PCOS and Pregnancy!
 

This is a very personal subject and a touchy one for me so please I beg you to only comment if you are going to be supportive and kind. I understand we all have different views and opinions but I am just asking you be nice as my self esteem and feelings are already low.


I am not sure if you remember but I was talking a while ago about PCOS (poly-cystic ovarian syndrome).

My husband and I have been trying to get pregnant for over a year now and we just recently went to see a fertility specialist about our problems conceiving.

His diagnosis for me was PCOS in a very mild form. I am 29 and since being off the pill for about a year I have gained about 10 - 13 pounds and I am naturally thin. He said there was a group of people with PCOS that were not obese and thin so I must fall in that category. My normal weight is about 120 - 125 and now I am at 133 and about 5'6. I also have developed in the last 4 - 5 months a few patches of darker hair in areas where I have never had them. He mentioned this was a side effect as well. They are not bad enough for waxing but just enough to notice it is new and I pluck them. I also have gotten my acne back like I am a teenage boy. I also have very irregular periods. I think these are all the things that are making him assume I have PCOS.

Any way.....he has asked I come in for blood work now so he can check all my levels and my husband is going in for a sperm count. After that is done and he makes sure we are okay there he us wanting to start us on a Fertility program to get us pregnant since he said my chances of conceiving are 2 - 6% on our own. I am so bummed and saddened. I just can not believe this is happening to us. I feel so UN-Womanly and helpless. Not to mention the fertility program will cost us $500 - $600 a month until we get pregnant and IF we get pregnant.

I am not sure what to do....not sure if I even want to continue to try or just hang it up. I guess what I am looking for is moral support or related cases.

Has any one had PCOS and been able to get pregnant or am I pretty much a lost cause?

Thanks,

I'm sorry I haven't been through what you're going thru...just wanted to lend my support and give well-wishes to you. One of my good girlfriends had a cancerous brain tumor removed when she was 25! After going through that ordeal with all the treatments, etc., she still wanted to give her husband a baby and started seeing fertility spec. to see if she could beat the odds.....her cycle finally started and she was ecstatic (she hadn't had one for like 2 yrs while battling the cancer) and surged on. Unfortunately, her & her husband ended up divorcing but she should now be able to have a baby with her new husband.

Sorry to get long-winded. What I was trying to say is if this is what you want, go for it. I know it seems(well, is) like a struggle right now but like autumn star said, it is so worth it in the end. My girlfriend, even though she divorced after trying to have a baby for her husband, doesn't regret any of the many dr's visits or medicines she had to take.

The 1st thing is to get your mind & spirit right...be optimistic..my girlfriend had a great sense of humor and attitude about it & I think that helped her tremendously...there were times she cried and that's normal...It's hard but you are no less of a woman than the rest of us.

I wish and pray nothing but the best for you! ;)

You are definitely not a lost cause! A lady I work with has PCOS and had 4 kids without help.

My DIL has it and is going thru the IVF treatments as we speak.

Don't give up, but make the decision based on what is best for you and your husband.

I have PCOS. I also have had 2 children. I was on meds to help with the pcos and when we decided we wanted children I had to go in for surgery to remove all the cysts and crystalized (sp) mess off my ovaries. With my 2nd child i got pregnant the same week I had the surgery. It will happen. As long as it is mild pcos and you dont have any other problems and your husbands count is good then I would look into other avenues while considering doing the fertility treatments. I am also small (110 lbs 5'2"). My aunt is on the other end tough. She has sever PCOS and is overweight and has bad hair growth on her face and other places (dark thick hair on arms, legs, some on back, face, etc.) she was able to get pregnant after having laser surgery to remove the crystalized (sp) shell around her ovaries, but she wound up also having a weak cervix that they didnt catch (they said it had something to do with the pcos) and went into labor at 5 months.
WHEN you do get pregnant have them keep a check on your cervix to prevent this from happening. They can put stitches in it to keep it closed until your 38-39 week.
Good luck!!

Caren, I am so sorry you are going through this. I want kids really badly when I get older and cannot imagine not being able to have them. My last roommate has PCOS. She is on the larger side of the wieght spectrum and has it in a servere form. The doctors told her she would never be having any children. She took that as enough birth control and..well..six months later she learned she was pregnant. She had a beautiful little girl who she gave up for adoption to an amazing family. She keep in touch with them and is able to see her daughter grow up. Melanie is a little miracle baby! So it can happen! Please don't loose faith. Ill be praying for you :)

For your acne..Burt's Bees make this tea tree oil blemish stick. GO GET IT NOW!! Haha..Im telling you..I had this one HUGE pimple on my cheeck and it went down OVERNIGHT when I used it!

Wow...that was a very uplifting message, thank you for that. I really do want my own child but my mind is still trying to wrap itself around the idea that I have PCOS and may not be able to have kids. It is just one of those things you do not think will happen to you. I mean I get so pissed thinking of all that BC I took when obviously I really did not need it. :rolleyes:

I have been doing a lot of research today and it looks like there are some great success stories for those who have PCOS and have gone on to have normal lives and babies. I feel like things will work out, I really do.

I am very fortunate to have you ladies to talk to and I thank you for your uplifting words.

Thank you!

WOW....without help? That is great! I have been reading a lot today on PCOS and have not heard about someone with it and having 4 kids without assistance so that is fantastic.
Do you know if she had regular cycles or did anything to help her chances of getting pregnant?

I have PCOS also, but do not have a lot of the symptoms of the disorder. If you ever want to talk, please feel free to PM me :)

I just found out about 3 months ago so I'm not overly knowledgable but have a few great forums you could take a look at! :)

WOW...another story of a pregnancy with no help.:cool: I really was under the impression it was a lost cause of course by the fertility specialist. I am happy to hear your friend had such a great experience with her adoption.

Thanks, I really appreciate your input and for the Burts Bees tip. You know I am going to have to try that.

i have PCOS i also have 4 kids i did not need any help getting pregnant. it just took me a little longer after my second child was born to get pregnant with my third child they are 3 year a part....... its not hopeless. best of luck to you.

I sent you a pm about my aunts experince with PCOS, and her story is a successful one so hang in there and I'll keep you in my prayers. Hugs to you,

Shana

Hi...that is great for you...congrats. It is nice to hear there are good stroies out there.

Can you tell me more? Actually never mind I am sending you a PM....thanks. ;)

She had no help. She says she just got lucky.

Her sister also has PCOS and would've needed help to have a baby, but her husband also had issues so she doesn't have kids.

My sister has PCOS. She is heavy and never had regular periods. AFter trying to get pregnant for 2 years the doc put her on clomid. It didn't take long for her to get pregnant. She miscarried the first pregnancy, but delivered her son just about a year to the date of her miscarriage. She also had a daughter 2.5 years later, again, with the help of clomid.

There are soooo many miraculous things they can do these days, it's very rare for someone to hear they absolutely cannot have children. I worked in OB/GYN for a year right when I finished school and it's fascinating all the things they can do.

Keep a positive attitude, pray a lot, I'm sure you'll have the baby you dream of. Good Luck.

I had trouble getting pregnant for my second child. At one point they thought I might have pcos but they finally decided on unexplained infertility. That was after going thru several uncomfortable test. Then they put me on clomid and I had to also go into the office mid cycle for a shot and I would have to rush my husbands semen to the hospital to be "washed" and then rush to the doctors for ai. It was not fun! The first cycle, I was sure I was pregnant and devasted when I got my period. The second cycle, I didn't have my hopes set quite so high but was still let down when again I wasn't pregnant. The third time, I had just about given up hope and then I found out I was pregnant. But you know, when you hold on tightly to something, sometimes all it takes is letting go and I hope you keep an open mind about other options. Sometimes when God puts obstacles in your way, he also provides an answer to your prayers.
I have a feeling your gonna be a really good mom!

My neighbor has PCOS and she is thin and she had 2 boys on her own. I have a freind that is also thin but she had still gained about 30 pounds after she got married (and she was still thin) and she delveloped PCOS and after trying medication for about 6 months she became pregnant, but she had a miscarrage with that pregnancy but she became pregnant the next month and delivered a healthy baby.

I was diagnosed with pcos back a few years ago after gaining quite a bit of weight. The way it was explained to me and how mine was diagnosed is that my insulin level was very high. High carb and high sugar diet can cause your insulin level to be elevated and in turn that messes up a lot of other hormones-like your estrogen level. The estrogen level decreases and the testosterone level increases (dark facial, abdomen hair). I had taken glucophage for several months and it made me really sick and I couldn't get over the side effects, so I stopped taking it, but it works really well for other people. So I started exercising and dieting (very little sugar and carbohydrate intake) and my insulin level decreased, my periods became more regular and less painful.

Where I work in the ER if I have a patient that has PCOS I always ask about their diet and almost every one I ask states that they drink a lot of Coke and eat a lot of sugary foods, so I have to think that in some people that plays a big part in pcos. There is also a lot of people that say they just develpoed it shortly after they got married.

I am sure the medication will help you and you will get pregnant real soon. Be sure to limit sugar and carb intake (thats just my suggestion ;) ). Good luck....;)

This is weird - I have pcos too! Quite a number of us here.
I believe the glucophage is suppossed to help regulate your cycle. Are you seeing an endocrinologst.
There is a website for pcos i believe it is soulcyster.com with a lot of good information and you can talk w/ other pcosers and see what has helped them.


Good to kno I am not the only one!

HI.
just sent you a pm:)

Thank you......I think that was just what I needed to hear. I agree with you totally, I know God has got both my husband and my best interest at heart and I need to trust more in him than try to control the situation myself.:)

You know there has got to be something to this carb/sugar intake as this is not the first time I have read or heard about it. :)

I guess what I need to know is how much is too much and what do I need to do to start cutting these things out. I mean how much or how strict should the diet be? I guess I would just start by limiting as much as possible and seeing where that puts me.

Thank you!

Your right, it is amazing how many of us have this. I appreciate all you ladies for your advice and sharing your personal experiences. Thanks for the website too! :)

Thank you for the site....wow there is a TON of info on there!! That is GREAT! :)

I have PCOS. Its really hard to live with! (LOL I know I am not supposed to eat breads and stuff like that, but I like CRAVE it.)

Anyways, I was diganosed soon after I got married and I had a huge cyst on my right ovary which had to be removed :( (the whole ovary that is)
My husband and I do not have kids (although we have been trying hard for about 5 years now) and would love to have one. It is really heartbreaking knowing that it will be a hard road. Anyways I am glad to know that I am not alone. Let me tell you a story on how I got diagnosed:

I had crazy periods you know, very heavy/painful/intermittent/PAINFUL So then my Dr did some tests, referred me to 2 specialists, one was an endocrinologist (the other a GYN) and when he told us about my insulin results he turned to my husband and asked "Is she moody" ("yes"-my husband) "Is she hard to deal with sometimes?" ("yes"-my husband).... Well, then he said basically it was not a personality disorder but that I have 3x the amount of insulin a normal person has, which can do those things to you. He also told me that if I did become pregnant I may have a chance of miscarriages and will most likely be pretty bad with gestational diabetes. :(

Anyways, I am here if you just wanna chat w/ someone who knows what your going thru!

My dtr was just diagnosed with pcos. She is trying to lose weight before her next appt. She is overweight and has not had regular periods.

Wow....I sure am sorry for your struggles you are going through. I wanted to tell you I appreciate you sharing your story with me and I wish you the best. I will be saying a prayer for you and your husband certainly.

I also was wondering if you did not mind me asking.....I saw you said you have been trying to conceive for the past 5 years. Are you on any medication or have you taken anything to try and increase your odds of conceiving? I am just curious as I am trying to conceive as well.

My best to your daughter....I hope she can lose some weight and gets a good doctor who can offer her some help. Hugs! :)

Well, your welcome ;) Anyways thanks for your story and the prayers. Anyways my Drs said when I was ready that there are medcations they can give me to 'get me going'. But my Endocrinologist said controling my insulin levels is the important part, because he said I cant ovulate w/o that? Anyways, he said he really doesnt want to put me on medication because he said it will be really hard to get me off of it. But that I should control it with my diet. But now that I moved to Los Angeles a few months ago, I am awaiting to see a new Dr here (with a 4 month waiting for new patients).
Anways keep your head up and sending prayers your way!