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PCOS and pregnancy

3-minute read

Polycystic ovarian syndrome, or PCOS, is a common hormonal condition in women. Women with PCOS can struggle to become pregnant and are at higher risk of developing complications during pregnancy. However, by managing the symptoms, many women with PCOS can become pregnant and have a healthy baby.

What is PCOS?

PCOS is a condition where the ovaries produce higher than normal levels of male hormones (androgens). This can affect a woman's menstrual cycle, fertility and appearance. Symptoms of PCOS include:

Diagnosis

It often takes a while for women with PCOS to get a firm diagnosis, as the condition can mimic other problems. Sometimes women having trouble getting pregnant find they have PCOS.

If you think you might have PCOS, it is important you see your doctor to find the cause of your symptoms. With early diagnosis, the symptoms of PCOS can be treated early. This reduces the risk of complications if you do decide to become pregnant.

At your appointment, your doctor will:

  • talk to you and examine you
  • take a blood test to check for male hormones
  • arrange ultrasound scans to look for cysts in the ovaries

PCOS and infertility

If you have PCOS, you might struggle to get pregnant. This is because the high levels of male hormones prevent the release of an egg (ovulation).

You can increase your chances of getting pregnant by:

  • being a healthy weight — even a 5 to 10% loss in weight has been shown to significantly increase the chance of becoming pregnant
  • healthy eating
  • exercise
  • monitoring ovulation and timing sexual intercourse around ovulation

If you have made some changes and that still hasn't helped, your doctor might order fertility tests and prescribe fertility medications to help you ovulate.

If medications don't work, your doctor might suggest surgery to remove a tiny amount of tissue that produces excess male hormones in the ovaries.

Another option is in vitro fertilisation (IVF), which offers the best chance of conception.

However, this can be expensive and is usually only considered when all other options have been unsuccessful.

Fortunately, with lifestyle changes or infertility treatment, the majority of women with PCOS do become pregnant.

PCOS and pregnancy

Having PCOS can increase your risk of some complications during pregnancy, such as:

Women with PCOS also have a higher likelihood of needing a caesarean delivery because their babies might be larger than expected for their gestational age.

Babies born to women with PCOS have a greater risk of dying around the time of delivery and of being admitted to a newborn intensive care unit.

If you have PCOS and are pregnant, it is important you talk with your doctor. The risk of these complications can be reduced by monitoring PCOS symptoms and taking extra care during your pregnancy.

Find out more about PCOS complications.

Learn more here about the development and quality assurance of healthdirect content.

Last reviewed: January 2020


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