PCOS AND Birth Control

I got pregnant with no drugs. I took the drugs forever, and finally gave up. Within a month, we were pregnant. I've been pregnant three times since.

K.

Hi, I too have pcos. We went to a RE and were able concieve ds, the first go-round (with the RE as our dr.) with clomid and intercourse. He moitored the follicles with usltrasound. With dd, we no longer had fertility insurance so here is what I did that worked. Maybe it will help you too. I went to see and endocrinologist and asked to be put on Metaformin. He agreed after blood work & afterI told him why-that I wanted to concieve and had read about women w/pcos that had taken metaformin to regulate their cycles and then concieved. I also, began working out 3 or 4 days a week. I did mostly yoga, pilates and rode the stationary bike and walked on the treadmill a little too.( I was and still am about 80 lbs overwieght, ugh) I also started eating a lot less sugar and refined carbs. I ate a diet very similar to the type diabetics need to eat to keep their blood sugar under control. It wasn't hard to cut back on the sugar since the metaformin made me nauseaus and have diarreah if I ate much sugar anyway. The "stomach" issues did improve after a couple of weeks on the metaformin, but I still didn't want to eat much sugar. After about 3 months of the working out, diet changes and metaformin I started having periods again. My cycles were about 34-36 days long, but after 3 cycles, I concieved dd.( I did not continue to take it during my pregnancy as some other ladies did, fyi) I still can't believe that home pg test was actually positive! Little Ava Catherine is now 15 months old now so I guess it is time to believe, lol. Good luck, your chanceds of concieving are probably pretty good!

I got pregnant in 3 months after I stopped taking the pill and I have PCOS. I did use the Arbonne progesterone cream - not sure if it really made a difference or not. But other than that I wasn't on anything - so it can happen! Good luck!

I was diagnosed with PCOS in college and had all the signs and symptoms related to it including obesity and anovulation. I had lapband surgery as a last resort 2 years ago tomorrow. Since then I have lost 120 lbs, resumed normal periods and had a healthy baby boy! I would recommend the surgery to any woman who is significantly overweight and having the hormonal problems associated with PCOS. I tried birth control pills and metformin and clomid and nothing worked. Losing the weight did the trick! If you are a candidate for it check out your insurance...many companies now cover it 100%.

Hi C.,

I've had PCOS for many years now. I can't say I've had the situation that you are in because I never used birth control pills to have a period. But instead, the doctor used a diabetic medication called Metformin. Although when I first started on it, it was in the trial stages - as they were only beginning to realize that PCOS was connected to a women's insulin levels. But now it is considered quite a standard treatment for PCOS. I also had no periods whatsoever, if not on the medication. But with Metformin - I have regular periods. I still took a long time to conceive for the first time - I was 38 when I finally was able to get pregnant for the first time in my life. But since then we've had a healthy baby girl, 6 1/2 months old now and are pregnant with our second. So asking your doctor about using Metformin instead of birth control might be an option to give you regular periods without preventing that desired pregnancy. Also, many people have found it helps greatly with weight issues that come with PCOS. I took Metformin all the way through my pregnancy and I felt great and my baby girl was perfect. I pray all goes well for you.
D.

Hi, I have PCOS and I use Fem Gest natural Progestrone cream to start my Periods. I use it for 1-2 weeks prior to when I should have a period then stop and My period starts with in a day or 2. I get it at Whole Foods or I think Market Street has some like it.

I just use 1/4-1/2 teaspoon and rub it on my tummy or butt (not breasts) and it really works.

I also used Chlomid 100 mg (start with 50mg just incase you ovulate easy on it)to ovulate and after my 1st son was born I was able to conceive on my own the first time I tried for 2 subsequint babies. The trick for me in staying pregnant was to use Progestrone supposatories until my 13th week of pregnancy (when the Placenta makes the progestrone) I had whats called a Leutial Phase Defect (very Common but easily undiagnosed) when the Ovary is supposed to make the Progestrone for the first trimester (12 weeks) to sustain the pregnancy but in women with PCOS it often does not work properly. After the 1st trimester, the Placenta takes over and makes the progestrone.

In a Leutial Phase Defect the Ovary does not make enough of the Progestrone needed to sustain the pregnancy or does not make it long enough and it results in a miscarriage. so I reccommend to be safe to use the Progestrone Suposatories starting the day AFTER ovulation until the 13th week of Pregnancy. (remember the first day of your cycle starts on the FIRST day of your period)

and the best intercourse time is starting day 10 of your menstrual cycle thru day 20 EVERY OTHER DAY. so it would be day 10, 12, 14, 16,18 and 20. (I ALWAYS ovulated on day 18 even on Chlomid)

Good luck and if you want any more info contact me. I tried for 7 years before I found this method and it worked the first time! (I AM NOT a Doctor. so please talk to a dr about any method of conception you choose to use).

A. J

I had PCOS and it took us a year to get pregnant with our first, but we were very lucky with #2 and were pregnant in about a month. With #3 we weren't trying - so it was a SHOCK! My OB/GYN said that after your first pregnancy it becomes easier to get pregnant with PCOS.

My friend with PCOS got pregnant after many years or trying. Thier little Madeline is now a year old. After the first month of trying this time... she got pregnant again. I'm not sure if she was on birth control pills, though. Goood luck to you & God bless!

I technically don't have PCOS, but I don't have regular periods (1 or 2 year without being on birth control). My first child was a total gift from God. I had tried Clomid with no success and was about to go see a fertility specialist when we found out we were pregnant. Now my second child who is almost two, I used Metformin (or Glucophage) which is a diabetic drug. There are off-label studies of using Metformin in women with PCOS to get pregnant. It worked really well! Do titrate up on the meds slowly. I stayed on Metformin throught the first trimester than my doctor took me off. I got pregnant within a few months of being on Metformin. I would definetly try this route before I saw a fertility specialist and started spending a ton of money.

I don't know what PCOS is, but gaining weight and not ovulating are both symptoms of a thyroid disorder. Have you had your TSH checked? Normal range is 1 - 4 and women especially do best when there's is closer to a 1. It's a simple blood test, but you have to ask for it to be done. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hypothyroidism/DS00353 http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/hypothyroidism-topic-o...

I have PCOS and it took me two years to get pregnant with my son. Has your Doctor checked your insulin levels?
When I was attempting to get pregnant with my son the first thing my Doctor did was check my insulin and hormone levels. He said that women with any insulin resistance issues from PCOD have a harder time getting pregnant.

Because of the ovulation issue one of the other things my doctor did with me was put me on Provera every month to force ovulation instead of birth control pills. Our doctor told us that women with PCOS have a better chance of getting pregnant if they are some what physically active as well. So I went walking every night around the block while trying to get pregnant with my youngest.

There is hope with PCOS! It just seems to take a little longer then the a woman with out any health issues.

HI C.
I have PCOS and got pregnant with the 1st child the first month of using Metformin. I took the medication throughout the pregnancy to help avoid miscarriage and to not get gestational diabetes--it worked and we have a healthy 2 year old. We are ready for another child now and the first month off bc we got pregnant naturally--unfortunately, it was a blighted ovum and a D&C was needed at 12 weeks as my body held on the pregnancy too well. So now I'm waiting for my period to start to try again, and I have started the Metformin and will remain on it through my next pregnancies---I think it's a miracle drug for me and pregnancy! Good Luck!

C.,

I have PCOS and it took a while with my 1st to get pregnant, but the 2nd, I was off the pill 4 days when we conceived. I am part of an online forum for women with PCOS (soulcysters.com) and I have talked with numerous women that got pregnant right away after stopping birth control. It seems to really kick start your system. Hope this helps.

S.

C. it took my husband and I twelve yrs. to get pregnant, I have PCOS, I went to see a fertility specialist and was told I ovulated but not very good. She suggested I lose weight, which being overweight and stubborn I did not listen to her. She would not give me fertility drugs because she had not had much success with women "my size". My husband had open heart surgery in 1999 from the time he had surgery until Aug. 2000 I had a regular cycle, never before w/o birth control had this happened, while he was in cardiac rehab I worked out and lost weight. I feel for me it was divine intervention I am sure that losing weight was a plus but it was also with God's help I did that. Don't loose faith, work on losing the weight and keep petitioning God hopefully you time will be short. Listen to your doctor as well. But I am a PCOS person who did get pregnant.

Opal

I was taking Aviane-28. I got pregnant in first month. I was 33.

Did you ever look for more solutions to solve your problems. Tests can tell you what to do to get your body in good condition for 9 month. My friend use natural products to get pregnant. She used few products on www.zoneofnaturalremedies.com .Good luck

My first child was a "let's go off the pill and see what happens" baby. Nine months later we welcomed our first baby girl.

I had not been diagnosed with PCOS but have always had it, knowing what I know now. Baby number two was not as easy, however I did not go back on the pill after the first child was born. (That is how I found out about PCOS, when we were not able to get pregnant with 2nd child).

Hope that Helps,
H.