For many women, the journey to a Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) diagnosis is often long, frustrating, and incredibly lonely. Although Perth sisters Amy and Heidi Andrews were diagnosed with PCOS years apart, they bonded over sharing the same exhausting battle to manage their symptoms.
PCOS is a condition that affects up to 13% of reproductive-aged women worldwide. Yet, according to the World Health Organisation, up to 70% of women remain undiagnosed. It’s the most common cause of anovulation (where the ovaries fail to release an egg) and a leading cause of infertility.
Amy Andrews was diagnosed with PCOS at just 20 years old, with the devastating news of a 5% fertility prognosis. Heidi’s diagnosis at 31 followed a decade of feeling dismissed by medical professionals over and over.
“I saw multiple doctors. Endless appointments. Countless blood tests that showed “nothing wrong.” I was told I had to try naturally for 12 months before I could even be referred to a fertility specialist. The system made me wait while my mental health crumbled and my hope died.”
Spending hundreds of dollars each month on multiple supplements to alleviate physical symptoms like weight fluctuations and hormonal acne, it was the invisible mental challenges that affected the sisters the most. Through working with a team of holistic nutritionists, the sisters discovered that PCOS patients are three times more likely to experience anxiety disorders and twice as likely to suffer from insomnia.
“When people hear ‘PCOS,’ they think: irregular periods, acne, excess hair. These are real, visible symptoms that affect many women. But the symptoms that truly devastate lives are the ones nobody mentions: Depression and anxiety,” Heidi explains. “The kind that lands you in hospital. The kind that makes you wonder if you’ll survive another day. The kind that doctors never connect to your hormones.”
This finding motivated Amy and Heidi to create Balance Me, Australia’s first TGA-listed holistic supplement supporting hormonal and mental wellbeing.
Created to target the root cause rather than mask symptoms, the Balance Me formulation uses therapeutic doses of ingredients specifically chosen for their roles in hormonal balance, metabolic health, and nervous system support.
These include Melissa officinalis (Lemon Balm), a herb traditionally used to calm the nervous system while providing natural period pain relief and digestive support. There’s also Vitex for hormonal regulation and Inositol for insulin sensitivity, a condition impacting around 70% of PCOS patients.
Today, the impact of Amy and Heidi’s work is making a positive difference among customers, some of whom say they’re sleeping sounder without anxiety, finding relief from debilitating pain, and even achieving ovulation after years of trying to conceive.
For Heidi, who tragically suffered two miscarriages and the breakdown of her marriage following IVF failure, the success behind Balance Me is deeply personal.
“I lost two babies, my motherhood, and my marriage to PCOS. But I’ve been gifted the experience, knowledge, and strength to lead the charge toward a future where women don’t face the same avoidable life-threatening heartbreak I did,” says Heidi.
Shop Balance Me, rrp $83, at TheKhushPlace.com,
Disclaimer: The information above is not medical advice. Always consult with a doctor or healthcare professional before starting any new supplement regimen.
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