Miscarriage impacts your physical and emotional health. Here’s what you can do to prevent PCOS miscarriage and become a healthy mother.
The world’s 6%-15% of women of reproductive age are suffering from PCOS. It leads to quite a handful of reproductive issues from the very starting of ovulatory (menstrual) irregularities till the delivery of the child.
Let’s have a reality check on the complications of PCOS pregnancy and how to prevent them.
PCOS & pregnancy complications
The polycystic ovarian syndrome affects your reproductive health in multiples stages throughout the pregnancy:
1. Infertility
Due to irregular ovulation and poor egg health you may have difficulty conceiving.
2. Miscarriage
After conception, you may have increased risks of early pregnancy loss due to hormonal fluctuations and a weakened reproductive system.
3. Gestational diabetes
After the first trimester, later pregnancy complications begin to arise. You may develop insulin resistance and have what is called gestational diabetes. It usually goes away after delivery but may also turn into type-2 diabetes.
4. Preterm delivery
12.9% of PCOS women have early delivery between 20 and 27 weeks. This impacts the growth and health of the child.
Risk factors of miscarriages
You may be at a higher risk of early pregnancy loss if you have:
- Had a miscarriage before
- Insulin resistance/ type-2 diabetes
- Age more than 35
- Metabolic syndrome
- A habit of smoking or drinking alcohol
- Uterine or cervical problems
- Abnormal weight
Reasons of miscarriage in PCOS
1. Insulin resistance
Insulin resistance to some extent in normal pregnancy is common. This is developed by your own body by causing an increase in various hormones like placental growth hormone (PGH), and human placental lactogen (HPL).
The purpose of it is to restrict the glucose uptake by the mother and to supply those nutrients to the fetus for growth.
But in a woman with PCOS that already has insulin resistance, an increase in PGH and HPL during the gestation periods can lead to early pregnancy loss and the development of type-2 diabetes.
2. Obesity
Early pregnancy loss affects 30 to 50% of PCOS women compared with 10 to 15% of normal women. Obesity is linked to an increase in the risk of PCOS miscarriage in the first trimester.
3. Hypothyroidism
Having hypothyroidism can affect your metabolism and lead to abnormal weight gain and obesity. Even minimal thyroid dysfunction, which is common in PCOS, can affect the cognitive development of the offspring and may even cause recurrent PCOS miscarriages.
4. Excessive male hormone
Excessive insulin levels can also lead to an overproduction of androgens (male hormones).
Elevated testosterone levels are one of the three main features of PCOS diagnosis. They also cause more recurrent miscarriages and implantation failures as compared to normal pregnancies.
5. Endometrial dysfunction
Implantation of the embryo in the womb is adversely affected by PCOS. This happens due to decreased receptivity of the endometrium (tissues of the uterus).
High androgen levels crush estrogen levels, which degrades endometrial development and implantation leading to POCS miscarriage.
PCOS miscarriage symptoms
There are many signs of a spontaneous pregnancy loss:
Having periods
During the first months after conception, you may observe a little vaginal bleeding. If it is similar to mild spotting that does not necessarily require a sanitary napkin is normal. This is called implantation bleeding and means that the egg is attaching itself to the uterus.
However, if you observe reddish discharge of continuous flow with some blood clots, this means that your period has arrived and you’ve had a PCOS miscarriage.
Apart from periods, other possible signs that could indicate PCOS miscarriage are:
- Brown clotty discharge
- Abdominal cramps followed by periods
- No breast tenderness or morning sickness
- Severe back pain
- Contractions
- The flow of white pinkish discharge
- Weakness
- Mood swings
Management of PCOS & miscarriage prevention by Ayurveda
PCOS is not to be taken lightly and you must seek medical help as soon as you are diagnosed.
The most obvious solution for preventing POCS miscarriage is to get cure PCOS in the first place. Even though modern health science says that POCS is incurable, Ayurveda holds the opposite view.
Clinical trials have proven the effectiveness of curing PCOS fertility issues only with the help of an individual-specific natural diet, herbal medicines, and a yoga routine.
Ayurvedic natural treatment for PCOS and PCOS miscarriage can help you conceive by regulating the menstrual cycle and improving reproductive health.
It is the best option available for PCOS women who may have flickering hopes of curing PCOS and becoming a mother. It does not merely treat your fertility complications, which are the symptoms of PCOS, but the very root cause of the disorder i.e. an imbalance of hormones in the endocrine system.
Here are a few tips for you to boost your reproductive health and prevent PCOS miscarriage:
1. Fix your insulin sensitivity with a diet
Eat a diet that has a low glycemic index and low glycemic load. Stay away from sugar-coated, refined grains, and fatty foods like artificial sweeteners, preservatives, and deep-fried foods.
Eat little and eat often. Include protein-rich foods as protein is the body-building food that also keeps you feeling full for a long time.
2. Avoid these foods to manage hypothyroidism
There are many foods that must be avoided with hypothyroidism, some of those are soy products, high carbs, and too many fibrous foods.
3. Shift to a dosha-based diet
PCOS is caused by an imbalance of tridosha and aggravation of Kapha and Vata dosha.
It happens due to incompatible diet and lifestyle habits.
Eating the right kind of dosha-pacifying diet is the first step in ayurvedic treatment to bring your health in order and cure PCOS.
4. Take essential nutrients
Make sure that you eat foods that provide you with prenatal vitamins like B6, B12, and folic acid.
Their natural sources are fruits, starchy vegetables, low-fat milk products, and green vegetables, respectively
5. Yoga to burn the body fat and PCOS management
You should do some physical activity to stimulate body organs and lose bodyweight.
These yoga poses are the best for PCOS belly when followed with a balanced diet.
6. Eat natural foods that boost fertility
In Ayurveda, certain foods help women in improving fertility by strengthening the reproductive system.
Here are some foods that are the best to beat PCOS fertility issues.
7. De-stress yourself
It is highly important to stay in your best mood and mindset during pregnancy as it affects the health of you and your baby.
Stressing too much can also lead to delayed conception and early miscarriages.
Try to do meditation, take walks in the lap of nature, and journal your thoughts to de-stress yourself.
Key takeaways
Miscarriages can be caused by many health disorders that are associated with PCOS.
To prevent PCOS miscarriage is to treat PCOS from the roots or at least manage the symptomatic health problems like insulin resistance, obesity, and hyperandrogenism.
PCOS miscarriage prevention with Ayurvedic treatment is the best natural option available. It is cost-effective, free from side effects, and promotes overall health
FAQs
- Obesity
- Insulin resistance
- Excess androgens
- Thyroid dysfunction
- Lack of essential nutrients
All of these are interconnected and can lead to PCOS miscarriage.
30-50% of women with PCOS have an early pregnancy loss, this rate is 10-15% for women without pcos. It is believed that you are 3 times more likely to miscarry in comparison to normal pregnancy.
You can prevent PCOS miscarriage by treating it naturally. You must avoid the foods and habits that aggravate the health disorders that coexist with POCS. Following the right diet and doing regular physical activity is key to treating PCOS. There are some herbal medicines that can revitalize your reproductive health but they must be taken under the supervision of an ayurvedic doctor.
Yes. Having one PCOS miscarriage in the past can lead to recurrent miscarriages in the future as well which indicates that reproductive health requires the much-needed healing and restoration, probably due to deterioration by PCOS.