Hi Jennifer,
I was recently diagnosed borderline PCOS after the birth of mny 22 month old. Go figure! I went to fanastic Dr who specializes in infertility. I was put on metformin and clomid and I just ovulated and got pregnant on my second round. My due date is Nov 20th. Are you on any medications to help you ovulate?
I'm 32 and I also have PCOS. I was finally diagnosed after having a m/c and then trying unsuccessfully for 3 years after that to get pg. I went to a reproductive endocrinologist. We got pg and had my son, who is now 4. After trying another 2.5 years, we are pg again and due in May with #2 - again after seeing an RE. The doctor I see here is Jim Thompson. He's at the downtown Pres hospital but takes other insurance as we are on Lovelace/Sandia/BCBS. He is no-nonsense and very easy to talk to - even my hubby likes him a lot. It's fairly easy to get an appt. so call - see him and see what your options are. I took metformin before this pg but not before the pg with my son. Your body changes as you age and during/after each pg. Dr. Thompson also diagnosed me with a thyroid issue that had not been present before... so you never know.
There are many options but you can't make decisions until you know what they are. Clomid/IVF/etc. weren't really options for us as we didn't want to do them - so we were lucky. But again, go see him and find out yours.
Cynthia
My friend and her husband tried for 10 years to have a baby with no success. She went to the doctor and was diagnosed with PCOS and borderline diabetes. She had to lose weight first and manage a health eating plan before they would help with the PCOS. Then they started her on a medication for diabetes which sometimes helps with PCOS and they also put her on Clomid. Apparently Clomid helps you ovulate, but as with all drugs it has other side effects. It worked she just had her 2nd child in January, 11 years after the first one! I would speak with your doctor to weigh all of your options. Good luck on your quest.
I also had a hard time getting pregnant after 7 years I finally have my baby boy. I had PCOS and was given metformin and clomid. I also lost 20 pounds. When I was told by my first OBGYN that my chances were 90% that I would never have a baby I was crushed. I told everyone my story and always received the same answer change doctors and relax. The doctor that was recommend was William D Brown Jr MD. I was his patient a little over 2 years with success!!
Hello,
I have PCOS as well and it hampered my attempts to get pregnant with my second child. There is a very simple way to treat your irregular periods. My doctor put me on a medication called Metformin. It is also known as glucophage. Yes, this is the very medication that many diabetics take to help regulate their insulin levels. It is not insulin, but it does work for both diabetics and women who suffer from PCOS. It will take a few months for you and your doctor to regulate your cycles with the proper dosages, but once you do, voila!! This is exactly what happened to me. I was trying for months to get pregnant and was getting so frustrated with myself. After about 4 months of being on Metformin, my body regulated and I was pregnant, with no side effects or complications from the drug. If PCOS is your only complication, then this will definately help. If not, then you will have to have your doctor help you figure out what else is you may need to do. Oh yeah, I forgot. One side effect I did have was weight loss. Not bad, huh?
Good luck!!
Anne K.
I too have PCOS. I was diagnosed 4 years ago after I had a miscarriage and then was not able to get pregnant again. A year after my miscarriage they diagnosed me and put me on metformin. This regulated my periods in about 3 or 4 months and then I was pregnant.
This is a possible answer to your prayers and would strongly suggest you to talk to your doctor about it.
Also this is a cheap fix if this is all you need. Because this medication only costs me $6 a month at wal-mart. That is a heck of a lot cheaper than trying anything else.
Good Luck!
I also have PCOS and I now have 5 boys. Although there have been ups and downs, the doctor thinks that I have been able to get pregnant because of being on birth control pills. The pills help regulate your periods and then when you go off, the chances of getting pregnant are higher. So you may need to take a pill that your doctor recommends for awhile and then try getting pregnant. We also got pregnant from taking fertillity drugs. There are options, you just have to talk with a good doctor.
Hi Jennifer, I too have PCOS but apparently not to the extent that you do. I was lucky to find a great Dr. that would listen to me and help me. He didnt just put me on a ton of meds. Glucophage and the pill were what they were using to treat me when I switched to this Dr. I expressed my concern to him about wanting to have children. He changed out the Glucophage to Glucotrol(sp?. I also began charting my temps, which in the past had been a complete disaster due to the stress it created. I finally basically gave up. Little did I know that my hubby had too. I found out through charting that I dont ovulate on day 14 like everyone else. I was shocked to find that out. Luckily I had an appoinment with my OBGYN and he had been doing regular ultrasound to keep an eye on a cyst. He found that day that I had either just ovulated or as ovulating then. I was told to go home and get busy. I was finally able to get pregnant. I remember how surprised I was that I was truly pregnant. I thought for sure my body was just playing another cruel joke. Not this time. I am currently 33 almost 34 weeks pregnant. I dont know if this information will help you, but I hope so. Best wishes.
I can feel your sorrow. I had friends who went to a chiropractor who was also handled supplements. He was able to adjusttheir bodies to have better health and they were able to conceive. I do not know what their Physical problems were. He also helped me go through menopause without all the negative side effects. Research doctors in your area who are chiropractors with that kind of experience.
Jennifer first of all I want to tell you I have PCOS also endometreosis and adhesions the Dr.s gave me 1% chance to have kids "You just can't have children, maybe you should look into adoption" Well we tried for about 3 yrs. straight with the whole Clomid and all so my story is I just one day said well guess we'll adopt and my husband and I got to the joint understanding that if we wanted children this is what we would have to do. I went off the Clomid and before you know it I was pregnant and they tell me the ONLY reason I conceived was because I did have a cyst and that was the only smooth surface the egg could adhere to. So after 2 children and seregoting for 1 family because she had PCOS here I am so don't stress too much that WILL make a difference. Good luck and I'd love to hear when you are expecting I have faith it will be soon. With all my love, Dayna
Mother of 2 SAHM w/wonderful helpful husband.
I was just diagnosed with PCOS, but suspected I had it for awhile now. First step would get in contact with your OB. If you aren't on Metformin, you need to be. It will help with a wide array of your symptoms. Then you need to determine if you are ovulating on your own. I swear by charting your basal body temp(bbt). There is a ton of info on this on how to do this on the internet or you can check out Taking Charge of your Fertility. You will most likely need meds to induce ovulation. Clomid and Femara are the most common ones used. I used Femara and conceived quickly on it twice. The first time ended with a miscarriage, but the second time I now have a 7 month old healthy daughter from. Good luck and feel free to contact me if you want to chat or want any more info.
Jenn S.
Jennifer,
I so know your pain and can tell you that getting pregnant is possible with PCOS. There are several keys to it but I would say that the first is to find an OB that really knows PCOS and treats it often.
I had to actually go on birth control pills for a year to regulate my periods and clear up the cysts. I also was (and am) on Metformin. More and more studies are showing that this is really key to controlling PCOS. Also, good glycemic control (even if you're not diabetic) by following a low-glycemic index diet (search online. I did South Beach).
There is a ton of info on the web about PCOS too. I wish you the best and feel free to ask me any more specifics.
-Amanda
Jennifer, I so feel your frustration.
A nutritionist that I was thankfully referred to has helped me and so many people:) She is a PCOS expert- that is her background and knows so much to help women have children etc.
She is kind and amazing and works with medical professionals as well so that you get all the support you need:
her name is Monika Woolsey # 623-486-0737
www.afterthediet.com
Call her even just to talk and meet her over the phone- she gets it and continues to help women with PCOS- she is amazing:)
Dawn
Hi Jennifer,
Diet and lifestyle play a huge role in fertility, as well as whether or not you have cysts. I am a Holistic Health and Nutritional Counselor and would be happy to do a free health history with you to determine if I could help you in any way. Please feel free to call my office at 480-247-2337.
Warm Regards,
Gina Van Luven
I have PCOS, too. I tried the metformin, and the birth control. However it did not make sense to me being on birth control if I was trying to get pregnant. The metformin I got off of because it still made me feel depressed. I later on on saw a kinesiologist who gave me some natural remedies to take. I no longer felt depressed I started losing weight with a lot of energy. I was taking probiotics, coconut oil,digestive enzymes, cleansing out my liver. I even got my period back!! The sad thing is I had a miscarriage also. It tore me up beacause one week before i had the miscarriage my husband and I just got married. After I miscarried, I went back to my kinesiologist and she gave me more herbs for balancing out my hormones due to the lack of progesterone. After about a year of trying I got pregnant again. For my 1st trimester she put me on natural progesterone and I was finally able to give birth to a healthy baby girl with a lot of prayers. It was the best choice that I could have done. In my opinion try the alternative way to deal with the PCOS it has worked for me in my health and many others. It's hard to deal with the side affects of drugs because it messes with the natural chemistry of the body.
Good Luck
Janella