"I managed my PCOS naturally... and it sparked a global support community"
Words: Sarah Tarca // @tarca
Brigitte Warne PCOS awareness advocate and founder of PCOS to Wellness
Brigitte Warne’s story may have started like one that’s all too familiar – and one you may have heard before. But it certainly didn’t end that way. After coming off the pill and spending eight months dealing with (and trying to find a solution for) the cystic acne, hair loss, anxiety and menstrual irregularity that came as a result – to no avail – she was exhausted. “I went to five different doctors all of which had no idea what was wrong with me and told me to simply go back on the pill or take antibiotics for my skin and that would fix my problems.” Fed up with these “solutions” she demanded they send her off to get blood tests… and it turns out what she knew deep inside was right. Her hormones were out of wack, and she fit the criteria for Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS).
“I was then told by my doctor that there was no cure, I wouldn't be able to have children naturally, and that I should come back when I wanted to have kids and we could talk about drugs that induce ovulation or even IVF,” she says. “I remember feeling completely and utterly shattered and devastated.” But, it was also a turning point: that devastation fuelled her desire to discover everything she could about PCOS, and how to manage the symptoms naturally. Within six months she had started to see an improvement in her skin, her hair stopped falling out, the anxiety eased and her menstrual cycle returned. And, spoiler alert! She was able to conceive too. “After a year I got to a really good place with my hormones, and from there I have been able to consistently manage them through diet, lifestyle herbs and supplements,” she says.
During this journey she also started an Instagram account – PCOS to Wellness, and from this grew a global online movement that empowering the thousands of women who suffer from PCOS around the world. Here, we talk to Brigitte, PCOS awareness advocate and founder of PCOS to Wellness, about creating change, building community and taking your health into your own hands.
how did the PCOS to Wellness movement begin
It was just an Instagram account at the beginning. I didn’t know anyone who had PCOS (or even talked about having it) and I was looking for safe space to vent about my symptoms and connect with others who might have been going through a similar journey to me. Within a few short months I had thousands of incredible women who were also suffering from PCOS follow my account who were interested in my natural approach to managing my own symptoms.
What were you hoping to do with the movement when it started?
I really just want to continue to help spread awareness around PCOS and hormone health and help women feel informed and educated around how we can balance and manage our hormones naturally.
Having a background in public health and health promotion has been fantastic because it has given me access to incredible resources and experts, as well as being able to put my many years of studying health advocacy (something I thought I would never use) to very good use!
What is one of the greatest misconceptions about PCOS?
That you can’t fall pregnant! I am living proof this is not the case and fell pregnant 100% naturally with my son. I also think another big misconception is that you need to be overweight to have PCOS, this also is untrue and many leaner women suffer from it.
What made you decide to take your health into your own hands and
start looking for answers?
I think having a health background made me instantly want to know and understand more about the condition before just agreeing to take the pills and medications my doctor was prescribing me. I also have also always had a passion for natural health and wellness and wanted to understand he triggers for PCOS and see if there was anything I could do to help myself from a holistic perspective.
I think sadly many doctors often turn to the Pill as a simple solution to treating the common symptoms of PCOS rather than looking into why that individual might be experiencing them. Unfortunately for many women this is just a band aid solution and is not actually treating the root course, so its not until these women come off the pill and are often trying to fall pregnant that they are taken more seriously by their doctors and end up with a PCOS diagnosis.
“ I want to help women become advocates for their own bodies by being able to make educated and informed decisions when it comes to hormone health.”
How do you hope to be part of the solution?
I want to create a lot more awareness around PCOS and help women become advocates for their own bodies by being able to make educated and informed decisions when it comes to hormone health. I think it is so important for women to know that PCOS can often be managed without medication or drugs and that they are not alone on their journey.
You’ve also created some teas to help alleviate PCOS symptoms… how did this come about?
I created it because it was a product I wanted myself!
I had been working with a naturopath who used a lot of herbs, and had been getting such great results using a mix of incredible hormone balancing herbs that I figured there must be an easier and more affordable way than having to buy, blend and weigh out the individual herbs everyday! From there the idea of Cysterhood tea was born!
It’s is a blend of all natural, organic and ethical sourced herbs that have been specifically chosen and blended in the correct ratios to help with the many frustrating symptoms of PCOS and other hormonal imbalances such as acne, hair loss, hirsutism, fertility issues, irregular cycles, mood swings and cramps.
Cysterhood Herbal Tea (PCOS hormone balancing), $24.70
What is your advice to women who are suffering PCOS themselves?
Be your own advocate! Take the time to learn about the condition, once you understand the condition you can start to pinpoint what your root causes might be and can start to address them with the right diet and lifestyle changes. And most importantly, know that are you are not alone and that you can live a normal and amazing life with PCOS.