| Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) afflicts about | | | | produce male hormones which further hinders |
| one in ten women of childbearing age according to the | | | | ovulation. |
| U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office | | | | Though there is no cure, it can be managed and |
| on Women's Health and it is the most common cause | | | | women can get pregnant despite having PCOS. You |
| of female infertility. However, just because you are | | | | and your partner should discuss these options with |
| diagnosed with having PCOS, this does not mean you | | | | your doctor but for the purposes of you getting a start |
| cannot get pregnant. There are many options available | | | | in your information gathering, here are a few options |
| to you if you find yourself in this situation. The first thing | | | | that you should make familiar to you: |
| you need to do is to start informing yourself of what | | | | Fertility drugs typically stimulate ovulation and |
| PCOS is and find out how you can get pregnant while | | | | clomiphene, metformin, and gonadotropin are very |
| having PCOS. To begin your journey of information, | | | | common methods to treat infertility. As a matter of |
| here is a brief overview of PCOS. | | | | fact, the Office on Women's Health states that for |
| Every woman has two ovaries on either side of her | | | | most patients, clomiphene is usually tried first. Then, |
| uterus. These ovaries contain follicles that are | | | | things can get a bit invasive as PCOS can also be |
| essentially tiny sacs that hold liquid and these sacs are | | | | treated by the use of surgery. "Ovarian drilling" is a |
| also called cysts. Within these tiny sacs are the eggs | | | | procedure intended to bring on ovulation. A doctor will |
| that need to be released. Every month, about twenty | | | | cut a small hole above or below the woman's navel, |
| eggs get ready to mature into fully developed eggs | | | | use a specialized tool to look inside the abdomen. |
| yet, usually, only one egg reaches full maturity. When | | | | This is called a "laparoscopy." The doctor will then |
| this happens, the follicle breaks open and the egg is | | | | puncture the ovary with a needle that carries an |
| released. This egg travels through the fallopian tube | | | | electric current. This destroys a small portion of the |
| and into the uterus for fertilization. This process is | | | | ovary. The idea behind this procedure is that it will |
| called ovulation. | | | | reduce the amount of male hormone in the woman's |
| The problem lies in the eggs fully maturing. If the | | | | body which will encourage ovulation. However, there is |
| woman has PCOS, she does not produce enough | | | | a risk that you will be left with scar tissue on the ovary |
| hormones that the egg needs to fully develop. Once | | | | that can impede ovulation and this procedure's effects |
| this happens, the follicles may just fill up with fluid but | | | | may only last a few months. |
| not release the egg. If the egg is not released, the | | | | Again, there are many fertility treatment options for |
| woman cannot produce the hormone progesterone | | | | you if you have PCOS and want to get pregnant. |
| and without progesterone the woman's cycle | | | | There is nothing wrong with doing this but being |
| becomes irregular or even absent. In addition, the | | | | informed is the best way for you to help yourself and |
| follicles may just remain as cysts and these cysts | | | | keep your emotions in check. |