pregnancy-fertility-pcos-abnormal-menstrual

FAQ: If a woman misses her period or has a history of abnormal menstrual cycles, can she still get pregnant?

A woman with infrequent or absent periods are able to become pregnant with her own egg as long as she is not of an age at which egg quality is an insurmountable concern and as long as she is not menopausal. The most common cause of infrequent or absent periods is polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which affects 5-10% of women of reproductive age. Weight loss and/or ovulation induction with fertility medication are the most common ways to restore ovulatory function in women with PCOS. Another relatively common cause of infrequent or absent periods is hypothalamic amenorrhea, which is a hypoestrogenic condition which can occur in women who experience extreme stress and/or extreme weight loss due to excessive exercise and/or eating disorders. In these cases, some weight gain to baseline and/or ovulation induction with injectable fertility medications are able to restore ovulatory status.