Table of Contents
Introduction
PCOS is one of the most common hormonal disorders among women. It is said that 8–13% of women in their reproductive stage are affected by PCOS.
Although PCOS has a lot of symptoms like weight gain, excessive facial hair growth, etc., irregular periods are one of the main issues, especially for those planning to get pregnant.
In order to increase the chances of conception, it is important to have unprotected intercourse during ovulation. To track ovulation with PCOS, you need to keep an eye on a few factors, including monitoring the basal body temperature and discharge of cervical mucus.
If you have PCOS, can you still ovulate?
Yes, it is possible for women with PCOS to ovulate. However, since their menstrual cycle is irregular, ovulation might not be regular when compared to women with no history of PCOS.
This is because, for women with PCOS, there is excessive production of androgen hormone, also called the male hormone.
This hormone interrupts the egg development and release leading to anovulation or irregular ovulation.
How can I ovulate naturally with PCOS?
Although the exact cause of PCOS is unknown, we can treat or control the symptoms of PCOS in order to regulate one’s menstrual cycle.
Consult with a gynecologist: By consulting with a gynecologist and by taking the prescribed treatments and medicine, the symptoms of PCOS can be controlled.
Healthy lifestyle: It is also important to follow a healthy lifestyle by incorporating healthy eating habits by having whole and nutritious foods to your diet.
Exercise: It is also important to include some kind of physical activity for at least 30 to 40 minutes a day.
Manage stress levels: Stress is said to mess with the hormonal balance and can worsen the symptoms of PCOS. Hence it is recommended to try out stress relieving techniques including yoga and meditation.
Should you track ovulation with PCOS?
If you are trying to conceive, it is absolutely important to track ovulation even if you are dealing with PCOS in order to improve the chances of conception.
How do you know if you’re ovulating with pcos?
Ovulation Prediction Kits (OPKs): OPKs are one of the tools available. OPKS are usually urine-based test kits that detect spikes in luteinizing hormone or LH hormone.
A spike in LH hormone is usually a sign of ovulation which happens 24 to 48 hours before ovulation. OPKs are simple to use and readily available over-the-counter.
Basal Body Temperature (BBT) Charting: To track ovulation with PCOS, monitor the basal body temperature carefully.
Before getting out of bed each morning, take a temperature check, as the temperature of the body slightly rises when ovulation is about to happen. But BBT charts cannot 100% predict ovulation.
Monitoring of Cervical Mucus: Yet another PCOS ovulation tracker is monitoring the changes in the cervical mucus. Cervical mucus changes to a transparent, stretchy, and white color around the time of ovulation.
Understanding these changes can aid in determining the fertile window and adjusting the date of intercourse. However, monitoring the cervical mucus isn’t the best PCOS fertility tracker as it cannot 100% predict ovulation.
Ovarian Ultrasound: The best ovulation tracker for pcos is through an ovarian ultrasound or a follicular study where the follicles will be monitored and a shot of HCG is given to induce ovulation.
Apps: Technology improvements have made a variety of fertility applications and tracking tools accessible that can assist women with PCOS in keeping track of their ovulation.
To track ovulation with PCOS, these apps frequently combine numerous tracking techniques, including BBT charting, OPKs, and cervical mucus monitoring.
Consultation with a Fertility Professional: To track ovulation with PCOS, consulting a fertility professional may be helpful in tracking the ovulation better.
To track the ovulation more precisely, the doctors would run a few tests, like a follicular study and other hormonal studies, to predict ovulation.
Conclusion:
If you are trying to conceive with PCOS, it is crucial to track ovulation in order to increase the chances of conception.
The best way to track ovulation with PCOS is by performing a follicular study under the guidance of your gynecologist to predict the time of ovulation more accurately.
For consultations with the best gynecologist in Chennai, Dr. Deepthi Jammi, contact Jammi Scans at 07338771733.
Jammi Scans is one of the best gynecology clinics and scanning centers located in T Nagar, Chennai.
Chennai women’s clinic is now Jammi Scans
FAQ
1. How long after a period is ovulation with PCOS?
In general, ovulation occurs around the 14th or 15th day of the period if the first day of the period is considered as day 1.
Similarly with women with PCOS, it would be approximately 14 days after the period. But to be on the safer side, it is often advised that the couple planning for pregnancy should have intercourse + or – 5 days from the predicted ovulation date.
2. How many times do people with PCOS ovulate?
The number of times people with PCOS ovulates is entirely based on individuals. There are no set of rules.
3. How do you know if you’re ovulating with pcos?
By performing a follicular study, we can predict the right time frame of ovulation. That is, ovulation occurs 24 to 36 hours after taking HCG injection in a follicular study.
But apart from follicular study, there are a few other signs of ovulation that one can look for including:
- Change in cervical mucus
- Slight increase in basal body temperature
- By using an ovulation prediction kit
