PCOS and Pregnancy: Supporting Your Fertility Journey with Naturopathic Medicine

By Dr Kristen Mark ND

Understanding more about PCOS and Pregnancy:

Key to supporting your fertility journey with a PCOS diagnosis is understanding more about what that means for you, specifically.. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common gynecological conditions diagnosed, and is often understood to be linked with lowered fertility. Unfortunately, many people are handed this diagnosis and told that they will have trouble conceiving. This can be very distressing news and can increase concerns around trying to conceive. What is rarely discussed are the finer details of PCOS, which include a variety of symptom profiles that call for varied treatment approaches. Not all PCOS pictures look the same, and fertility is not equally affected in every person. Depending on which profile you fit, your treatment regime can differ widely from someone else with the same basic diagnosis. Working with a Naturopathic Doctor to determine your PCOS profile can be a very useful first step.. 

Common Features of PCOS: 

Some common features in PCOS include irregular or missed periods, missed ovulation, insulin dysregulation (often, but not always resistance), hyperandrogenism, and the growth of numerous cysts on the ovaries. In fact, the most common barrier to conception with PCOS is timing. When we don’t know when we’re going to ovulate, it makes it tough to time attempts to conceive. When we know what’s going on in your specific body, and what may be interfering with regular, monthly ovulation we can start to support regular menstrual cycles and monthly ovulation, taking the guesswork out of conception timing. 

How Can Naturopathic Medicine Help?

Depending on how your physiology is affected, there are plenty of botanical, nutritional and lifestyle interventions that can support improved hormonal and menstrual regularity. That’s why investigation by an ND into which characteristics of PCOS apply to you is central to supporting a fertility journey. 

By engaging in a thorough assessment, we can create a treatment plan that targets the PCOS features that most impact your life and your fertility. Using a combination of dietary and lifestyle approaches, such as eating for better insulin signaling and integrating regular physical activity into daily living; nutritional or botanical supports that address your specific symptom picture; and potentially integrating conventional medical treatments to maximize benefits while minimizing adverse side effects, we can have great success at improving menstrual regularity and supporting fertility in folks with PCOS. There are abundant research supported strategies to address the spectrum of PCOS symptoms naturopathically., 

PCOS Doesn’t Have to Mean Giving Up On Pregnancy

Every fertility journey is unique, and if you have been diagnosed with or suspect you may have PCOS, Naturopathic Medicine can offer support in regaining a sense of control over your reproductive health. When we better understand your particular set of signs and symptoms, we can target our treatment to address the factors most likely to affect fertility, and improve chances of conception. Working with a practitioner that will explore your symptom presentation, do thorough lab investigations, and work with you to support the aggravating factors that most affect your life, can make all the difference in pregnancy outcomes. 

PCOS need not be a reason to give up on your pregnancy hopes. There is plenty of support available, and several effective treatment approaches to explore. As I emphasize with every concern relating to reproductive hormones, birth control is not the only option, nor is it always the most effective! If you have hopes of becoming pregnant, and have been diagnosed with or suspect that you may have PCOS, reach out for support today.

We are here for you.

Talk to your Naturopathic Doctor about how you can improve your fertility and PCOS symptoms

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