possible chance at conception.
Proov is the first and only FDA-cleared PdG test kit to confirm successful ovulation at home. PdG is the urine metabolite of progesterone and only rises after ovulation has occurred. Since PdG is not present in urine if an egg is not released, Proov can confirm ovulation in women with PCOS.
Proov is the first and only FDA-cleared PdG test kit to confirm successful ovulation at home.
When confirming successful ovulation with Proov, we recommend testing on days 7-10 after peak fertility. If you are a woman with PCOS who has difficulty tracking peak fertility with traditional LH tests, we recommend trying cervical mucus monitoring or BBT tracking. If neither of those methods work, you can start using Proov on cycle day 21 and repeat every three days until you get a positive result or your period.
We like to see four positive Proov tests during the testing window to confirm successful ovulation. If you never get a positive Proov test, this could be a sign of an anovulatory cycle in which case we recommend consulting your doctor. If 1, 2, or 3 of your Proov test are negative, this could be a sign of unsuccessful ovulation, which can make it more difficult to get pregnant.
/6what Can Women With Pcos Do To Boost Their Chances Of Conception
NISHIOHMIYA …” alt=”I have pcos and want to get pregnant fast > NISHIOHMIYA …”> Even though a little difficult, women with PCOS actually go on to have the same number of children as other women. However, the journey to getting pregnant can be a little lengthier, or often requires assistance.
That being said, there are ways women struggling with PCOS can boost their chances of getting pregnant, naturally.
Managing weight gain: Weight loss is one of the ways to increase chances of conception. Since extra weight can lead to inflammation and induce stress on the body, managing your weight and BMI can regularize menstruation and help you have a baby. Seeking advice from a medical professional, or maintaining vitals as per your age can help you get started. Studies suggest that even a 5-10% reduction in weight can promote ovulation and make it easier for the body. However, it’s not a permanent solution for fertility issues.
Exercise: Regular physical activity can beat the ill-effects of a sedentary lifestyle and manage weight gain. It can also counter stress, which can be bad for conception. Simple activities like walking regularly, weight training or cardio can promote fat loss and muscle gain.
Controlling blood sugar levels: PCOS is linked to insulin resistance and can trigger diabetes, which again, is a risk factor for conception. Controlling and managing blood sugar levels may bring a change in your health.
Some women also benefit from trying out natural therapies like yoga, meditation, acupuncture.
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When Pcos May Challenge Your Ability To Be Pregnant
Women with PCOS may have trouble conceiving because excess circulating hormones can inhibit ovulation. Women with PCOS also typically have insulin resistance and higher levels of insulin-like growth factor that promote androgen production, compounding the problem, by leading to weight gain and type 2 diabetes. This constellation of symptoms places women with polycystic ovary syndrome at higher risk for gestational diabetes.
While it is well known that excess weight can exacerbate the symptoms of PCOS and the hormonal imbalances driving PCOS can promote weight gain, no one knows for sure which comes first. Experts have recently termed this conundrummetabolic inflexibility.6
One thing is certain, if you have PCOS, achieving weight lossalbeit easier said than donerepresents one of the best solutions available to increase your prospects for fertility. In a recent National Institutes of Health-funded study, women who achieved modest weight loss with a change in diet and addition of exercise improved their rates of fertility substantially.6 Dr. Richard-David agrees, and suggests that her patients aim to lose just ten percent of their current body weight, which is enough to significantly increase your chances of conceiving, and improving your pregnancy outcome and that of your baby even losing just two percent of your body weight will help.
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/9keep These Things In Mind
Apart from the position, there are some other things that you need to keep in mind while trying to conceive.
Keep a track on your fertile days. There are many apps that can tell you when is the best time to try.
Refrain from drinking alcohol and smoking as it can affect your ovulation cycle.
Avoid having too much caffeine since it interferes with conception.
Follow a healthy lifestyle -eat healthy and workout regularly.
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Cut Back On Strenuous Workouts
Being physically active most days of the week can help a woman’s body prepare for the demands of pregnancy and labor, and has been associated with a reduced risk of fertility problems, scientists reported in the March 2020 issue of the journalHuman Reproduction. But getting too much exercise or doing frequent strenuous workouts could interfere with ovulation,Live Science reported.
Doctors see a lot of menstrual disturbances in women who exercise heavily, and a lot of times these women need to cut back on their workouts if they want to become pregnant, Pavone told Live Science.
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How To Get Pregnant With Pcos: Tips By Gynaecologist
- PCOS is one of the most common causes of infertility in women. However, the condition can be managed by making some lifestyle changes like good diet and exercise, while some women could require certain medications.
Polycystic ovarian syndrome , is a hormonal condition affecting close to 5 million women in India and is one of the most common causes of infertility in women. However, the condition can be managed by making some lifestyle changes like good diet and exercise, while some may also require certain medications. Dr.MadhuriRoy,Gynaecologist & IVF Consultant, founder, and managing director of Conceive IVF, Pune Lifestyle and Fertility Treatment Options for PCOS suggests some tips for the women suffering from PCOS.
Weight loss to restart ovulation
Losing weight can help women with PCOS conceive as studies have found that shedding kilos could help normalise the ovulation process. “Many women with PCOS struggle with obesity. This is because PCOS negatively affects our insulin metabolism, which can, in turn, cause weight gain. One of the main reasons women with PCOS cant conceive is they dont ovulate regularly. According to a research, losing 5% to 10% of current weight may be enough to jump-start menstrual cycles,” says Dr Roy.
Healthy diet and exercise
Avoid junk food
Medications
Fertility procedures
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