Getting Pregnant with PCOS - San Manuel,AZ

Hi J.,

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 ###-###-####.

Warm Regards,
G. Van Luven

My sister has this problem and was told that she would never have children. Especially after they had to remove one of her ovaries. A Holistic physician recommended that she get hormone cream (same kind that you use when go through the change and stop menstruating) She put a little drop on her finger and rubbed it in behind her knee once every other day. I am very happy to announce that she now has a beautiful 3 yr old girl

I hope this helps

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!!

I was diagnosed with PCOS at 16 yo and I had my first miscarriage at 26 - a year before my first daughter was born. I now I have 4 kids. The trick for me was to use the Family Planning Method - Creighton model: http://www.creightonmodel.com/ It taught us how to track my cycles by learning patterns, hormone changes, and when the optimal time to try to get pregnant would be.

For those with PCOS, our cycles can be all over the place. Mine was 39-41 days long! Through the charting, we learned that I likely had a progeseterone deficiency due to my luteal phase results. Sure enough, during my miscarriage, blood work confirmed my low progesterone. So, I insisted that I be put on it while we tried again to conceive - and for the first 13 weeks of the pregnancy. That was the trick! I became pregnant easily and maintained them thereafter.

Now, after having all of my kids, I still take a balancing dose 100 mg of progesterone each day. This had regulated my cycles (28 days like clockwork) and has alleviated nearly all of my PCOS symptoms.

Make sure you take "natural" progesterone capsules made only by a compounding pharmacy. The pregnancy dose was 200-300mg a day. They do have a tendency to make you sleepy, so just take them at bedtime.

BEST,
C.

First of all I'd talk to you GYN about it. That's what I did. I've been having problems trying to conceive child #2 and my cycles have been 42, sometimes 72 days. I knew something was up, so I went to the GYN and she had my bloodwork tested. I've come to find out that my insulin levels are now a problem and so I'm keeping an eye on sugar intake. She also said because of my weight and difficulty conceiving that I have PCOS. I'm working right now with my family DR with trying to lower my blood sugar (with Metformin) and cholestorol ( with Wel-Chol) and my GYN says that the Metformin will help with ovulation if taken regularly. Also, she prescribed me Femara which you take for three days and it jumpstarts your ovulation, so you get your period right away then you baby hump like crazy around day 14. You could also buy ovulation test kits to make sure you're ovulating. I found that even though my cycles were sometimes 40-60 days apart I was still ovulating, just not usually around day 14 like most women. Ovulations test kits are not cheap, but they're good for tracking ovulation. I hope this helps you.

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
J.

J., 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 # ###-###-####
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:)
D.

J.,
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.

-A.

Try talking to some alternative helath specialists, western medican is okay, but they do not have all the answers sometimes ozone therapy, acupuncture and herbology can do wonders as well as self healing through the use of visualizations.

Good luck

Take a deep breath there is hope. I was very lucky I got pregnant my senior high school by my hubby. The baby was unplanned & we weren't quite ready for a child so we wanted to wait before we had any more children. We wanted to be able to provide a stable home for both our children so we waited till I was 21 before we tryed again when we could afford another child & still live nicely. by this time I had blown up to 250lbs never losing my daughter baby fat & had gone to have 3 periods a yr if i was lucky I used to me on the 12 of every month. Finally I went to an gyno to see what was wrong. I had pcos which was not a problem till the weight gain with my daughter (i was 125lbs before i got prego)so for yrs we tried for a baby and it was a lot of downs & tears for every time my period didn't come but the test said no or when my period did come. I was on all the drugs metformin birth control but my doctor wanted to wait for the clomidum because i was so young that he thought it was to drastic So Trudged on Finally in 06 i left a job that was extremely stressful & became a sahm. My life was not stress free by any means the month before i quite my dad was in an accident the resulted in my mother living with me & then my dad for medical reasons & we were finacally responsible for them. But the lowering of my stress levels combined with weight loss & diet changes I now have a hand full a little boy who is 7 months. He is our world we prayed tons for him to come & the happiest day was when we had him. I share my story because I heard I would never have children again my daughter was a fluke since I was so young adopt it was the only way to go. But my Hubby & I wanted our own son my husband was the last man in his family so he wanted a son to carry on the name & with patients & prays we have one.
I have some books that helped me I recommend them to everyone with pcos they are very informative. 1st is pcos diet book by colette harris 2nd is the insulin resistance diet by cheryle r hart & mary kay grossman 3rd is pcos polycystic ovary syndrome the hidden epidemic (this one gives you tons of info on the disease that no one else gave me) it is by samuel s thatcher.

J.,
You've received a lot of great advice from women who have been in your shoes, so I'm only going to suggest a possible resource for you to consider. RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association offers 4 support groups through-out the valley, visit their website at www.southwest.resolve.org. The support groups are great because you get to talk in an intimate setting with other women going through similar issues and learn from one another. Also, RESOLVE sponsors various events during the year. They have a list of doctors and other information too. Please contact me if you want more information.
Best of luck to you,
K.

Hi J.,
I understand how you feel. I don't know anything about your disorder. The best advise I can give you is to pray. Remember with God all things are possible. I will keep you in my prayers. Best of luck to you!
E.

Hi, J.. I no nothing about PCOS so I don't have anything to offer as far as advise, but I did read your responses and saw some mention to acupuncture and possibly alternative forms of medicine. I know that my OB/GYN office offers some of these services right in the office...and there is even a naturopath there. As I have never had to use these other services, I don't know much more, but I do like my doctor a lot and it might be worth at least having a consult. I think she would be honest with you about whether or not going with her might be a worthwhile route. Her name is Dr. Brass and her wellness center is called Center for True Harmony Wellness. It is located just south of Baseline just west of Country Club. I wish you the best of luck.

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.

Have you thought about in vitro fertilization? My SIL did this and it worked for her the first time (which I am not sure is typical). It's pretty expensive - at that time (a few years ago) - it was $10,000 each time. She had three eggs implanted and two attached. She now has beautiful 2 year old twin boys. If you are interested I am sure I could get her doctor's information for you.
Good luck - when the time is right it will happen!

Hi J., 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 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.

J.,

Please have your doctor send you to an Endocrinologist. They usually place people with PCOS on Glucophage (Metformin)which is a medication for diabetes. There seems to be a connection between the two. There is more to it than this, but this is a general idea of treatment you may be looking at for this. Once you have that lined out, you usually become VERY fertile and will have normal cycles. I am a healthcare provider and I have always referred my PCOS patients to the Endocrinologist. I hope this helps.

M.

I also have PCOS and know what you are going through. I have spent several times in my life fat, bald, broke out and bed-ridden because of it. I don't know what kind of treatments you are doing but I will tell you what works for me. I feel the best when I have a diet that consists of primarily fresh veggies and fruit and hardly anything cooked. I also have to exercise like there's no tomorrow which stinks but is effective. I also take a couple of certain herbs religiously and do acupuncture often. Normal treatments are effective for short periods of time but eventually wear off. The upside of all this is that I have a 3 year old and my second due in a matter of weeks. If you have any more questions, just send me a message. I know that my message was kind of superficial but wanted to offer support and a little hope.

I don't know much about PCOS. As an older woman, I'm lucky if I have a period occasionally, just enough to remind me I should be done with them (that's another story).

But, I do have a story about a very very dear friend of mine who had endromitriosis. She's the godmother to my 27 year old son and for many many years she and her husband tried to have children.

In her case, she was told she could never have children, but, if she was fortunate enough to conceive and carry to term, it might cure her.

It took from 1979 until 1996, after many miscarriages, rushes to the ER for burst cysts, etc. before she was finally able to conceive and carry. She's now the proud mother of 3 wonderful children.

My friend's last was born when she was 42, 7 years ago. She has had no further issues, other than the "older" woman issues that so often come about these days.

Something I'm sure your doctor has told you....Don't Stress! and Don't Worry about it....

You're still young, and f it happens, it will. You can't force it. Honestly, I wouldn't worry about it at all for another 3 to 5 years (depending on how urgent you are). If it doesn't happen, you might really consider other options (artificial insemination and/or adoption).

Whatever you decide to do, the best thing for YOU, is to not stress over it!

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!!

A. K.

J.-
Sometimes stress can make the situation worse. Also, sometimes the more you want it the worse it seems. Maybe if you just relax and don't try so hard it might come naturally. I had a friend that has trouble getting pregnant and she was told to relax (like that is so easy) and to just let things happen. It took her a while but she now has three kids. I don't know if you believe in God either, but I know that praying and leaving it to God can really help.
S. C

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.

C.

As a mother by adoption and by birth, I want to assure you that adopted children are children "of your own." I also went through infertility treatment and had to face the prospect that I would not get to experience pregnancy and nursing, and that was a difficult loss to contemplate. I was blessed to eventually get pregnant. BUT, had all my children been adopted, I would be no less a mother - adoption is a beautiful way to grow a family.

I don't claim to know anything about PCOS, but my sister had some luck (as far as she can tell - who knows what really works and what is chance) with The Fertility Diet - look for the book of that same name. It's fascinating information linking diet and fertility, and it certainly can't hurt.

Best wishes to you. Being a mom is a great blessing, and I hope it works out for you

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!

It must be very difficult. I suppose this isn't what you want to hear, but I thought I'd share my story. We have a daughter who is 4. I didn't have much problem getting pregnant, but had so many complications and worries and tests during my pregnancy... amniotic fluid too low, blood pressure too high, a missing part of her umbilical cord, possible chromosomal anomaly... labor was induced and I eventually ended up with a c-section. Then I had horrible problems nursing, blocked milk ducts, you name it. My point being that my pregnancy was absolutely not the beautiful miracle experience that many imagine (and get).

After all that, I knew I wasn't even going to try to get pregnant ever again. We now have a 2 1/2 yr old son who is the light of our lives... we adopted him from Russia nearly 2 years ago. We love him as much as our daughter, without a doubt. He is a joy, a villain, and a constant source of amusement.

I had considered adoption since I was a young girl, so it felt right. I know I am very lucky to have been able to experience both ways to grow a family. I have 2 incredibly wonderful, beautiful children who even look surprisingly alike. They are both absolutely "children of my own."

Please forgive me for seeming like those people saying "just give up and adopt." I don't mean to sound like that - I can only imagine how hard it must be. As someone who's seen both sides, I just wanted to say:
If you want to get pregnant and give birth, there's only one way to do that. But if you want to become a mother and be a parent, there are many ways to achieve that.

I wish you all the best and wish for you to eventually have the child/children that bring you as much happiness as ours do us.

I am a woman with PCOS. I control my symptoms fairly well through diet and exercise and supplements. Nature's Sunshine brand "N-FX" controls the cysts. Red raspberry leaf increases fertility. I also have to use transdermal progesterone the last 14 days per month.

I also have been treated for Wilson's Syndrome (www.wilsonssyndrome.com), which is a thyroid issue.

My first child was conceived when I was young and had few symptoms. My second was conceived on fertility drugs. My third was after major dietary changes (mostly/all organic to avoid the artificial hormones in animal products). My fourth, fifth, and sixth were conceived naturally after being treated for the Wilson's Syndrome and with progesterone cream. My experience is that no matter how under control my symptoms are, if I conceive and do not use progesterone cream, I *will* miscarry every single time.

I hope that helps.

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.

J. 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, D.
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.

J. S.

What did the trick for me was a medication called Metformin (generic for Glucophage). It's a diabetic medication that is used to treat PCOS. I started having regular periods, and became pregnant in less than a year, at age 40. You're still so young, don't give up. Talk to your doctor, or get a better doctor if necessary. Good luck!

Hi J.,
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 have PCOS, I am almost 32 and I have known since I was 24. I have not been able to get pregnant in the last 7 years at all. We tried invitro and that didn't work for us either. We have adopted. Our son is 3 now but we got him as a newborn. I am so glad we adopted and looking to adopt again now. Everyone has different degree's of PCOS, some people can take a pill and get pregnant, and someone like me can't get nothing to work. So my advise is adopt or if you want to try for your own see a infertility Dr. Don't waste your time on OBGYN's, family Dr's, and any other form that people may request. I hear people will try more natural routes or Chiropractors but I have yet to meet anyone who gets pregnant that way so don't waste your time with these Dr's. They all might be able to help people with PCOS but I think they are one's who don't have it as bad. An infertility specialist can try the cheaper things and then go as far as invitro with you. Depending what you want to try and can afford. If you would like more info on some infertility Dr's let me know. I have been to one but talked to a few others and heard some good and bad about others. I have been dealing with this for 7 years so I like to think I know what I am taking about. :)

T.

I am sorry that you are having such difficulty. I do not know much, if anything, about PCOS. Have you considered a donor egg or a surrogate?