You Have PCOS.
You Can Still Get Pregnant.
PCOS can make ovulation irregular, which can make getting pregnant take longer. But PCOS does not mean you cannot become pregnant. With the right approach and appropriate treatment, pregnancy can be achieved.
First, take a breath.
If you have PCOS and are worried about your future fertility, you are not alone. One of the most common effects of PCOS is irregular ovulation. This can make pregnancy harder to achieve, but it does not mean that pregnancy is out of reach.
For many women with PCOS, the main issue is simply that an egg is not released regularly. Once ovulation is supported or appropriately induced, the chances of pregnancy can improve.
Why can PCOS make pregnancy harder?
In a typical menstrual cycle, a follicle grows in the ovary, an egg matures, and ovulation releases that egg.
With PCOS, hormonal changes can interfere with this process. A follicle may begin developing but ovulation may happen late, infrequently, or sometimes not at all.
When ovulation does not happen regularly, there are fewer opportunities each month for pregnancy to occur.
PCOS
Hormonal changes can disturb the normal ovarian cycle.
Irregular Ovulation
An egg may not be released regularly.
Pregnancy Can Take Longer
Fewer ovulations can mean fewer chances to conceive.
not mean
infertility
PCOS does not mean you cannot become pregnant
This is one of the most important things to understand. Having PCOS does not automatically mean that you will have difficulty becoming pregnant forever.
Some women with PCOS ovulate on their own and become pregnant without fertility treatment. Others need help to make ovulation happen more regularly.
If irregular ovulation is the main reason pregnancy is not happening, treatment can focus on helping the ovary release an egg.
How doctors can help ovulation happen
When PCOS is causing irregular or absent ovulation, a doctor may recommend medicines that help induce ovulation. The exact approach depends on your individual situation.
Letrozole
Letrozole is commonly used to help stimulate ovulation in women with PCOS who are not ovulating regularly. Current international PCOS guidance recommends letrozole as the first-line pharmacological treatment for anovulatory infertility associated with PCOS when there are no other infertility factors.
Clomiphene
Clomiphene citrate is another medicine that may be prescribed to stimulate ovulation in women with PCOS. Your doctor will decide which approach is most appropriate for you and whether your cycle needs monitoring.
An hCG injection may also be used. After a suitable follicle has developed, a doctor may prescribe an hCG injection to trigger ovulation at the appropriate time. This is part of a medically supervised treatment cycle and should not be self-administered without medical guidance.
What might treatment look like?
Ovulation treatment is not about forcing your body to become pregnant. It is about helping an egg mature and be released when your body is not doing this regularly on its own.
Your doctor assesses your PCOS-related ovulation pattern.
An ovulation-inducing medicine may be prescribed.
Ovulation may be monitored during the treatment cycle.
If appropriate, an hCG trigger may be used to help time ovulation.
What if it does not happen immediately?
A treatment cycle that does not result in pregnancy does not mean that treatment has failed forever.
Your doctor may adjust the treatment approach, change the ovulation-induction medicine, or consider another medically appropriate option depending on how your ovaries respond.
The goal is not simply to make you ovulate once. The goal is to find an approach that gives you a reasonable opportunity to conceive while keeping treatment safe.
A common fear about PCOS and pregnancy
“I have PCOS, so I may never become pregnant.”
This is a very understandable fear, especially when periods are irregular or absent.
PCOS can affect ovulation — but it can be treated.
When irregular ovulation is the main problem, medicines can often be used to help ovulation occur. Pregnancy can then become possible.
When should you talk to a doctor?
If you have PCOS and want to become pregnant, you do not have to wait until you are extremely worried before discussing your fertility with a doctor.
- If your periods are very irregular or absent.
- If you know that you are not ovulating regularly.
- If you have been trying to become pregnant and are concerned that ovulation may be the reason.
- If you would like to understand your treatment options before trying for pregnancy.
Continue learning about your PCOS
You have PCOS. That does not mean you have to give up on pregnancy.
PCOS can make ovulation unpredictable, but there are effective ways to help. With the right approach, appropriate treatment and guidance from a healthcare professional, pregnancy can be achieved.
Ask a DoctorMedical Content & Editorial Team, AuratSehat
Specialist Reviewer — Obstetrics & Gynaecology
This article was developed through AuratSehat’s medical content process and reviewed by a specialist in Obstetrics & Gynaecology for clinical accuracy and appropriateness.