Human reproduction is a beautiful mechanism that is naturally created. Various factors like lifestyle, age, and even your environment play an important role in conception, and most couples won’t be aware of their fertility until they start trying. The health of both men and women plays a significant role in getting pregnant.
Among the leading causes of infertility in women, the big ones are polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and Endometriosis.
PCOS and Endometriosis in a nutshell
Women suffering from PCOS have a hormonal disorder. All women have both male and female hormones; however, in women with PCOS, there are excess androgens, or male hormones, in the body. Women with PCOS mainly have issues with menstruation and ovulation. There will be excess facial hair, and you may gain weight and a receding hairline, too. All these symptoms are due to excess male hormones. PCOS women have trouble conceiving because they will have difficulty with ovulation.
In women with Endometriosis, the tissue that usually lines the uterus grows elsewhere, on the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and other pelvic structures. Endometriosis symptoms are pelvic pain, painful periods of pain during sex, and issues with conceiving.
PCOS and endometriosis are relatively common conditions for women, and an estimated 7% to 10% of women are affected by each of these conditions, and some women do have both. If you’re living with either PCOS or endometriosis, the first concern will be your chances of conception. You would want to know, “Can I get pregnant with both PCOS and endometriosis?”
Why are PCOS or Endometriosis a concern for pregnancy?
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), infertility is defined as being unable to conceive after 12 months of regular, unprotected intercourse. The effect of PCOS and endometriosis is such that WHO referred to PCOS as a leading cause of infertility. As per estimates, around 80% of women with PCOS experience difficulty conceiving. Between 30% to 50% of people with endometriosis may experience infertility. However, both these conditions affect fertility in different ways.
Effect of PCOS on Pregnancy
Due to the hormonal imbalance that occurs due to PCOS, the ovaries get affected, and ovulation does not happen regularly. These women experience missed periods or very long menstrual cycles. The fertility window opens around the ovulation period, so when it becomes irregular, it is difficult to know when is the best time to have intercourse. So, there is a guessing game that makes conception difficult.
As per a research review on managing PCOS Global Health Journal, it has been noted that the other symptoms of PCOS, like being overweight, excess androgens, and high levels of luteinizing hormone (LH), negatively impact fertility.
Effect of Endometriosis on Pregnancy
Endometriosis has both physical and hormonal impacts on fertility. When the endometrial tissue grows outside the uterine lining, it causes inflammation, scarring, and the formation of adhesions. Due to the bands of scar tissue, the organs “stick” to each other. The function of the ovaries and fallopian tubes gets disrupted. The scarring and adhesions block the fallopian tubes, making it impossible for an egg to travel to meet the sperm for fertilisation.
Endometriosis alters the overall environment for conception since it is a chronic inflammatory disease. Research in the Journal of Endometriosis and Uterine Disorders mentions that endometriosis alters the immune system and can cause infertility or early pregnancy loss.
Can I get pregnant with both PCOS and endometriosis?
First line of treatment for PCOS and endometriosis
Please note that as soon as you are diagnosed with PCOS or endometriosis, don’t assume that you won’t be able to have children. Having one of them or both of them is not necessarily a roadblock to pregnancy. You will need to take extra treatments and surgeries also, maybe, but you can get to your end destination.
With PCOS, the main thing is that ovulation needs to be regulated, assuming that you or your partner do not have any other fertility issues. As a first try, the fertility specialist will start with both medications and lifestyle habits, which can help regulate menstrual cycles, making conception easier. A handful of medications can help regulate ovulation by promoting the release of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) from the pituitary gland. The increase in FSH levels promotes the growth and maturation of one or more follicles, leading to the release of a mature egg or eggs during ovulation. The medications will also help regulate the menstrual cycle so that you will have an exact knowledge of the fertility window. If you know the timing of the fertility window, you can have intercourse around that time to increase your odds of conceiving. Certain medications used for treating type 2 diabetes also help to regulate hormones and menstruation in people with PCOS.
Conception with endometriosis depends on which of the four stages you are in. The first and second stages are mild, the third is moderate, and the fourth is the severe stage. The first option that a fertility specialist has is to try medication followed by surgical removal of the endometriosis, scar tissue, and adhesions. If the desired results are still not being achieved, your healthcare provider will assess if you are a good candidate for in-vitro fertilisation (IVF).
Lifestyle Changes
Lifestyle Management for Pregnancy, PCOS, and Endometriosis.
Making changes in your everyday lifestyle certainly improves your overall health. It helps regulate weight, which is necessary for any fertility treatment to work. Even if you have to go for an IVF, the fertility specialists will first guide you towards a healthy weight. The lifestyle changes could be:
- Getting to a healthier weight
- Regular exercise
- Eating to avoid sugar spikes
- Avoiding inflammatory foods such as red meat, alcohol
- Cutting back on smoking and any substance abuse
- Losing 5 to 10% of your body weight can make a massive difference in the overall hormonal system.
One of the things with endometriosis is that its symptoms are less aggressive during pregnancy since the pregnancy hormones suppress the growth of endometrial tissue.
Consult an expert Fertility specialist.
A good fertility specialist and a good clinic play a significant role in getting pregnant with PCOS and endometriosis. They will be able to give you their honest opinion. We at ZIVA Fertility Clinics treat such women with utmost care and honesty. We explain their options right from the start and monitor their progress regularly. We educate them and make sure that they practise a healthy lifestyle. We also emphasise that the male partner should also have a healthy weight and good lifestyle since the more nutritious the male sperm, the better the chances of conception. Even in the cases that you have to go for an IVF, we have decades of experience handling all cases of IVF.
A word from ZIVA Fertility clinics
PCOS and Endometriosis can be handled carefully to help you realise your dream of having a baby. We will also offer counselling services and a patient ear during your consultations. You and your partner can get all end-to-end fertility services at ZIVA Fertility clinics. For more information, please visit our website https://zivafertility.com/ or contact us at +91-9100002737 or +91-9347406900
