Navigating the Road to Pregnancy with PCOS by Ebony Crameri
I'm Ebony Crameri, an Accredited Practising Dietitian & Nutritionist with a passion for using evidence-based & practical nutrition advice to help women manage their PCOS symptoms, enhance fertility, and lead a healthier life.
PCOS affects approximately one in ten women. It's a chronic condition that can impact a woman from adolescence to post-menopause. One of the most significant concerns for women living with PCOS is its impact on fertility. Around 70% of women with PCOS face difficulties conceiving due to irregular or absent ovulation, an essential factor for pregnancy.
International PCOS treatment guidelines recommend that evidence based & personalised nutrition & lifestyle interventions should be the first line treatment for all women living with PCOS including those who are trying to conceive.
Studies show that making specific nutrition & lifestyle changes can almost triple your chances of falling pregnant with PCOS. Moreover, these interventions can contribute to a healthy pregnancy, reduce the risk of pregnancy complications, and influence the health of your future child.
Navigating the Road to Pregnancy with PCOS
In this blog post we will be focusing on 4 key areas where nutrition and lifestyle adjustments can enhance ovulation and increase your chances of getting pregnant with PCOS.
Targeting Insulin Resistance
Insulin resistance plays a major role in fertility for those with PCOS. Research indicates that a significant percentage of women living with PCOS—between 75-95%—experience insulin resistance. This condition occurs when your body doesn't respond efficiently to insulin, a hormone that regulates glucose levels.
Insulin resistance can lead to weight gain, increased appetite, and intense food cravings. It can also disrupt ovulation and, if left unmanaged, unfortunately increases the risk of miscarriage.
You can reverse insulin resistance & nutrition plays a crucial role in this by influencing blood sugar levels and improving insulin sensitivity. A diet rich in whole grains, fiber, lean proteins, and healthy fats helps to stabilize blood sugar levels & reduces the demand on insulin production. Additionally, consuming carbohydrates with a low glycemic index and incorporating regular, balanced meals can promote weight management and improved metabolic health, further supporting individuals with insulin resistance.
Supporting Hormone Health
Hormonal balance is pivotal for fertility. Hormones play a crucial role in ovulation, and any disruptions can impact your chances of conception. In PCOS, insulin resistance can cause your ovaries to start overproducing testosterone, which can shut down ovulation. Signs of high testosterone include acne, excess hair growth, hair fall & male pattern baldness, weight gain & irregular or absent periods. Focusing on making dietary choices to manage insulin resistance is key to reducing testosterone & supporting healthy ovulation.
Embracing an Anti-Inflammatory Eating Approach
PCOS is associated with chronic, low grade inflammation, irrespective of your body weight. Chronic inflammation can impact on ovulation & make weight loss more challenging. Anti-inflammatory dietary patterns such as the Mediterranean Diet can be a powerful tool to support more regular ovulation & enhanced fertility. The Mediterranean Diet is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and seafood & has been proven in research to reduce inflammatory markers, improves ovulation rates & enhance fertility treatment outcomes. This dietary pattern can also have benefits for enhancing mood & improving your metabolic health. A Mediterranean eating pattern is not just eating foods from the Mediterranean region. It’s a very specific dietary pattern that can be adapted to suit your own individual food & taste preference.
Focusing on nutrients that play an important role in ovulation
There are a number of nutrients that have a direct and indirect role in healthy ovulation. One such nutrient is folate, a B-vitamin known for its importance in preventing neural tube defects during pregnancy. However, its may also play an important role in supporting more regular ovulation as well. Folate can be found in green leafy vegetables, certain fruits such as citrus & strawberries & in fortified wholegrains.
Another crucial nutrient is vitamin D, which has been linked to improved reproductive outcomes. Research suggests that vitamin D deficiency might be associated with irregular menstrual cycles and reduced ovulation rates for women with PCOS. Ensuring adequate vitamin D levels could potentially support healthy ovulation & fertility.
Omega-3 fatty acids, found abundantly in fatty fish like salmon, is important for ovulatory function. These healthy fats have anti-inflammatory properties that can support follicular development.
There are a number of different nutrition & lifestyle strategies that can help you ovulate more regularly & improve your fertility. It’s important to remember that you don’t need to implement all of them to see results. Seeking the advice & guidance of a fertility nutrition expert will help you determine which of these changes will be most beneficial for you to make based on your unique fertility needs & concerns.
Ebony Crameri is an Accredited Practising Dietitian with over 12 years clinical experience as a dietitian. Ebony has a special interest in nutrition for fertility, PCOS & peri-menopause & provides online consultations to women across Australia & Internationally. Ebony’s interest in fertility nutrition first developed after my own struggles with infertility & pregnancy losses. Ebony has turned her journey from infertility to motherhood into her passion & created her online business Project Nutrition to help women to support their reproductive & hormone health and optimise their diet for fertility. You can find more information about Ebony & her services on her website http://www.projectnutrition.com.au or her Instagram page @hormone.nutrition
Disclaimer: This blog post is for informational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical advice or personalised dietetic advice. Always consult with a healthcare provider before making changes to your diet or lifestyle, particularly if you have a medical condition.