Questions to Ask a Doctor About PCOS & Pregnancy

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is a disorder that involves the formation of ovarian cysts. The disorder affects a woman's hormones, causes weight gain and irregular periods, and can make becoming pregnant difficult. Once pregnant, a woman is at a higher risk of getting certain conditions that will require special treatment by a qualified medical professional.

Fertility Medication and Effects

• If you have PCOS and you want to become pregnant, or you have become pregnant, there are several things you will want to talk to your doctor about in order to ensure a healthy pregnancy and successful birth. If you have used fertility medications to become pregnant, you will want to talk to your doctor about some of the potential effects associated with the fertility medications you have taken. Because fertility medications can cause the release of several eggs from the ovaries, the potential for multiple births after taking fertility medication is much higher.

  You should ask your doctor about the possibility of multiple births and how a pregnancy for multiple children is handled to ensure the optimal health of all of the unborn children you carry. Questions you should ask should relate to whether you are at a higher risk for miscarriage, what you can do to prevent a possible unwanted termination of the pregnancy, and if a C-section will be required to deliver the child/children. You will also want to talk about the risks associated with any potential surgical procedures that you might ever require.

Potential Risks

• Women who have PCOS and become pregnant are at a higher risk for a number of health conditions. You are at an increased risk of getting gestational diabetes, hypertension and preeclampsia, as well as clotting disorders, during your pregnancy. You will therefore want to speak to your doctor and ask what you can do to minimize your risks of getting such disorders. Ask about any necessary dietary changes, what vitamin supplements the doctor recommends, and find out what kinds of exercise would be appropriate during your pregnancy so that you can achieve and maintain optimal health throughout the pregnancy. You might also want to question the doctor about the types of tests that are performed during your pregnancy to monitor for conditions like gestational diabetes, hypertension and preeclampsia; what signs and symptoms to watch for, and how such conditions are treated if and when they do arise.

Weight Loss Recommendations

• Women who have PCOS are often overweight due to the hormonal imbalances that accompany the condition, according to the Mayo Clinic. If you want to become pregnant or if you have become pregnant, you will want to ask your doctor about safe weight loss methods for you. By losing excess weight you will reduce your potential for having a miscarriage or for delivering a very big baby. Weight loss will also help in naturally remedying some of the hormonal imbalances you have; this is particularly important for the woman with PCOS who wants to get pregnant because hormonal imbalances can cause problems with the implantation of the embryo.

Miscarriages and Early Births

• If you are a woman with PCOS and you have become pregnant, you have won only half the battle. You will need to be extremely careful during your pregnancy because you have a 45 to 50 percent chance of having a birth that is pre-term or of having a miscarriage, according to medical experts with Epigee. You will, therefore, want to have the very important talk with your doctor about measures you can take to avoid a miscarriage or a pre-term delivery, if at all possible. Most of all, follow your doctor's recommendations to the letter to ensure the health of yourself and your child.