I need some optimism with PCOS

[Solose]

Hi all, I am new to this board. I went to the doc to get my iud out and I found out I have PCOS. I was going to start TTC again, and according to my gyn 'it's going to be very hard." I have one child already, conceived by accident when I skipped a few days on the pill. I was just diagnosed as insulin resistant and have slightly high testosterone. I am going to start metformin as soon as I get the prescription filled. Before my son, I was on the chunky side but not overweight. My BMI was borderline. Now I don't know how much I weight because i am too scared to look. I never lost the pregnancy weight and may have gained some on top of that. I have always had extremely irregular periods, around 2-4 a year. But the doc said the Metformin should help with that and if not Clomid will usually make PCOS women ovulate.

I am 23 so still pretty young, should it really be that hard? I know no one can really predict how long it will take for me to get pregant but I am just needing some encouragement right now and a realistic figure of how long this could take. I am an only child (my mom had PCOS too) and I have always dreamed of having more than one child preferably close in age.

So, if you have PCOS how long did it take you to get pregnant? Did you have a lot of trouble w/miscarriages? What finally did the trick for you? Add how old were you when you started trying ( you can tell me in decades)?

[Masel]

My PCOS story is long but hopefully encouraging since right now I'm 14 weeks pregnant. Like you I'm overweight and had irregular periods. DH and I tried for 10 years to get pregnant. I had several rounds of clomid early on that did nothing. My charts from that time are pretty much flat. I had all kinds of tests, even an MRI, but I seemed frozen in place hormonally. We had put baby making aside for a few years and I eventually talked my GP into referring me to a endocrinologist for a host of other non-reproductive reasons (weight, dry skin, weird hair, high cholesterol, high prolactin, brain fog). The endo put me on synthroid and metformin. It took a while for this to work because somehow I didn't get the message about not eating calcium rich foods around the time you take the pill. Eventually I started have regular cycles and it turned out DH's less than stellar count is what kept us from conceiving. Last fall we started clomid and IUIs and the January one did it.

Once I started on the synthroid and metformin I was able to lose weight for the first time in my life. There was an time when I was going to Curves 3 times a week and seriously watching what I ate but only managed to lose 4 lbs. Last summer I was able to lose 15. There seems to be something about losing weight that can kick the endocrine system into gear. As little as 10% will do it.

Good luck. There's hope and you are 15 years younger than me.

[ursusarctos]

Well I have not had PCOS but have had very irregular periods for most of my post-puberty life. What helped mine finally stabilize was:

-switching to real butter and olive oil instead of margarine and canola oil
-cutting out white flour and sugar
-starting to drink nettle infusions a la Susun Weed regularly
-getting more fruits and veggies
-getting more exercise

Good luck on your healing and conceiving journey! :

[MsHiss]

I went undiagnosed for years and finally got a diagnosis and took metformin for 6 months. I gave up the metformin and tried changing my diet, I got pregnant 6 months after switching to the zone diet. We had been trying to get pregnant for 10 years. Don't give up!

[Julia'sMom]

I was diagnosed with PCOS. Started metformin. Once I adjusted to the full dose, started clomid. Conceived dd on the first cycle! Now...just don't ask about ttc#2

[dachshundqueen]

met, hard nutritional work and lots of exercise

now 29yo

Liz

[LibbyLou]

Met, Clomid, and a B complex to lengthen my LP did the trick for me. I was 25 when we started trying, 26 when I got pregnant. It took us 16 months and 6 rounds of Clomid (I did not ovulate the first 3 rounds).

Is your GYN able to refer you to an RE? I think an RE might have a more positive attitiude about your PCOS and conceiving.

[ErikaG]

Met, diet changes, getting my thyroid under control (thyroid problems are common with PCOS) and Clomid (largely to lengthen the luteal phase cause B vitamins weren't doing it enough) and I got pregnant with my daughter on the second cycle; we also have male factor infertility here, so even though I was ovulating and having regular cycles on Metformin alone, it just wasn't going to happen. I got pregnant on my second Clomid cycle with my daughter, and we'll see what happens this time around.

I don't want to be a downer, but a bigger issue for me was nursing-I had very serious milk supply issues and despite doing everything I was supposed to, I never had a full milk supply. This is rare, but it was my PCOS complication.

[valancy123]

Hi there. I have PCOS, too. I haven't tried to get pregnant yet, but we're hoping to change that within the next year.

I have been through a number of doctors who have told me everything from "PCOS isn't that big a deal", to calling me infertile, suggesting I was too fat to think about getting pregnant, or who were generally clueless about PCOS. I've usually only been offered "band-aids" for all the symptoms, and not anything to help with the underlying problem that causes them.

I felt much better once I found a doctor who didn't talk down to me about my weight or age (I'm only 33), and who wanted to look at my overall well-being and getting me healthy. I think that working on the PCOS and insulin-resistance will improve my quality of life as well as my fertility. If it doesn't improve enough by the time we are ready, we will consider other steps, like Clomid. I feel frustrated by all the wasted years when I didn't have enough information and support to reverse the symptoms sooner, but it feels really good to be on the right path now.

Even if you want to get pregnant right away and don't have time to work on your overall health first, I think it is helpful to find a doctor who understands PCOS and who isn't constantly telling you how hard it will be. Lots of women with PCOS do get pregnant, and there are many different things to try that can help.

I hope you find the right combination that works for you, and are expecting that next baby soon!

[songbird45]

My story: It took me 9 months to get a diagnosis. I tried natural methods for 3 months to have a cycle (low carb, etc.) and failed entirely. Then I did two months of Clomid. I started having weird vision disturbances, and was referred to an RE. We had to take two months off as getting an initial consultation took forever. Then we started Femara with IUI's. The lower dose of Femara didn't work, but the higher dose did, and I got pregnant on the 4th try with that. Even on Femara my cycles were long - 35 days or so. My recommendation is find a great support group and an RE that you like and whose opinions you trust. Your odds are good!

[MoonStarFalling]

I don't seem to have much of a problem getting pg even though I only ovulate a few times a year. It can happen especially when you least expect it!

[dbsam]

I think considering your young age and the fact that you’ve already had a child your chances of another successful pregnancy are good.

My PCOS story…
After two years I stopped having periods at age 16. I was told it was because I was too thin. Took Provera on and off for years to force periods; never had a period without Provera.
I was diagnosed w/PCOS in my early twenties.
I didn’t gain weight until I hit my thirties but I worked out fanatically six days a week w/a trainer. In my thirties I stopped the workouts and gained tons of weight. I am grossly overweight.
Until older, I never understood the full implications of PCOS. I thought of it more as a cause of physical symptoms…no periods, excess facial hair, difficulty loosing weight, etc. (I have every symptom imaginable.)
I took Met briefly and it did nothing.
I never ovulated on Clomid.
I started IVF at age 35. After eight IVF cycles, severe ovarian hyperstimulation with both retrievals, two miscarriages, and one ectopic pregnancy I had my twins at age forty. (It’s my understanding ovarian hyperstimulation is more likely when the woman has PCOS.)
Like a pp, I also had troubles breastfeeding but it was most likely caused by many factors. I never realized PCOS could play a role in breastfeeding until the LC mentioned it.
I believe acupuncture definitely helped me get pregnant; although my RE thinks it was all because of him.

I figure I was/am a PCOS disaster and I was able to have children (with tons of assistance). Good luck!