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Treatment for Polycystic Ovarian Disease During Pregnancy

Women with polycystic ovarian disease (PCOS) can have healthy pregnancies. Treatment for PCOS during pregnancy is similar to treatment before pregnancy and involves striving for normal blood sugar levels to prevent complications, such as diabetes. This is achieved with medication, diet and exercise.

  1. Medication

    • Metformin is often prescribed for women who have PCOS; it reduces insulin resistance and is instrumental in helping women with PCOS conceive. A Jewish Hospital study led by C.J.Glueck and published in the January 2001 issue of Fertility and Sterility, showed that continued use of metformin after conception decreased the risk of miscarriage (spontaneous abortion) for women with PCOS and did not cause birth defects in developing infants. Other medications used to treat PCOS, such as those to reduce excessive hair growth, should be discontinued before conception. Talk with your health care provider before discontinuing any prescription medication.

    Diet

    • Low or controlled carbohydrate diets manage insulin resistance. Many women abandon these diets once they are pregnant, failing to understand that controlling carb intake during pregnancy can help prevent diabetes and manage insulin resistance while providing a healthy diet for mother and baby. A controlled carb diet is safe during pregnancy. Choose lean protein, low glycemic index vegetables and fruits, dairy, healthy fats and whole grains. The Brewer Diet is safe during pregnancy and focuses on the consumption of whole grains that don't contribute to elevated blood sugar. Women who were on the Atkins Diet prior to pregnancy can follow the maintenance level plan while pregnant.

    Exercise

    • Exercise is important during pregnancy as it reduces stress and insulin resistance, maintains fitness and helps the mother-to-be to prepare for delivery. If you were exercising regularly before becoming pregnant, talk with your doctor about continuing and/or modifying your exercise routine. If you were not regularly exercising before becoming pregnant, discuss beginning a simple exercise routine, such as walking, with your physician. Specific exercises that can relieve pregnancy discomforts and prepare you for childbirth, such as pelvic tilts or Kegel exercises, can be added to regular exercise routines.

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