How Can I Ovulate Naturally With PCOS? Learn 3 Powerful Tips
Every month do you hold your breath, especially when your period is late? And every month do you end up disappointed and crying tears of defeat? It shouldn't be this hard. You have so many questions about how to get your body to work right and one of them is, how can I ovulate naturally with PCOS?
I get the chance to talk with a lot of women who have PCOS and one thing they say to me is that they just want to ovulate naturally.
Yes, getting pregnant would be great, they say, but they want their body to ovulate because that's a sign their body is working right.
They feel disappointed every month because their body can't do the one thing it's supposed to.
Does this ring a bell?
If it does, then you’re in the right place.
And that's why today I'm going to share these 3 powerful tips in order to help you ovulate naturally with PCOS.
What is PCOS?
It's official name is Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. But did you know that PCOS is one of the most common causes of female infertility? Yup, it's true. And the thing about PCOS is that it is known as a syndrome which means that different symptoms make up the PCOS diagnosis. The three symptoms for PCOS are:
Ovulation issues
Cysts on the ovaries
Elevated androgen hormones like testosterone and DHEA
If you have at least two out of three of these symptoms? Then you get diagnosed with PCOS.
What is Ovulation?
Ovulation is when the egg releases from the ovary. That egg then travels down to the uterus to try and meet up with the sperm in order to make a baby. But if no egg is released with ovulation, then no baby can be made.
What are the Signs That Show Ovulation isn't Happening?
There are a variety of ways to tell if you are ovulating or not. These are some of the most common ways:
Irregular periods
Long periods, as in you ask yourself when was the last time I had a period? Months! Years!
Negative ovulation predictor kits that you do at home
No change in body temperature if you do temperature tracking
Low progesterone on a lab test
No signs of ovulation with an ultrasound
What is it About PCOS That Keeps You From Ovulating Naturally?
It's estimated that up to 80% of women with PCOS have issues ovulating naturally. That's because PCOS causes specific changes in the body that affect ovulation. Here are some of the most common causes of ovulation issues with PCOS:
Elevated androgen hormones like testosterone and DHEA
Too much insulin in the body
Cysts on the ovaries
Low progesterone
Elevated or low estrogen
Too much FSH
So now you know why ovulation is important, how to tell if you are ovulating and what it is about PCOS that lowers ovulation. Let's jump into my top 3 tips on how to help your body to ovulate naturally with PCOS.
Ovulate Naturally with PCOS: My Top 3 Tips
Ovulate Naturally with PCOS Tip #1: Figure Out Your PCOS Type
Did you know that there are four different types of PCOS? Discovering your PCOS type is powerful. Once you know your PCOS type, then you understand what's going on in your unique body that is keeping you from ovulating.
The four PCOS types are:
Insulin-resistant
Adrenal
Post-Pill
Inflammatory
Each of these four types are doing something in the body that can stop ovulation. So the first step is to figure out which of the steps you fall into. Once you know your type, then you've got some good clarity on what is keeping your body from ovulating.
Insulin-resistance can stop ovulation because too much insulin increases testosterone which shuts down ovulation.
Adrenal PCOS can stop ovulation because it leads to blood sugar issues and low progesterone.
Post-pill PCOS can lead to ovulation not happening by contributing to hormone imbalance like elevated estrogen or low progesterone
Inflammatory PCOS can cause issues with ovulation through a variety of ways. While general inflammation has been found to lower ovulation, a few other things can lead to inflammation and affect fertility as well.
If the inflammation is coming from the digestive tract, then that can contribute to hormonal imbalance like elevated insulin or estrogen, or low progesterone.
If the inflammation is coming from an autoimmune condition like Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, that can change TSH levels which shut down ovulation.
Do you see how important it is to get clarity on what's going on in your unique body? Because once you figure out your PCOS type, the next step is to get a plan that addresses those issues. Once you have a plan that addresses your unique fertility needs, that's when ovulation and fertility open up. Pretty cool, isn't it?
Ovulate Naturally with PCOS Tip #2: Evaluate your Labs From An Optimal Fertility Perspective
PCOS fertility labs are another powerful way to get concrete information about what's going on in your body that's keeping you from ovulating. Labs can tell you about different hormone imbalances or nutrient deficiencies that are contributing to you feeling defeated every month.
But here's the thing, getting labs ordered is only the first step. The second step, and perhaps the most important step, is getting your results evaluated from an optimal-fertility perspective.
Here's what I mean.
When you get lab results back, they typically show the reference range that was used to decide if you are within range or not. This is known as the "standard reference range".
This standard reference range is used for every single person in every single case. Lab technicians don't know anything about your health, they just compare your blood samples to the reference range and then give you a result.
If your doctor reviews your results and only compares them to the standard reference range, you could be missing out on important information that's keeping you from ovulating.
PCOS Fertility Lab Example
Take TSH for example. The standard reference range for TSH is (usually) anything 8 or below. But for fertility? There is a much tighter reference range. TSH needs to be in a much more optimal range because it directly acts on the ovaries to support ovulation.
Vitamin D, ferritin and progesterone are three other great examples of labs that have a standard reference range that is different than the optimal fertility range.
So don't fall into the trap of being told that everything looks "normal" when it really is still getting in the way of your ovulation.
Curious to learn more about PCOS fertility labs? Listen to my podcast episode about it here.
Ovulate Naturally with PCOS Tip #3: Get Clear on Your Cyclical Hormones
In order to ovulate naturally with PCOS, you first need to get clear on what's keeping you from ovulating in the first place. You've gotten some good clarity on that in steps #1 and #2. Now it's time to turn the focus to your cyclical hormones.
This is what I mean when I say cyclical hormones. Cyclical hormones are the ones that change throughout the month. They are the ones that need to stay in their monthly rhythm in order for ovulation to happen.
These are the main cyclical hormones:
Estrogen
Progesterone
LH
FSH
Are these hormones doing what they are supposed to be doing in your body throughout the month? If you aren't ovulating naturally, then you already know that those natural hormone shifts are not happening. But it's also important to get these hormones tested to know what needs to change.
Once you get clear on these hormones, then you can get a plan that addresses what's going on. Then your body will be one step closer to ovulating naturally.
In Summary
Too often women with PCOS who aren't ovulating are being told to get on a medication. But for many people, that's a band-aid approach.
What you need is to figure out what is keeping your body from ovulating and have a plan that addresses those things.
Once you do that, there's potential that your natural ovulation will open up, but if not? Then at the very least you have increased your chances of those fertility medications working.
These are the three steps that you learned about today to help improve ovulation:
Figure out your PCOS type
Evaluate your labs from an optimal fertility perspective
Get clear on your cyclical hormones
Are you not ovulating and feeling like time is running out every cycle?
Then it's time for a change.
That change is to book a PCOS Fertility Breakthrough Session.
In this session, you will discover:
How to turn around your PCOS frustrations to be closer to reaching your fertility goals.
Why what you’ve been doing is leading you away from optimal fertility and what actually works.
What’s been missing from your care that’s keeping you from seeing results.
Clear step-by-step guidance to have your best chance at becoming pregnant.
Don't spend another month holding your breath and feeling as if your body has failed you.
Did you love this article? Are you excited to learn more about improving fertility with PCOS? Great! Here are the articles you need to read next:
Can I Still Get Pregnant With Poor Egg Quality? Here Are The Details You Need To Know
Getting Pregnant With PCOS Quickly: 3 Truths You Need to Know
Everything You Need to Know About Egg Quality and PCOS Fertility