Colette Harris - PCOS and Your Fertility: Your Guide To Self Care, Emotional Wellbeing And Medical Support

Words of Praise for PCOS and Your Fertility

A valuable and informative guide for any woman experiencing problems with fertility.
Joan Z. Borysenko, Ph.D., the best-selling author of
Inner Peace for Busy Women

At last! A simple, accurate, and empowering message for the thousands of women diagnosed with PCOS.
Christiane Northrup, MD.

Copyright 2004 by Colette Harris and Theresa Cheung.
Revised and updated 2011.

The moral rights of the authors have been asserted.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any mechanical, photographic or electronic process, or in the form of a phonographic recording; nor may it be stored in a retrieval system, transmitted or otherwise be copied for public or private use, other than for fair use as brief quotations embodied in articles and reviews, without prior written permission of the publisher.

The authors of this book does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment for physical or medical problems without the advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The intent of the authors is only to offer information of a general nature to help you in your quest for emotional and spiritual wellbeing. In the event you use any of the information in this book for yourself, which is your constitutional right, the authors and the publisher assume no responsibility for your actions.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978-1-84850-491-2 in print
ISBN 978-1-84850-437-0 in epub format
ISBN 978-1-84850-380-9 in Mobipocket format

Dedication

For women with PCOS and the people who support them

A big thank you to Theresa for being such a great, enthusiastic and energetic colleague; to Hay House for being so supportive and helpful; to Chris for his steadfast support and kindness; to everyone at Verity and in the international PCOS community for their hard work getting PCOS on the map; to all the women who have contacted me and Theresa to share their stories and thoughts on dealing with PCOS we couldnt have done it without you.

Thank you to Colette for being such an inspiration and joy to work with. Thank you to our editor, Michelle Pilley, for her support and encouragement. Thank you to Hay House. Thank you to Ray, and to my two beautiful children, Robert and Ruth, for their patience and love while I completed this project. Thank you to the many women with PCOS I spoke to in the course of writing this book. I am truly grateful for the insight you gave me.

Thank you to all the experts and advisors listed below for giving their time and thought to the questions asked and sharing their knowledge with us and/or their important research on PCOS and fertility.

Dr Adam Balen Consultant Obstetrician and Gynecologist and Subspecialist in reproductive medicine and surgery, Leeds General Infirmary

Frances Box B.A., M.A.R., M.I.F.A., I.I.S.T., I.C.A.S., I.T.E.C., Raw. Dip. Reflexologist & Aromatherapist

Lucy Broughton Health journalist

Umahro Cadogan Lecturer at the Danish Institute of Optimal Nutrition

Bernice Chiswell Bsc SRD. Senior Dietitian, Bedford Hospital, UK

Dr Gerard Conway Consultant Gynaecologist, Middlesex Hospital, London

Dr Alice Domar Harvard Medical School, Mind/Body research program

Dr James Douglas Reproductive Endocrinologist, Plano Medical Center, Plano, Texas

Dr Robert Franklin Clinical Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.

Prof Stephen Franks Professor of Reproductive Endocrinology, Imperial College, London

Jacqui Garnier MAR Reflexologist, London

Dr Marilyn Glenville Nutritional therapist

Prof Gabor Kovacs Director of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia

Dr Neils Lauersen Obstetrician and Gynecologist, St Vincent Medical Center, New York

Dr Helen Mason Senior Lecturer in Reproductive Endocrinology, St Georges Hospital Medical School, London

Jules McClean BA, Couns. Adv.Dip.Couns. M B A C P (Accred), counsellor and psychotherapist

Denise Tiran MSc RM RGN ADM PGCEA, midwife, university lecturer, aromatherapist

Dr Samuel Thatcher Expert in reproductive endocrinology serving on the Advisory Board of the American Infertility Association

Dr Ann Walker Medical herbalist and nutrition research scientist,

Toni Weschler Fertility Awareness Counselling and Training Seminars

Ive just been diagnosed with PCOS and told it means I might not be able to have children! What on earth is this condition? And how can I make sure it doesnt affect me this way?CHARLOTTE, 26

Ive got PCOS and the clock is ticking. I havent met Mr. Right yet and sometimes wonder if I ever will. I want to have children and Im seriously considering becoming a single mother by choice.RACHEL, 35

I dont want to have kids right now as I just dont feel ready, but Im worried that PCOS will affect my future chances of getting pregnant when the time is right for me.JENNY, 24

You may be reading this book because you have polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and have been trying for a baby, without success, for some time now. Problems with fertility are the number one reason why women visit their doctor and end up being diagnosed with PCOS. Perhaps you have PCOS and you are worried about how the condition may impact on your chances of motherhood in the future, or perhaps you are pregnant and worried about being a high-risk pregnancy.

If fertility is a concern for you, youre certainly not alone. Research shows that women with PCOS are more concerned about their fertility than women without, and that this can affect their quality of life.question many women with PCOS ask, even if they dont want a baby right now, is: Will I be able to have babies when the time is right for me?

If you have PCOS, fertility is a big issue. When your periods are irregular or absent and there are problems with ovulation, youre more likely to have problems. Without an egg in the right place at the right time to receive a sperm, you cant get pregnant. And even if all this happens, the incidence of miscarriage for women with PCOS is thought to be higher than average. But dont panic. Heres the good news:

Recent studies show that many women with PCOS get pregnant and give birth to healthy babies readily, once they get some key symptoms under control by balancing underlying hormone levels. And in many cases these pregnancies occur without fertility drugs.

Over 70 percent of women with PCOS do manage to conceive naturally in the end. Over 20 percent manage to conceive with treatment. There is much hope and considerable help for PCOS patients to establish a pregnancy, says renowned expert in reproductive endocrinology, Dr Samuel Thatcher. Therapy may be as much as 90 percent effective for fertility problems related to PCOS.

This book is designed to help you maximize your chances of being able to get pregnant and have a healthy pregnancy. It provides a practical handbook for you to work through as you go on your fertility journey.

Chapter One explains what PCOS is. Then, whatever stage of the journey youre currently at, the Seven-Step Fertility-Boosting action plan is a basic set of guidelines for women with PCOS to follow, to help maximize their ability to conceive. It will work as a primer for you even if youre not ready to start trying just yet; as a booster if you are trying; and as the foundation for a self-care plan that can be fine-tuned especially for you if you find you need some extra help.