PCOS & Fertility

PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) or PMOS polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome is the commonest reason periods go irregular in women trying to conceive. It's also one of the most treatable. Most women with PCOS do get pregnant, given the right step-by-step approach. At TheFertilife, Dr. Anshika Lekhi starts PCOS-related fertility on the least invasive option that fits your case. We don't jump straight to advanced treatment.

Book a PCOS Fertility Consultation. Call or WhatsApp +91 9560026697 Speak directly with Dr. Lekhi's team to schedule.

"PCOS treatment isn't one-size-fits-all, and it isn't always escalating, either. Some women need nothing more than a structured weight and lifestyle plan to start ovulating again. Others need medication from the start. The mistake I see most is starting everyone on the same protocol instead of working out which category a patient actually falls into first." — Dr. Anshika Lekhi

How Does PCOS Cause Infertility?

PCOS throws off the hormonal signals that trigger ovulation. So periods go irregular or stop. That's usually the first sign. No ovulation, no egg released most months. Nothing to fertilise. The eggs themselves are usually fine in PCOS. It's the release that fails. That's also why PCOS-related infertility treatments work so well. We're restoring ovulation, not fixing egg quality.

How is PCOS Diagnosed?

Two of three features, and it's PCOS. Irregular or absent ovulation. Signs of high androgens, either on examination (extra hair, acne) or in blood. Polycystic-looking ovaries on scan.

Polycystic-looking ovaries on their own don't mean PCOS. Not without one of the other two. So we don't diagnose off a scan alone. History, bloods, imaging. All three.

What's the First-Line Treatment for PCOS-Related Infertility?

For women who are overweight, losing 5 to 10 percent of body weight restores ovulation in a fair number of cases. On its own. Before any tablet.

When a tablet is needed, letrozole is now first-line for PCOS, ahead of clomiphene citrate. A landmark randomized trial showed higher live birth rates with letrozole. It's a fairly recent shift. Plenty of older pages online, and some clinics, still start with clomiphene. For most PCOS patients that's no longer the evidence-based first choice.