If you’ve been told you have PCOS and left the appointment with more questions than answers, or been told Letrozole or IVF are your only options, then this episode is for you.
I sit down with Dr Michelle Smith, a Chinese medicine practitioner and acupuncturist who has spent years helping women navigate fertility — but her expertise didn’t start in the clinic. It started with her own diagnosis of PCOS, now renamed PMOS (Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome).
Michelle and I bring both lived experience and clinical experience to this conversation, and together we unpack why PCOS is being renamed PMOS and what that name change actually means for you. It’s not just semantics. It reflects a deeper understanding of the metabolic drivers behind this condition, and it opens the door to treatment approaches that go far beyond “just lose weight” or “take letrozole.”
I’ve had patients spend years chasing ovary or ovulation fixes when the real driver was insulin resistance nobody had properly addressed. That’s not a small oversight. That’s years of trying, without the right map.
We talk through the hormonal and metabolic intricacies of PMOS, how insulin resistance shows up in ovulation and egg quality as well as the impact of acupuncture and what those needles are actually doing at a physiological level to support your cycle. As Michelle puts it, “Each time I’m putting an acupuncture needle into one of my patients, I’m sending a message to their brain of how I want blood to flow throughout the body.” She’s clear that this isn’t about chasing more follicles or more hormones, it’s about releasing blockages to help your body work more effectively.
We also share pieces of our own stories with this condition, because if you’re sitting with a PMOS diagnosis wondering what it means for your chances of becoming a mum, we want you to hear this, a diagnosis does not mean you can’t get pregnant! I personally have two beautiful children and together Michelle and I have helped many, many more women with PMOS, create their families too.
PMOS brings its own set of fertility challenges, but combining acupuncture, nutrition, and lifestyle support gives your body the best possible conditions for conceiving and sustaining a healthy pregnancy, often without needing to lean on IVF or fertility medications at all. We also touch on how to support your body through an IVF cycle with PMOS if that’s your path.
A PMOS diagnosis isn’t the end of the conversation for your fertility. It’s the start of a more informed and empowered one.
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