I might be able to have more children!

[Heavenly]

I am not ttc right now but just wanted to share my excitement. I have PCOS and I conceived my son using herbs but with my daughter I had to take Metformin. i stayed on it until 20 weeks pregnant and have been off it ever since. I've been having major problems with the PCOS for the past 6 months (chin stubble - yuck!, weight gain around the middle, ovarian pain, forming more cysts, inconsistent cycles, severe blood sugar problems). The longer you have PCOS the worse it gets so even though I want more children I was kind of resigning myself to not having more. I decided to go back on metformin to try and calm down the symptoms and I've been on it for 6 days and I'm spotting! AF is on her way because I'm cramping something fierce too. I am just so excited that Metformin may actually control the PCOS for me. I want to ttc next June and it would be so wonderful if I had been regular until then and was just able to go off birth control and ttc without charting and stress. And actually know when a period is due! What an idea! Sorry to bombard your board but I just wanted to share my news!

[Persephone]

I am so so happy for you! I have PCOS too, and I know what a struggle it can be. I have acne, stubble on my chin and tummy, lots of weight gain, and irregular periods, as well as IR. But I did want to say that PCOS doesn't have to get worse. I've known a couple women who have worked very very hard to help almost all of their symptoms to get better (cept for the hair, unfortunately) over a period of time. So, don't give up hope!

[Jenne]

Congratulations and me too! I have PCOS as well and although not ttc now, I used to worry about it for the future. I finally have found a really great dr. who *knows* about PCOS...according to her and some research I have found it may not be a "hormone" thing at all (just the stupid side effects...) but is really an insulin resistance thing which is why the Metformin helps. I have been really happy with the extended release Met because I only have to take it 1x day. Since I went on it everything is better altough I hate cramps but am happy to menstruate! I have also read a bunch of research about women with PCOS being prone to miscarry and that in the research Met taken during pregnancy lead to successful, full term, healthy babies for all the mamas on it. That was a relief too. Have either of you tried Aldactone/Spironolactone for the hair thing? I was on it for about 2 years--yeah! no chin or tummy hair, and didn't have to shave my legs very often, but the hair on my head didn't grow either...I am really trying to lost weight right now so that when I ttc it will be either and my body will be healthier...so frustrating though!

[Heavenly]

No I haven't tried anything for the hair. For me the problem pretty much stops when the PCOS is controlled. AF started full flow yesterday so I think its official - the Met is working! Now we'll have to see if I O and if I get another AF in a month. That will be the real test. I think the miscarriage thing is totally true. I had two miscarriages between my two kids and I was on nothing. With Olivia I stayed on Met until 20 weeks pregnant and she was fine. Not only was she fine but I didn't get gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia like I did with my son.

[Jenne]

Congratulations on your friend visiting If you've been on BCP I have heard O can take a few months...I wonder if Met cuts that time? I haven't read anything on that...that is great about not getting GD or PE...I'm excited for you, keep me posted on how things progress!

[Heavenly]

Thanks everyone for understanding why I'm excited! No I'm not on BCP, actually I don't believe in using it.

Last night DH and I had a talk. We had always said we wanted a big family but he's been saying lately that he doesn't want anymore. Yesterday he came home from work and said "you know how I said I don't want anymore?" And I said yes. Then he said that he was only saying that because deep down he was scared we wouldn't be able to and he didn't want to go through all the stress and charting and all that again. He said a woman was in with a newborn at work and he realized he does want more. So we are going to try and conceive in June 2005. So I have a year to lose weight and get healthy!

[Etoile]

Yay! I am very excited for you. I'm in the "losing weight to get healthy and TTC" boat myself. I have a very long way to go (want to lose over 100 pounds), I don't know how much you have to lose but good luck! I'm glad the metformim seems to be helping.