Told She Had PMOS in Her Early Twenties, Natalie Rose Edwards Conceived Naturally on Her First Try at 32 and Now Has a 9-Month-Old Son

“It wasn’t about finding a quick fix,” Natalie Rose Edwards, 34, told Newsweek as she described the years between a diagnosis of polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS) in her early twenties and the day she became a mother. The Birmingham, U.K., woman says she decided to try for a baby at 32 and conceived naturally on the first attempt. Her son is now 9 months old.

A diagnosis, then a warning about conceiving

Edwards runs an online studio called Body By Barre. Newsweek reported that she was diagnosed in her early twenties with PMOS, the condition formerly known as polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS. She had symptoms for years, including irregular periods, stubborn weight gain, bloating and hormonal imbalances.

About three years before the article, she was told that conceiving naturally would be very difficult, according to Newsweek. She said she had always dreamed of becoming a mother and that the future suddenly felt uncertain. She also said there was a time when she genuinely questioned whether she would experience motherhood.

Newsweek explained that PMOS can disrupt ovulation, so eggs may be released irregularly or not at all, which makes pregnancy harder. High prolactin can also interfere with ovarian function, the outlet reported.

The routine she calls the 3-2-8 Method

Edwards told Newsweek she shifted her focus from calorie burning and weight loss to strength training, Pilates, barre and regular walking. The result is what she calls the 3-2-8 Method: three Pilates or barre sessions, two strength workouts and about 8,000 steps a day.

She also moved to a mostly anti-inflammatory, protein-rich diet, cut back on refined sugars and balanced carbohydrates with protein and healthy fats to support blood sugar. Her supplements, per Newsweek, are myo-inositol, magnesium and vitamin D, and she says she prioritized sleep, stress management and recovery.

She reported gradual improvements in energy, bloating and overall wellbeing, along with more regular menstrual cycles. Follow-up blood tests showed improvements in testosterone and prolactin levels, Newsweek said. Edwards described the goal as creating an environment where her body felt healthier, stronger and more supported, and as beginning to understand her body rather than constantly fighting it.

Why the condition now has a different name

The name Edwards uses is new. A global consensus published in The Lancet, led by Helena J. Teede and the Global Name Change Consortium, proposed replacing PCOS with PMOS, arguing that the old name wrongly implies cysts are the core problem and hides the condition’s endocrine and metabolic features. The paper puts the condition at about one in eight women.

AJMC reported that the consensus drew more than 14,000 survey responses, that 86% of surveyed patients and 71% of health professionals supported a new name, and that a planned three-year transition is meant to carry the change through health systems. HealthDay News reported on May 15 that health experts had rebranded PCOS as PMOS to capture its multisystem nature.

What the NHS says about PMOS and pregnancy

The NHS page now uses the new name and says PMOS can make it harder to conceive mainly because the ovaries do not release an egg every month. It also says there is no cure, though symptoms can be managed with medicines and with lifestyle steps such as a balanced diet and regular exercise. A doctor may suggest other options, including clomifene for fertility, if lifestyle changes are not enough.

Edwards’s account is her own, and Newsweek presents it as one woman’s experience. Her closing comment to the outlet was about the child: she said she now wakes up every morning to see the little boy she spent so many years dreaming about, and that if sharing her story gives even one woman hope or encourages her to seek the right support, it is worth telling.

Get stories like this by email. Sign up for The Parent Diaries Letter.

This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.

Image: J. Vílchez – Public domain/Wikimedia Commons