3 mistakes women with PCOS make when it comes to increasing their fertility and falling pregnant

As a fertility nutritionist I love helping women with PCOS to improve their fertility and fall pregnant. And I hear a lot of stories from my clients about what they have been doing to try to solve solve their fertility issues themselves… and while I am happy that they’ve been so proactive, sometimes what they’ve been doing is doing more harm than good.

And so today I wanted to share with you 3 of the most common mistakes I see women with PCOS making so that you can avoid this! And, I will also share what you can try instead.

So if you’re a woman with PCOS really struggling to fall pregnant then read on because these are 3 mistakes you do not want to be making!

MISTAKE #1: Seeking fertility treatment before making any diet and lifestyle changes

It’s heart-breaking how many times I have been told the same story by women with PCOS. They may have been diagnosed with PCOS when they were younger and prescribed the contraceptive pill to ‘regulate their cycles’ (this is not how the pill even works, but that’s for another blog post entirely!). Then they are told, when they are ready to try for a baby down the track they can seek fertility treatment. 

Yet, the research shows us that diet and lifestyle changes are SO EFFECTIVE at managing PCOS, improving fertility and helping couples to conceive that they should be offered as the FIRST LINE of treatment. 

So, if you have been told that you will need to go down the fertility treatment path, but you haven't been supported to make diet & lifestyle change, you could be skipping a crucial (and much more simple) step.

AND if you do need fertility treatment, personalised diet & lifestyle change will impact on the success of treatment as well as pregnancy outcomes and the health of your future baby.

If you’ve got no idea where to start, check out my free download ‘6 Hacks for Increasing your Fertility with PCOS’ (hint: the ‘hacks’ are simple diet and lifestyle changes that you can implement TOMORROW!).

MISTAKE #2: Focussing on weight loss as a solution

Another common story and massive bugbear of mine. When women with PCOS are having trouble conceiving, they go and see their doctor only to be told that they need to go and lose some weight. They are often prescribed Metformin and sent on their way with some healthy eating guidelines. 

So they go all in. Women who are ready to start a family are super motivated. So they do everything they can - they cut calories, restrict carbohydrates, reduce portion sizes and might even start cutting out foods containing gluten and dairy. They join a gym and start doing high-intensity interval training 4-5 times per week.

But more often than not, their weight doesn’t budge. They still have PCOS, they still have irregular cycles and they still aren't pregnant. They are hungry, exhausted and at a loss as to what to do.

The problem is, with PCOS it's not as simple as 'calories in and calories out' and it can actually be a detriment to your fertility. This sort of approach can be extremely stressful for your body and does not address the underlying drivers of PCOS. 

Rather than focussing on weight loss, I support my clients to identify their unique underlying drivers of PCOS and then we work to correct it with personalised diet and lifestyle changes. You can make a start on this by getting some basic blood tests done with your GP.

MISTAKE #3: Taking a one-size-fits-all approach

There really is no one-size-fits-all approach to managing PCOS. I’d be out of a job if there was.

So many women with PCOS jump from one diet, supplement or lifestyle change because someone told them that it worked for them. And I understand how tempting and exciting this must seem.

Trying a certain diet because it worked for your friend with PCOS or someone in a Facebook group, may only hinder your healing and prolong the time that it takes to improve your fertility and fall pregnant with PCOS.

The diet and lifestyle changes you need to make should be tailored to your body, your blood work and your health. Again, identifying and correcting your unique underlying driver of PCOS is key to regulating your cycle, restoring ovulation and increasing fertility.

Next steps?

So, now you know the 3 biggest mistakes that women with PCOS make when it comes to improving their fertility and falling pregnant. Are there any of these that you’ve perhaps already made? 

The most important thing to remember is that you are unique and personalised diet and lifestyle changes is where it’s at with managing PCOS and becoming a mother to a happy, healthy baby.

And remember, diet and lifestyle changes should be offered to you as the first line of treatment for improving your fertility with PCOS because they are just so effective. 

If you would like my help on your journey from PCOS to pregnant, then click here to book a free call to chat with me about my signature program the PCOS to Pregnant Protocol where I have helped many women manage their PCOS, improve their fertility and finally fall pregnant. 

Felicity