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Can a Woman With PCOS Get Pregnant?
One of the most common questions I get from women who are newly diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome is "Will I ever get pregnant?" I have not been able to find specific studies regarding fertility and PCOS-likely because it is so hard to track those who are successful in getting pregnant without medical intervention. One source said that women with PCOS have an 80-90 percent chance of having a baby, but I was unable to find any research studies to back this up. While some women with polycystic ovarian syndrome will not be able to get pregnant, I believe that the majority can and do eventually have healthy babies. First, 5-10% of women of childbearing age have PCOS. If their symptoms are mild they are often undiagnosed. If they have even one child, many physicians will say they can not have PCOS. This is ridiculous if you look at the diagnostic criteria. The most common criteria for diagnosis include a failure to ovulate regularly. However, for many women this means they have long cycles (35 days or longer in many cases) but they DO ovulate. Some women with PCOS have unhealthy eggs because their periods are too far apart, in many cases this is correctable with herbs, diet or drugs. Many women with PCOS also have a thyroid condition. Frequently, if this is treated they begin to ovulate. Many women with PCOS have frequent miscarriages, but they eventually have a healthy baby-often with the help of progesterone cream or suppositories. Some women find that losing weight, taking vitex or other herbs, or reducing stress cause them to begin ovulating (for me it was all three!). Some learn to detect ovulation through cervical mucus and basal body temperatures (BBT or temperature charting). Again, these women often have healthy babies without medical intervention. It is hard to know how many women with PCOS become pregnant without help since many women are first diagnosed with PCOS because they are having trouble getting pregnant. Often metformin or other insulin-sensitizing drugs work wonders and they are able to get pregnant and carry a baby to term. The fact is, only a small percentage of women with PCOS ever make it to the stage of trying fertility drugs. Clomid (clomiphene citrate) is often the first drug of choice since it is cheap and easy to take. I did find studies indicating that Clomid alone works for 70% of women with PCOS. Other women find that they need Clomid and metformin or stronger fertility drugs. The success rate tends to drop a bit as time passes and stronger methods are tried, but the bottom line is that most women who have PCOS and want children have them. Even for those who are told they will never succeed at getting and staying pregnant, there is much reason to hope. Several close friends of mine have surprised themselves and their doctors by getting pregnant after years of infertility. "Lisa" adopted three children and then found herself pregnant in her late 30's. It seems that for many women their PCOS symptoms mellow out as they get older. "Anne" went to the doctor to find out why she was infertile after several years of marriage-she was 3 already months pregnant and boy number two followed just 15 months later. "Susan" had three miscarriages and was told she would never carry a baby to term. Four months later she was pregnant with her daughter and her son is two years younger. "Barb" got pregnant when she was not even thinking of fertility and now counts herself extremely blessed to have two healthy boys. I know many women who have done everything possible to get pregnant, even IVF, and have not succeeded. But the majority of women with PCOS DO get pregnant. There is even more reason to hope for the young women who are just now learning they have PCOS. First, they are more likely to be diagnosed at all. This means many women will be diagnosed who would have been overlooked ten or fifteen years ago when my generation was first beginning the march from doctor to doctor looking for answers. We know so much more than we did then. Treatments, both natural and medical, are much, much better than ever. In addition, being diagnosed now means they have the chance to prevent much of the physical and emotional trauma older women have experienced because our doctors just did not know how to help us. My advice to any particular woman is to do all you can to increase your fertility (see my other articles and my books for more information about this). Then do your best to relax and let your body work. The odds are with you in the long run. Julie Renee Callaway is a life coach specializing in helping women cope with PCOS, infertility and other health issues. You can get a free newsletter about PCOS at http://www.pcoscoach.com
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Alternative Medicine What You Need To Know About Pregnancy And Tanning Booths If you are pregnant, there are things you should know about pregnancy and tanning booths. Tanning beds safety while pregnant has become very questionable. A better choice might be to use the sunless tanning spray booth equipment to keep your golden tan. Sex During Pregnancy It is important that you nourish your relationship as much as your nourish your unborn child during pregnancy. Most women find that their bodies grow large and unwieldy during pregnancy. Many women are surprised to find that their sex drive actually increases during pregnancy, particularly during the second trimester. This is due to the increased amount of blood that is coursing through your pelvis and vagina. How to Get Your Pre-pregnancy Body Back The second biggest question you will ask yourself as a new mom is, "Will I be able to get back into shape after I give birth?" (The first, of course, is, "Will I be a good mother?") The truth is, yes, you can get back into pre-pregnancy shape and, if you desire, you can get yourself into even better shape than you were in before your pregnancy. Piece of Mind During Pregnancy - It is Possible with Babysheart After four years of marriage my husband and I started to plan for our family. Unfortunately we ran into some fertility issues because of my endometriosis. We eventually went to a specialist and were able to conceive after 2 years of trying to have our first child. Unfortunately I had an early miscarriage, and it left me very emotional. We decided to try again as soon as medically possible and conceived again. This time I was so anxious because of the miscarriage. I would count the days to my next ob visit just to hear the heartbeat. Are Epidurals Bad? EPIDURALS CAN SAVE YOU FROM THE "HORRORS" OF CHILDBIRTH Morning Sickness Survival Tips "Just eat a few saltines and you'll be ok". Planned Parenthood Prevents Teen Pregnancy Planned Parenthood is an alternative for teenagers when they do not know where else to turn. They offer education on parenting, sexually transmitted diseases, unwanted teen pregnancy precautions and offer support for individuals who want to terminate their pregnancy. Teens are provided guidance and education from trained staff members rather than receiving all their information about sex from their peers. Many Parents Are Against Planned Parenthood Many parents are against their children seeking out the services in Planned Parenthood facilities, feeling it promotes sex rather than abstinence. Typically parents opposed to Planned Parenthood are parents who do not educate their children on the risks of engaging in sex. They promote abstinence without discussing any other options with their children. Planned Parenthood provides education about the dangers of engaging in sex as well as options should the teen choose to engage in sexual activity. Many Teenagers Feel Safer Talking To A Planned Parenthood Staff Member Many teenagers feel safer talking to a Planned Parenthood staff member about sexual relationships rather than with their parents. It is surprising to hear that many teenagers have not discussed sex with their parents. When asked where they go to find their information the majority of the teenagers say their peers. For pregnant girls who are too afraid to approach their parents, the staff at a Planned Parenthood facility offers a supportive environment for anyone who is questioning whether or not to go through with their pregnancy. Many teenage girls find the facility non judgmental and easier to discuss all their available options. Planned Parenthood Coming To A School Near You! Planned Parenthood has facilities throughout the country. Some schools also encourage staff members from Planned Parenthood to come to their schools to educate students about the dangers of engaging in unprotected sex. With the education the facilities provide, more teenagers are aware of all their options and therefore tend to make more informed decisions about sex. Armed with more knowledge teenagers are better equipped to make intelligent decisions about sex. Whether a teenager chooses to abstain from sex or use protection, every parent generally agrees that a decline in overall teenage pregnancies is in everyone's best interest. I encourage parents and teens to seek out the services of Planned Parenthood, as parent and child alike would benefit from the education these facilities provide. If you are a parent having a difficult time talking to your child about sex, contact the Planned Parenthood facility nearest you. Very Early Signs of Pregnancy - Do You Know the 10 Pregnancy Signs? Very early signs of pregnancy - are there 10 pregnancy signs? Yes, there are signs that indicate very early that you are pregnant. Some women will experience one or two of them, others will have several of the very early signs of pregnancy. Once you have conceived, it will take about a week for the fertilized egg to implant in the uterus. As implantation happens, it's now possible to experience one or more of the 10 pregnancy signs and begin to know you are pregnant. Around this time, hormone levels begin to change, and the body reacts to these new hormone levels. Calcium and Pregnancy Studies show that most women do not get enough daily Calcium. And many pregnant women do not realize that the typical prenatal vitamin only contains 4-20% of the RDA of Calcium. Calcium is essential for strong teeth and bones, muscle contractions, nerve function and blood clotting. Calcium-deficiency results in decreased bone density (which in turn leads to osteoporosis and increased bone fracture risk), hypertension, preeclampsia, and increased cavities. There is also clinical evidence that correlates Calcium-deficiencies with preterm deliveries, low birth weight babies, high blood pressure in baby and cesarean sections. Our bodies cannot produce Calcium, therefore we must consume it. The Recommended Daily Allowance of Calcium for pregnant or, breastfeeding women, is 1,200 mg. Good sources of Calcium are listed on the bottom of this article. There is, however, much more to getting your daily allowance than just consuming 1,200 mg of calcium. There are many factors that contribute to how much calcium is actually absorbed by the body. For example; How Do I Date My Pregnancy? Accurate dating of pregnancy is one of the most important steps in your prenatal care. Every decision you make and many tests that are run are directly related to or interpreted from where you are in your pregnancy. Using the first day of your last menstrual period as the starting point is the standard convention for dating pregnancies ¯ that's because it's a date most women can recall, whereas the actual date of conception is a little harder to pinpoint. Just How Soon After Having A Baby Is It Realistic To Try And Fit Into Those Pre-Pregnancy Jeans? That depends, say the experts, on a number of things including how high your body mass index was before getting pregnant. Pregnancy and Pre-natal Vitamins Pre-natal vitamins are important to the health of a growing baby. They are also important to pregnant mothers because their bodies are going through so many changes. Delight in Pregnancy Bedrest My first experience with bedrest was at 30 weeks into my second pregnancy when I was dilated between 2-3 centimeters. I was on strict bedrest which I renamed "pregnancy prison." All my life's freedom as I knew it was put on hold or "put to rest." I had a bad attitude about the whole thing and fantasized that the baby would come early so I wouldn't have to suffer any longer. My wish of an early delivery came true 4 weeks into bedrest. Successful Weight Loss After Pregnancy How fast you lose weight will depend on a number of factors, including the amount of weight you gained during your pregnancy. Will I Get Stretch Marks? If I Do, What Can I Do? It doesn't seem possible at the outset of pregnancy, but your skin really will stretch enough to accommodate your baby. Collagen and elastin in the skin guarantee it. It seems that collagen has the tensile strength of steel and by the end of the pregnancy, you'll understand why this is important. Exclusively Pumping Breast Milk It is commonly recognized that breast milk is the best possible nutrition for an infant and more and more women are choosing to breastfeed their babies. But what happens if breastfeeding is not possible? Many people would suggest that the only alternative is to bottle feed formula. But, due to the improvement in breast pumps over the past decade or so, an increasing number of women are making the decision to exclusively pump breast milk for their babies. Eating Healthfully When A New Baby Arrives A new baby can be overwhelming for the whole family. The last thing on your mind is cooking for yourself or eating a healthy diet. However this is the time you really need to eat right. Whether you are breastfeeding and need the extra calories, want to increase your stamina against the sleep deprivation or are starting to think about losing the "baby weight" - a healthy diet can really help with your energy level and overall outlook. Here are a few tips for how to eat healthfully during this exciting time. After Birth Weight Control After having given birth; weight becomes a lasting issue for many women. Folic Acid - An Overview of Its Importanace Before and During Pregnancy FOLIC ACID AN OVERVIEW Coping With an Unplanned Pregnancy Your period is late and you start to think maybe you might be pregnant. Maybe you are afraid to go take a test because you don't want to find out the results. You may be asking yourself "how could this happen"? If you find yourself pregnant with an unplanned pregnancy all kinds of emotions may run through your mind. Perhaps you are secretly excited about this but scared to tell your husband. Maybe you are not married and scared about facing motherhood alone. Maybe you do not want any more children and the prospect of having another baby is the worst thing you could imagine right now. There are many scenarios that lead up to unplanned pregnancies. Mistakes in judgment happen, condoms break, birth control pills fail, even tubal ligations and vasectomies fail.
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