Question:
Hi! I am … 26 years old. I’ve been married for more than 2 years with no luck in conceiving. I’ve been diagnosed by 2 OB that I am Polycystic. For my first OB, she advised me to take Metformin, Folic Acid and Fertyl. But nothing happened because we’ve stopped the treatment due to financial difficulties. The next OB, same result but different approach. She advised me to take Althea Pills and Folic Acid. We’ve been constantly taking medicines in hope that it will heal me. But nothing happened, again. So my husband and I decided to try the natural approach but we still don’t conceive. May we ask for your assistance on what are the best natural way to do in order for me to heal and for us to have babies?
Thank you and God Bless!
Answer:
I am sorry to hear of your struggles; it must feel very hopeless to be trying everything you can to have a baby with no results! Getting pregnant with PCOS can be challenging, especially if certain factors are not addressed. The first thoughts that cross my mind are questions…
- What are your diet and lifestyle like?
- What are you eating daily?
- Are you insulin resistant?
- Do you present with all the “typical” symptoms of PCOS; high BMI, polycystic ovaries, elevated levels of androgens (especially testosterone), and acne, or not?
Your answers to these questions are important pieces to your PCOS puzzle.
It is often a misconception that going to a medical doctor is going to “heal” you. In some instances this is true but, in your case, it sounds like your first doctor was focusing on some ways to help you ovulate and get pregnant, rather than fully addressing your total health when living with this condition. Your other OB then tried another medication to help with hormone imbalance, which sounds closer to the direction you want to go, but doesn’t fully address the full spectrum of considerations one must take when working with PCOS.
Currently, there is no known “cure” for PCOS, but we have seen many women reverse their symptoms and go on to have a healthy life and healthy pregnancies through both medical treatments and natural therapies.
From my perspective, which is a holistic one that addresses your entire life: diet, lifestyle, stress levels, health history, etc., it may be time to think outside of the box and enlist a holistic healthcare practitioner to work with you. This could be a naturopathic doctor or a certified herbalist. I know that you have tried a natural approach as well, but you didn’t say what you were trying. I think the folic acid is a good start.
There are 3 key areas I think you can focus on now…
1. Learn how to eat a diet specific for women with PCOS. Our guide How to Reduce the Damaging Effects of PCOS on Fertility Through Diet and Herbs will teach you all about it.
Consider also this PCOS Fertility Diet Tip – Simple Food Choices to Stabilize Blood Sugar.
2. Eat a balanced breakfast every day!
“In a 2013 study presented in Tel Aviv, researchers of multiple universities studied the effects of eating breakfast and fertility in women with PCOS… The result showed that the women who consumed their large meal at breakfast had decreased insulin resistance by 8%, testosterone that was decreased by nearly 50%, and an increased ovulation rate—thus increased levels of fertility. The results also demonstrated that the timing of our meals, specifically breakfast, is equally as important as what and how much we consume,” according to Amy Petersen, RN, CNM, WHNP, DNP. Learn more here: Study Shows Lower Testosterone Levels in Women With PCOS Who Eat Breakfast
3. Exercise daily, for at least 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week
4. Take a whole food multivitamin that includes the right amount of folic acid for preconception needs
The following articles may help as you continue on your path of healing PCOS:
The Many Faces of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
We offer excellent, personalized fertility consultation services that provide a holistic approach, with realistic guidance on what you can do naturally, based on your unique needs, not only to help you have a baby, but improve your health overall.
Note for our readers: Fertyl is the fertility drug Clomiphene, commonly called Clomid. Althea is a combination of Cyproterone (antiandrogen drug) and Ethinylestradiol is a derivative of estradiol (E2).
- Prescription Drug Information, Interactions & Side Effects. (n.d.). Retrieved from: https://www.drugs.com/
- Jakubowicz, D., Barnea, M., Wainstein, J., & Froy, O. (2013). Effects of caloric intake timing on insulin resistance and hyperandrogenism in lean women with polycystic ovary syndrome. Clinical Science, 125(9), 423-432. doi:10.1042/cs20130071. Retrieved from: http://www.clinsci.org/content/125/9/423.long
