PCOS after pregnancy: The changes, possible challenges, and management tips after having a baby

In a nutshell

Affected by hormonal bursts, PCOS and its symptoms might disappear during pregnancy and even improve after giving birth. Nevertheless, PCOS after pregnancy can also bring certain challenges, such as uncontrolled weight gain or issues with milk supply, which however can be mitigated with the help of basic management techniques, such as:

• Proper diet
• Regular physical activity
• Supplements intake
• Stress management

As most of us know, PCOS can complicate conception by hindering your hormonal levels and ovulation. But what happens to PCOS after giving birth?

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Understanding PCOS

Polycystic ovary syndrome is a syndrome that’s rather commonly found in women of reproductive age and that implies the formation of fluid-filled cysts on the outer edge of female ovaries. Most commonly, the symptoms of this syndrome manifest themselves at some point in female adolescence. However, they can fluctuate and transform over time, making it rather hard to diagnose PCOS, especially given that many of its symptoms have a range of potential causes. Due to this reason, it’s generally believed that PCOS affects around 8-13%, though many other cases might flow undiagnosed or misdiagnosed.

PCOS and pregnancy: The link and possible complications

Developed in ovaries, PCOS has a direct connection with your fertility. This condition can create hormonal imbalances that can make your ovulation less predictable and give you irregular or prolonged periods. Due to these reasons, PCOS can hinder the pregnancy success rate, and roughly 70-80% of females with this syndrome are found struggling with conception.

Luckily, despite possible complications, getting pregnant with PCOS is possible, though it may require some lifestyle changes or special treatment. But while most sources only focus on the possibility of conception with this syndrome, something that is typically being left behind the curtains is what happens to PCOS after kids.

How does conception change the main symptoms?

The primary symptoms of PCOS include:

• Missed, prolonged, or irregular periods
• Enhanced amount of body and face hair
• Acne
• Hair loss
• Fertility issues
• Weight gain

The primary trigger that stimulates the appearance of these symptoms is how your primary hormones (i.e. estrogens and progesterones) levels decrease, whereas the amount of androgens (male hormones) increases.

However, in pregnancy, your hormone levels change naturally. Your body gives you a dramatic increase in estrogen and progesterone to support pregnancy and fetus development, thus, suppressing the level of androgens. And here is the trick - when your female hormones boost and androgens decrease, you can experience a cessation of your PCOS symptoms, which is rather common.

PCOS after giving birth: What happens to females postpartum

Although its symptoms might be gone during pregnancy, PCOS remains a chronic condition that has no cure, meaning that fully getting rid of the syndrome is impossible regardless of whether you’ve been pregnant and given birth or not.

Nevertheless, hormonal fluctuations during pregnancy, birth, and breastfeeding have been shown to affect postpartum PCOS manifestations.

A 2015 Geburtshilfe Frauenheilkd study attempted to explore the effects of pregnancy and parenthood on the course of PCOS. The results have shown that the ovarian volume and score haven’t drastically differed in women who have children and those who don’t. This fact confirms that the syndrome itself doesn’t go anywhere after giving birth. However, some results from the same study show a potential for improvement in symptoms:

• Testosterone levels: PCOS females who gave birth have shown generally lower levels of testosterone (67.6 % of the upper limits of normal ranges) compared to women who don’t have children (80 % of the upper limits of normal ranges).
• Cycle length and stability: Women who have children tend to have shorter and more controlled cycles compared to women who have never given birth.

These findings show that pregnancy and parenthood may have a positive impact on the long-term course of PCOS by helping females stabilize their hormones and cycles.

On the other hand, while some women report symptomatic improvements, for others, PCOS can return and some of its symptoms may actually get worse after having kids. Namely, postpartum weight gain might be a more prominent issue due to PCOS-related insulin resistance. Hormonal imbalances may also return, hindering the cycle. Additionally, a growing body of knowledge is suggesting a link between polycystic ovary syndrome and postpartum depression, with women with PCOS reporting more frequently experiencing depression and anxiety after labor.

Breastfeeding complications 

Women with PCOS and hormonal imbalances often have their breasts underdeveloped, which can cause a delay in milk coming and a low milk supply.

This doesn’t happen to all new mothers with this symptom. Hence, careful consideration of your condition might be needed in order to predict possible challenges and identify the specific lifestyle changes and supplements that can help increase your milk supply.

What affects the symptoms?

Since the causes of PCOS are still unknown, it's rather hard to predict whether pregnancy and giving birth can improve or worsen your symptoms. Yet, there were a few variables in study participants that seemed to have an impact on symptom improvement or worsening.

These include:

• Body mass index (BMI). Females who maintained a healthy BMI before pregnancy might also have more positive pregnancy and birth experiences, and face fewer challenges associated with PCOS after giving birth.
• Maternal age. Due to a naturally higher egg count and overall better health, it’s found that younger females (19-26) with PCOS might find it easier to conceive and give birth compared to women aged 35-39. Hence, picking the best age to get pregnant might also affect the postpartum outcomes. 

PCOS after pregnancy: Simple symptom management tips

PCOS symptoms might not be curable. Moreover, the imbalances created by this syndrome are frequently linked to the development of other underlying conditions, such as diabetes. Nevertheless, it’s possible to manage them at different stages of your life, including postpartum. And here’s how:

• Reconsider your daily diet. Since things like insulin resistance, diabetes, and obesity are fairly common PCOS-induced challenges, it’s pivotal to implement a healthy diet that can help you keep your insulin levels controlled. This might mean limiting the amount of sugar and processed foods, and replacing them with foods like lean proteins, whole grains, fruits, veggies, and so on.
• Create a regular exercise routine. Physical activity is a great way to manage PCOS after kids and maintain a healthy BMI. Consider different low-impact exercise options after giving birth but be sure to consult with your doctor to prevent any damage to your body.
• Take plenty of rest and give your body and mind the care they deserve. Whether before having kids or after, PCOS might mean some mood challenges along with other symptoms. Hence, it’s crucial to find stress-coping techniques and take good care of yourself.
• Don’t disregard natural supplements. Supporting your body and mind after birth might also require some natural remedies to restore inner balance, while also mitigating PCOS symptoms. Some of the most common PCOS supplements include zinc, probiotics, vitamin B, and others.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a likelihood of conceiving with PCOS syndrome?

PCOS affects the ease of attaining pregnancy. Still, conceiving naturally might still be a real opportunity after some lifestyle adjustments. And if these changes don’t help, there are also fertility treatments and IVF that can boost your chances.

Can I get rid of PCOS after having a baby?

No. Though studies confirm that many women with PCOS experience a pause in their PCOS symptoms during pregnancy or notice tangible improvements in their health afterward, the syndrome is chronic.

Can you get PCOS after having a baby?

The manifestations of this syndrome can take place pretty much at any time starting from your puberty period. However, since its symptoms might go unnoticed for a long time, most women only find out they have the syndrome around their 20s and 30s when they face complications with conception. Yet, in some cases, the symptoms might become more prominent after giving birth.

Conclusion

It’s not uncommon for PCOS symptoms to disappear during pregnancy and improve after giving birth. Nevertheless, while there might be an improvement in your hormonal levels and cycle, it’s also possible that some symptoms will return and even transform into more severe ones after labor.

To make your postpartum journey seamless and enjoyable, don’t neglect the importance of personalized guidance and adhere to the basic PCOS management tips we shared with you here!