Mommas with PCOS?
I was just wondering about my fellow step mommas/ mommas out there living with PCOS. I found out I have it about two and half years ago. DH and I aren't exactly trying ot get pregnant, but aren't exactly preventing it either. AKA no protection/prevention methods. I haven't had a regular period in probably six years. I have one about every 2-4 months, and when I do I feel like I'm dying, and that isn't an exageration. My doc says that it is completely possible for me to have a healthy pregnancy, and it is all in my body's time and will happen. We know my DH is fertile because he already has SS lol, so that is ruled out.
Did any of you actively try any fertility treatments or anything to conceive? We aren't to this point yet, however, it has been discussed recently and I'm trying to emotionally prepare myself for the possibilities...
One of the most important
One of the most important aspects of having PCOS and trying to conceive is your diet. If you haven't looked at it, please speak to your doctor and do some research on this. PCOS is affected by diet.
I have witched my diet as my
I have switched my diet as my doctor suggested. I eat very little processed foods and try to get lots of veggies and whole grains. Doc said it can take up to a year for this change to impact the process, though some see results in a few months. If nothin else, I do feel WAY better eating as clean as I have been! Thanks for the tip though!
I have PCOS and it took 2
I have PCOS and it took 2 years of trying to get pregnant with my daughter. I ended up having to take clomid for 6 months because I wasn't ovulating on my own and finally conceived with a combination of that and IUI. I didn't have any problems once I was pregnant though.
Have you taken ovulation tests to see if you are ovulating?
We haven't tried those yet,
We haven't tried those yet, since we aren't actively trying. I do want to start thinking about it though because I am so ready to be a real momma, not one I have to share my child with every other weekend. When using the ovulation tests, did you take one every month? How did you begin to even try?
Yup, I bought a big box of
Yup, I bought a big box of them on Amazon - that is where I found them the cheapest. After a few months of negative tests, I realized I wasn't ovulating and that is when I went on the clomid - it makes you ovulate, and you get a lab test to confirm that it worked. That's also when I was diagnosed with PCOS - I don't have a lot of the other symptoms, so I had no clue I even had it until I started trying to get pregnant.
My cousin who I'm really
My cousin who I'm really close to and has told me about her saga, has PCOS. She has "lean" PCOS - she's not overweight at all and does not have all of the signs of PCOS, but she has infrequent and unpredictable periods and a sonogram confirmed the polycystic part and that is her official diagnosis. A lot of people say the first thing you should do is lose weight, but that wasn't an option for her. She and her husband tried (meaning didn't try to prevent) for a year before she went to the doctor. After the testing and diagnosis, the doctor prescribed clomid and told her to do that for 3 months. At the same time she started an anti-inflammatory diet. Before that they gave her something to force a period, but I don't remember what it was. She got pregnant on the 3rd cycle with clomid. She was using ovulation tests multiple times each month. She got a 2nd opinion in the middle of all this and that doctor said letrozole works better than clomid for women with PCOS, so I think that was the next step. But she didn't need it!
Edited to add: I saw you mentioned that you know your DH is fertile because he already has a child. Cousin's hubby already had 2, but they tested him anyway. The doctor said that just because you were fertile 5 years ago doesn't mean you are today. He said they see cases of secondary infertility with both women and men. Turns out cousin's hubby WAS still fertile, but a prior child apparently isn't a guarantee.
I have heard soooo many
I have heard soooo many people say "I got pregnant when we stopped trying" or "just be more active" or ANYTHING else that worked for them. I work out 4-5 days a week, eat healthier than I would like to, and have lost 15 pounds since the beginning of the year. My body fat percentage is where my doc recommends it should be for conceiving, I'm checking the boxes. I don't want to do fertility treatments if we can avoid it, and so far we haven't stressed too much about it, since we are really just starting to try. I'm so jealous of all the women who get pregnant so effortlessly. BM for example got off birth control for like two months and boom. Pregnant. Trapped DH into forever.
Don't listen to those people.
Don't listen to those people. That advice doesn't work if you have an actual fertility issue. No amount of relaxing or exercise is going to make you ovulate on your own if you aren't.
The only PCOS symptoms I had were not ovulating and ovarian cysts. I am not overweight, I eat healthy, and I exercise - all women with PCOS are not the same.
Also, as someone else mentioned - you would still want to get your DH tested. Our fertilty doctor said it doesn't matter that DH already had a child, because fertility can easily change over the years.
It's VERY frustrating, especially if BM got pregnant easily or skid was unplanned, as in our case. It's not fair.
Change your diet. You need
Change your diet. You need cholesterol and saturated fat in your diet. Cholesterol is a precursor to your sex hormones. Look into weston a price. First your cycle needs to regulate. I would work on regulating my cycle through diet and lifestyle changes before taking fertility drugs.
No pcos diagnosis, but I had
No pcos diagnosis, but I had hormonal imbalances and irregular and heavy periods that taking maca helped with. I'm pretty sure I remember people referencing pcos when I was doing research on it.
Maca is awesome! It tastes so
Maca is awesome! It tastes so good in smoothies too.
I actually thought it tasted
I actually thought it tasted awful lol, but the dramatic effect it had on regulating my cycle was worth it. I was really surprised by how effective it was actually.
What is maca? I've never
What is maca? I've never heard of this!
It's a root vegetable that
It's a root vegetable that grows in Peru. You can buy it as a supplement here.
I have fairly severe PCOS. I
I have fairly severe PCOS. I started with Metformin and then eventfully did Clomid. Once on Clomid I got pregnant with my son after 2 cycles and my daughter took 3. Not bad once I finally had a good doctor. My first doctor (military doc) told me to give up and just adopt because I could never have kids. We actually took that to heart a little too much even after my new specialist gave me hope. I had adoption paperwork on the dining room table and we were only waiting on one more reference letter so we could submit our application when I found out I was expecting my son.