How PCOD Affects Infertility

It is common for people suffering from polycystic ovarian disease (PCOD) to worry about getting pregnant even if they are not thinking of having a baby anytime soon. However, knowing there are options available to get pregnant helps reduce their anxiety.

PCOD is a complex hormonal condition that affects women. In Ahmedabad alone, around 5% to 10% of women of child-bearing age suffer from it.

In this article, we will talk about what is PCOD and how it affects fertility?

Let’s begin with what PCOD is?

Mostly, women with PCOD do not have regular menstrual cycles. Every month, women have menses, but women with PCOD may go long intervals without having a period.

This indicates that ovulation is not occurring. The ovary cannot mature the egg for release, and therefore there is a build-up of immature eggs. This results in eggs failing to be expelled at the time of ovulation.

What are the symptoms of PCOD?

Some most common symptoms include:

• Irregular menstrual cycles
• No periods at all
• Obesity
• Excess hair on the face, stomach, and back
• Acne
• Mood swing

How does PCOD affect fertility?

Women with PCOD may ovulate less regularly or predictably and might be more prone to miscarriages, which is why it is a common cause of infertility.

For couples trying to conceive, PCOD can make it challenging to coordinate sex to their menstrual cycles fertile days when ovulation happens. It can become more problematic if ovulation occurs every few months.

Getting pregnant with PCOD

As a significant number of women with PCOD in Ahmedabad struggle to conceive naturally or experience delay, it becomes necessary for them to see an IVF doctor in Ahmedabad early on in their fertility journey. 

The specialist can help you overcome infertility due to PCOD by stimulating regular ovulation with the right medication. 

Usually, the first step is a simple ovulation check done during the second half of a woman’s cycle to see whether ovulation is occurring or not.

If it is erratic or non-existent, then an ovulation-inducing drug may be prescribed, or the doctor may use a closely monitored injectable or, in complicated cases, IVF. 

How to improve fertility?

PCOD and obesity are interconnected. Being overweight can make the symptoms of PCOD worse, thereby making it harder to become pregnant. Doctors recommend weight loss as a first step for people with PCOD trying to conceive.

It can increase the chance of ovulation and of having regular periods. Further, having a healthy weight decreases the risk of complications like preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and pregnancy-induced hypertension.

You can achieve weight loss through exercise and consuming fewer calories every day. For losing weight safely and effectively, you can take the help of personal trainers and nutritionists.

What are the treatment options available to conceive if you have PCOD?

Fertility medications – Doctors, will mostly prescribe oral medications to encourage ovulation. If they fail to help you, then the next step is injectable fertility medications.

These medications stimulate egg growth. However, careful monitoring is required to avoid complications.

Intrauterine insemination (IUI) – The doctor may recommend ovulation-inducing medications in combination with IUI. The success rate of IUI could be up to 15% per cycle, depending on the individual case. However, the pregnancy rates are not as high as IVF.

In vitro fertilization (IVF)

IVF can be an option if PCOD fertility medications do not give successful results. IVF gives higher rates of pregnancy and better control over the risk of multiple births as this technique allows doctors to transfer a single embryo into your uterus.

If you suspect or have PCOD, you should not give up on your dream of having a child. It would help if you visited a reputed IVF centre in Ahmedabad for treatment.