Pcos - Chicago,IL

If you have PCOS I would think the best thing to do would be to see a reproductive endocrinologist if you want to get pregnant. If you're against fertility treatments that's another issue. But I think that the best way to get pregnant would be to initiate fertility treatments.

Hi Jennifer,

I have quite a bit of information on PCOS which might be helpful. If you e-mail me offline at ____@____.com, I will compile it all and e-mail it to you.

I would recommend buying a good quality ovulation monitor. I have PCOS with perfect glucose levels. Metformin (glucophage) was recommended, but I didn't feel comfortable taking it since I didn't have any abnormal glucose tests and it is a diabetic medication. I found the book "Fertility Foods" to be very informative. You may want to check it out. It was written by a fertility doctor. I got pregnant naturally after 14 months. My fertility doctor discovered after I was pregnant that I had low progesterone. I would have had a miscarried if it wasn't for his close monitoring. So, even if you're not interested in pursuing fertility drugs/treatments, I would recommend following with the fertility doc for the first few weeks if you do eventually become pregnant.

Hi Jennifer. I was diagnosed w/ PCOS when I was trying to get pregnant with my first (at age 26/27). My husband and I had been intentionally "trying" for about 6 months before I went on Clomid. It didn't work the first month and I was extremely disappointed. I wanted to try again without the Clomid, just to see if for some reason the first dosage would have kicked my body in gear. But, it didn't. After a few months, I decided to try Clomid again, and was successful. I consider myself very blessed, because I've known or heard of others with PCOS that had to be on it longer or higher dosages. But, I believe what really helped me at that time is that I had accepted the possible reality that maybe I wasn't going to get pregnant, and I put it in God's hands. I think that helped me to not be so tense and stressed about it.
And, then, after my first pregnancy, I was able to get pregnant without clomid fairly quickly (at age 28/29). So, I guess it just depends. I've stopped trying to predict my body anymore! :-)
Blessings to you....I hope that whatever you choose will result in a pregnancy!

Hi Jennifer,

I have PCOS and have been trying to concieve my second child for more than two years. It is possible to get pregnant on your own, which I did, but I did miscarry at 6.5 weeks. So within that two years I did get pregnant. Since then I have done 5 cycles of clomid with no response. It works for some and not for others. My next step will be injectibles but I'm holding off for a few months. I am also 30 years old. I had my son 5 years ago, but seemed to develop the PCOS after that. Just try not to lose hope, I know its hard and easier said than done. Good luck!

Hi!
I might be out of the nrom here but... My husband and I tried for a year with no success. Finally the specialist said to try clomid which I was glad to at least have someting to try! Clomid did not work for us. We then went on to injectables but still conceiving naturally. It worked the frst cycle, with it being a single birth. They told us to try again when my daughter was one and we would have a better chance of getting pregnant on our own. We tried again for 4 months and nothing happened. Instead of trying the clomid again I went straight for the shots. I need it worked before and I was not willing to give up another year trying before we started the shots. Not that I am old (32 with a 4yr old and 18 mos old) but I really just didn't want to waste time with the Clomid regimein. It is important that you find a doctor who you are comfortable with and who you trust. I know some preach about eating right and getting your body right... I agree to certain extent but I know people who have lliterally changed their diets and their lives and still had no luck until they did some medical interventions! I wish you all the luck in the world. I know how frustrating it is! I would have taken triplets over no babies at all!!! :)

Hello, I know exactly what you are feeling. I was in your shoes about a year ago and I was turning 30 as well. I also have PCOS and went through the inferility testing as well and the doctor told us the same thing. We were also reluctant to use Clomid however after 6 months of trying we decided to to the clomid with an HCG injection and 9 months later we had our first little baby girl:) We were definitely lucky that it worked the first time around because we have friends of ours that went through 4 series of IUI's without success. Even though the whole thing of going for blood work, taking the clomid(you will defintely become irritable/emotional)and going through with the numerous ultrasounds it was definitely worth it for us then trying on our own and getting that negative result every month. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me. ____@____.com
Good luck!
V.

I also have PCOS. We tried for 1 year naturally and did not get PG on our own. We did end up going to an RE and that is when I found out that I had PCOS. I got PG with injectable meds. the first month however it ended in a miscarriage. We waited a couple of months and then when I went back in to start back up with the meds we found out I was PG...on our own. However, that also ended in a miscarriage. The third time we used the same injectable meds and I got PG right away. I now have an almost 7 month old daughter!

I was diagnosed with PCOD though now I am told there isn't any real difference from PCOS. I just never had any actual cysts on the ovaries. My cycles just didn't really exist--maybe 4 a year. If you don't get a cycle, you are not ovulating. The condition really messes up your hormones, not producing enough progesterone which in turn gets the estrogen going. you can try taking your temp as previously suggested but if you are not ovulating at all then nothing is going to happen there. My gyne before being diagnosed had me do it for 4 months and kept telling me i must be doing it wrong. I eventually went to a reproductive endocrinologist. We tried with Clomid off and on for over a year. It just didn't work out for us. It is a very crazy emotional rollercoaster rise to be on. I eventually did a cycle of IVF and the first time actually worked (this was after seriouosly trying for over 3 years). I have 9 year old triplets. I also have a 7 month old that was a total surprise so it can happen. I wonder if your husband wants to try without Clomid due to the possibility of multiples. There is a slight chance for it since you could release more than one "egg" at a time. Maybe you could compromise and try naturally for 6 months. The one piece of advice is to try to relax. 30 really isn't old and trying for one month is not very long. The best way to get through any infertility issues is to take it one month at a time.

Do you or your doctor know if you ovulate? Clomid helps induce ovulation? It can help for a very specific fertility problem but recent research suggests it is not effective for unexplained infertility. It sounds like you don't know yet whether you have a fertility issue or not as you have only tried once. The book "Reclaiming your Fertility" is excellent and can help you chart your natural cycle. It along with an ovulation predictor kit can help with the timing of sex to optimize chances of conception. If you are unsure of your doctor, you may want to go to another for a second opinion. I loved my doctor, Dr. Kazar at Northwestern. he is not an interventionist as some fertility docs are and is very knowledgeable about current research. there are several experts at Northwestern on PCOS. Dr. Dunaith there is a well known expert in that area. I know that Dr. Kazar and his colleagues are very familiar with PCOS as a condition and its implications for fertility. Good luck.

Hi Jennifer,

I was diagnosed with PCOS about 5 years ago (I just turned 30 as well) and was put on the pill to control hormone levels. In march 2007, I went off the pill and we were pregnant in July 2007. When I took the pregnancy test that came back positive, I just KNEW it was going to be negative because my cycle had been so strange and erratic leading up to that point.
My advice would be to relax and try for another couple of months. One of the most important things is - don't worry about getting pregnant, just have FUN trying :)

Hi Jennifer,

I do not have PCOS but I do know many women through the website The Nest.com that do have it. There are some women that have concieved without clomid or other interventions but most seem to need clomid in order to even ovulate. The Nest has many different groups that can help you understand PCOS better and the women there can also give you their prespective on dealing with it. (It's a message board with women from all over the world so you will get many views. There is a 3 day wait period after you sign up. While you are waiting around look around at different groups and see which you like best.)

I know the mamasource moms are great but I just wanted to give you another resource for support and conversation. I hope I can help.

I also have PCOS, and have an almost 6yr old and a 3yr old, so think positive. The thing that I wish someone would have really beat into me, was that my weight ahd a lot to do with my infertility and controlling PCOS. I am not saying it is for everyone, but after going through lots of infertility treatments, and the use of metformin (ask your doc about that) I only conceived after loosing weight. If you are not at a healthy weight, I would explore that option. It matters when you have PCOS more than the average female. I also used one of those digital ovulation predictor monitors (a couple hundred dollars)but it ultimately worked. I don't know the severity of mine compared to yours, but I wanted to share what I wish I knew years ago. I wish a positive pregnancy test for you in the near future!!!
If I can do anything else, please e-mail me!

YES! :) I did!

It is tougher though. My sister has it as well and was not able to...she had to go through several years of treatment. One thing my wise mother reminded me: she had four kids and even without any medical complications like PCOS, it took her 18 months with her first baby, 9 months of trying with her second and then 6 months and another 18 months respectively to get pregnant. It is a tricky thing even without complications.
It is all about your time-frame. If you said you were just casually trying, then I would say give it some time. If you are really ready to have a baby NOW (as it seems you are) then maybe try working with a fertility specialist. Since there are lots of different "levels" to treatment, you can start easy with just a pill that will make sure you are regular etc.

Just an FYI: My sister did get pregnant with fertility treatments and is now the proud mommy of an 8 month old baby girl :)

I have PCOS, and our insurance required that I try for one year before they would cover any infertility treatments. I went off birth control 2 years before we were actually planning on having a baby, and was shocked to find out I was pregnant less than 4 months later. My doctor said more or less what yours did, and was shocked when I came back in pregnant. It can and does happen.

We had a surprise pregnancy with my son (before I even knew I had PCOS). It has taken us a very long time, three rounds of unsuccessful Clomid, and a lot of prayer for another one. We're still trying. We were told that our son was a miracle baby, too. This is a very personal decision for you and your husband. I am 32 and am feeling the tick tock, as well. Go with your heart, but know that you'd be one of many going down the Clomid route. Most importantly, don't get obssessed and frustrated - it will really decrease your chance of getting pregnant. Try to stay zen about the whole thing and let it happen how it will happen....drugs or no drugs.

Good luck from the bottom of my heart - hang in there!
A.

I've had this since I was 14 years old (now 28)- right after I got married I went off the pill (at age 24), and within 5 months I was pregnant (at age 25) :) So I don't know if I was just lucky, or if you wait a few months you may be able to on your own :)

I also have PCOS and was able to get pregnant on my own. However, it wasn't a quick process. My husband and I tried for a year. After a year, I was on Clomid and then Metformin. Neither one worked for me. We also tried 2 rounds of injections. After 2 unsuccessful attempts with the injections, we decided to take a break from all of the fertility stuff. During that time, I starting exercizing regularly and dropped some weight, which seemed to help. After four months of taking a break and not stressing over getting pregnant, we were able to. I know it may take some time, but be patient. I'm proof that you can get pregnant without any fertility drugs and have PCOS. I was shocked too because I was told the same thing. Hang in there!!

hi jennifer,
one of my doctors diagnosed me with pcos about 5 years ago and prescribed metformin but i really never took it or went back for any check-ups. all i did was go on birth control and regulated my abnormal periods. my doctor did tell me that it would be difficult to get pregnant in the future but i was young at the time so it didnt really bother me all that much. finally, i got married and we decided to start a family and so i went off the birth control and 3 months later i was pregnant. my doctor was shocked that we were able to get pregnant without any assistance whatsoever but we did. the pregnancy went fine and about 6 weeks before our daughter was due they diagnosed me with gestational diabetes. i literally did nothing different besides check my blood sugar and it was never elevated. they thought she would be a large baby but ended up at 6lbs 12oz, perfectly healthy.
after all that, the reason for my story is that it is very possible to get pregnant without assistance with pcos.
i would just take the medications your doctor prescribed for the pcos and see if nature can work with you. good luck!

Hi Jennifer,
I am 28 years old an have had PCOS since I was 11. I actually became pregnant without any help the very first time trying! Everyone had told me I couldn't and I had an appointment with the infertility specialist (Dr. Brian Kaplan) to begin Clomid. I would suggest taking your temperature for a month and seeing if you ovulate. Then buying some ovulation strips so you make sure you are trying at the right time. I didn't think I even ovulated due to my sporadic cycle but was shocked to see I did. There was some issues with my PCOS the first month of my pregnancy, they thought I had a tubal pregnancy, just to find out a cyst burst. I know everyone is different, but I am so glad I tried on my own before starting on clomid. Jake is now 12 weeks old and my little miracle!

I have pcos as well. I think the first thing you need to do is figure out if you are ovulating, even if irregularly. There is a way to keep track of your daily temperatures to find that out. You can also get frequent ultrasounds to see if you are ovulating. Your doctor shouldn't give you Clomid if you are ovulating on your own, but if you are not ovulating at all, your husband needs to understand that it is impossible to conceive a child if you are not releasing an egg for him to fertilize. I kind of agree with your doctor, but definitely know where your hubby is coming from. We tried Clomid on our very first cycle of trying after I found out I had pcos. We ended up with 2 mature follicles and both of them fertilized and we now have 2 year old boy/girl twins. The risk of multiples is there, even with just Clomid. However, it may be your only chance of conceiving. Don't take it without knowing for sure that you do NOT ovulate. Lots of women with pcos DO ovulate, and don't need fertility drugs. Good luck!

Hi Jennifer,

My husband and I tried for almost a year before we saw a fertility specialist who eventually diagnosed me with PCOS (due to the problems I had with some fertility treaments). I would advise you to seek some help, especially if it doesn't happen within 6 months. There are some easier treatments, like Metformin (a diabetic medication) that can control the PCOS. My cousin who also has PCOS got pregnant on her own just by being on Metformin while she was trying (and timing intercourse with ovulation). If you need a fertility doc I would recommend Dr. Charles Miller in Naperville and Schaumberg. My husband and I now have two daughters (4 and 14 months) from fertility treatments and are hoping to expand our family again next year. Please hang in there, it really does work. It is also good that you are starting out trying while you are still young. I was 32 when I got pregnant with my first daughter. Best of luck to you!

geritol tonic makes you fertile. Worked for me after taking it for 2 weeks.

I guess Doctors read so much sometimes they forget about God
and miracles. I haven't had your experience but never rule out miracles.

If you are going to try naturally I would ask if you are within your recommended weight range and are you taking metformin. PCOS causes blood sugar problems which metformin helps with and that can help your chances of getting pregnant. Being too heavy can also affect your chances of conceiving so if not, working on weight loss can help too. Accupuncture is also very effective- the World Health Organization actually recommends it as a treatment for infertility.

I too went through infertility- it took us 18 months to conceive our third child. Like yours, my husband did not want to use Clomid so we waited and did get pregnant without it. It is hard every month to get your period but know that you are very young and it will happend for you some time. Good luck to you.

Jennifer:
You have gotten some good advice. I had my first when I was 31 and my last at 38! Your clock has plenty of time!

I can understand your concern and frustration, however, so many women who are hormonally imbalanced do not know about a natural way to balance themselves. Doctors are not schooled in it because it is not a prescription and they can't get kickbacks for it. Natural progesterone cream has helped thousands, maybe millions of women to help with many issues related to hormone imbalance. I would be more than happy to provide you information, testimonials and other references regarding natural bio-identical hormone balancing. Dr. John Lee was a pioneer in this and has written many books on the subject. Let me know how I can be of help to you.

K.
Wellness Consultant

I am currently 38 and have a 7 4 and 11 mo old I also have PCOS. Make sure if you are trying on your own that you have and are doing the following...

Seen a gynecologist and had a recent pap and get put on prenatal vitamins, go on a low carb diet such as south beach or atkins as insulin surges are a problem in PCOS and cause the ovaries to not function properly, exercise and lose, if needed about 10% of your body weight. If your currently overweight this will help, if you are underweight(not very usual with pcos) then gain 10%. Read a book by Dr. Jeremy Groll it tells you how to gain control of the factors you can control and let the rest go. This way you can start trying in a few months. The above suggestions really just say live a healthier lifestyle and really focus on taking care of yourself. Also if you are under alot of stress try yoga to balance yourself.

Good luck. I started trying without doing the right stuff in 1994. Learned alot in 1999 and had a child in 2001.

I don't have PCOS, but it did take me almost a year to conceive my first child. Start taking your basil body temperature every morning before you get out of bed and chart it(you can get a chart from your doc or on line) everyday along with any physical changes (period, mucus, cramps) and if you have had sex. Once you figure out when you are ovulating, that of course is the best time to have sex. I also used the ovulation stick, just to be sure but not necessary. If you don't want to bother with that, you can always have sex every other day until you conceive. My doctor had said if having sex every other day for three months didn't work then I would look into infertility treatment. It worked the second month that we did "it" every other day. Exhausting, but worth it. Good luck and try not to stress about it.

I am 28 years old and have PCOS and did use clomid on my first child and am currently taking it taking to get pregnant for the second time. My friend also has PCOS and she got pregnant on her own after only 3 months of trying. She took her metformin faithfully to make sure her insulin was right and she got pregnant without really trying. Don't always believe what your dr says, there are not God and do not have all the answers.

There are so many things you can do prior to drugs that cause problems now and in the future.
1. If you are frustrated, you can cut out some of the frustration with charting your cycles. You only ovulate once a month, and knowing the exact day of that ovulation does not take an expensive fertility monitoring system. A $10 basal thermometer and a book about your charting puts your window of opportunity to get pregnant down to less than 100 hours per month. Not everyone ovulates at the same time in their cycle, and your temperature sign and mucus signs will give you a clear indication of ovulation or lack of ovulation. Why doctors don't teach every woman how do to this is beyond me. Perhaps they think we are too lazy or stupid to handle it - who knows. Two books that can easily get you started are "Taking Charge of your Fertility" by Weschler and the Natural Family Planning text book by CCLI.org. We got pregnant as soon as we were able to see a pattern and anticipate the ovulation by a day or two. Seemed if we started 'trying' on the day of, we missed the window for my body (what normally happens with women who use an expensive 'fertility monitor' which only let's you know after you have ovulated).

2. PCOS is caused by estrogen dominance. Your body is taking in too much estrogen in the food and water supply, plus through toxins in your skincare. Your body is also over-producing estrogen if you are overweight, since it is also made in your fat cells. Plus, stress and lifestyle can keep you from ovulating, leaving you without the benefits of progesterone to counteract the estrogen, adding further to the problem. Birth control will not 'fix' a lack of progesterone, as it only mimics progesterone symptom relief (temporarily at best - ask anyone who has gained weight on birth control).

3. You can end your PCOS and become pregnant without clomid. Your doctor probably hasn't shared with you the corellation between clomid and women who take anti-depressants after birth - it's huge. If you can avoid it and still get pregnant, you may be thankful to not have to find out if that would happen to you. We won't even get into the stats of cancer and clomid either. terrible.

4. If any of this sounds complicated, please don't hesitate to contact me for the short and sweet basics. Your health after you have children is just as important as getting pregnant. I had cancer 4 years before having our kids, and I am thankful that what I learned made that possible. Chemo and radiation leave you with fertility issues, and I am fortunate enough to first of all be here, and secondly learn and share what I have found.

Blessings, and please don't hasitate to call, especially if you are not up for a long read in the suggested books!
L.

I was in the same boat. I had been on birth control from the age of 19-26. When I went off of the pill in 7/06, my doctor diagnosed me with PCOS and told me it would be nearly impossible to get pregnant on my own. I never got another period once I went off of the pill and my husband and I continued to have sex, but never really tried to get pregnant. I had just scheduled the appointment to meet with the fertility specialist in 12/06 when I added up all of the symptoms and took a test that came back positive, and in 7/07 my miracle was born. I don't know if my experience is atypical, but just wanted to give you some hope.

I think it is important to understand why you have PCOS, what's going on in your body, and why fertility treatments might be helpful.

I have PCOS and went through 3 years of fertility treatments before I got pregnant. And, just like another poster, I got pregnant by surprise. The conception happened while on a break from fertility treatments. Quite honestly, I believe that the fertility drugs *did* work for me - while I did not get pregnant directly from the use of the drugs, they helped my cycle normalize itself, sort of like shocking the heart back into rhythm. I have never had a regular period in my life (unless on birth control pills, which doesn't count because the cycle is regulated by the withdrawal of hormones, not by my brain and pituitary gland), but have been fairly regular ever since the birth of my child.

My advice to you would be this: first and foremost you must, must, must try to maintain a positive outlook and not get down after each negative pregnancy test. While I hope this is not the case, you may have lots and lots of negative pregnancy tests (I had 3 years' worth plus a miscarriage, so I know how frustrating it can be). If you allow yourself to become overly depressed and stressed, that will not be helpful at all in your attempts to try to conceive.

Has your doctor told you why you have PCOS? Have you had it all your life? How do your hormone levels rise and drop during your menstrual cycle, and are they rushing and flushing at appropriate rates? Is your body picking a primary follicle to lavish with everything it needs to grow large enough to be a viable egg? Is your body actually going through ovulation? Just having one of these very important events be off could make trying to conceive without assistance very, very difficult, not impossible, but difficult.

I know it can get very frustrating and depressing at times, but hang in there. Many of us here have stories with happy endings, and we will be wishing the same for you!

I so know the frustration. I have PCOS. With my twins it took 6 months of Clomid, 2 IVF cycles and a frozen embryo transfer and transferring 3 embryos(which was successfull) to conceive my boys. Which took us 3 1/2 years as I took a few months break in between IVF cycles because I was so emotionally and physically drained from the rollercoaster. With my daughter, she was a COMPLETE surprise. We got pregnant with her on our own and only being intimate once that month due to traveling schedules. My cousin also have PCOS and she got pregnant with her first child after 2 tries of Clomid and her daughter was a surprise as well as they conceived her naturally.

Good luck! It is a huge rollercoaster but SOOO worth it in the end!

If you are looking for a natural way, may I suggest Progestrone as I have heard many of my friends conceive while using a bio-idential Progestrone cream, the one I like and used was from a internet company Arbonne. I would love to help you get additional information if you are curious to learn more. Email me or call me and we can discuss. It has to do the egg not being able to attach and stay on the wall of the uterus. Talk with your soon!!

Hi J.: First of all, great name! :-). I also have PCOS and in the past have tried 4 cycles of clomid and one cycle of the injectable medication that is supossed to give you a better chance. Neither of these worked for me. We tried for 4 years, and I finally gave up and we decided that we would adopt. Then I got pregnant. I didn't find out I was pregnant until I was 8 weeks along, and I just couldn't believe it. I think all of the stress and worrying about it just made it worse. When I had given up and not worried about it, it happened. The best thing you can do is relax. I know how hard that is to do. There is a book that we used to help us too: "Healing Syndrome O". It talks about how diet affects your fertility and what you should eat and what to avoid. It was very helpful. We now have an awesome almost 2 year old boy. He is my complete joy and my miracle from God. It can happen for you too. Good luck!

Hi Jennifer -

I have PCOS and I have been able to successfully achieve pregnancy by taking Metformin. This is a diabetes drug but for women with PCOS this can promote successful ovulation without using fertility drugs. I go to a PCOS endocrinologist specialist at the University Of Chicago. I took the drug for a few months tracked my ovulation and luckily got pregnant the first try with both of my beautiful girls. I encourage you to ask your doctor about this option. It worked very well for me and I still take it to regulate my cycles instead of the pill. Good Luck to you!

B. P.

Hi Jennifer,

I do not have PCOS, however one of my best friends does. She actually went through two years of infertility treatments including Clomid. She had in vitro also. The embryo implanted, but she miscarried. Then last February, about six months after she stopped all treatment, she got pregnant completely out of the blue! She just delivered a beautiful baby girl 4 weeks ago. (She turned 30 in July) The key to their success was to relax. I know everyone tells you that, but it really is true. She also has been adopting a healthier lifestyle and trying to avoid products with all those nasty chemicals (pick up a copy of Gorgeously Green, it is her bible!) Maybe keep track of your ovulation schedule with the test strips, but just have fun and relax. don't make it a chore. Have faith that you will know when you really do need the help. Until then, breathe, relax, have fun.

I have PCOS and got pregnant without fertility drugs. My story is one about faith and a great God. I will tell you that I tried for 12 yrs. that is the faith part. I did see a fertility specialist in the beginning and found out I ovulated just not very good she suggested I lose weight before trying any type of fertility drug. That only made me upset I knew people larger than me who had gotten pregnant. To make a long story short my husband had open heart surgery and while he did cardic rehab I began working out and lost weight it was also at the time that I began to have a regular consistent period for the next 9 mo. I then asked God to please allow me to conceive a child and he did so mine is a miracle after 12 yrs. I didn't know I was pregnant until I was 11 1/2 wks. I thought the things happening to my body were something else until God planted a thought in my head about being pregnant. Sure enough I took a pregnancy test and it was positive and I was so shocked that I did it again to make sure my husband didn't want me to have false hope so it wasn't until the doctor did a blood test that I knew positively I was preganant. That was 8 yrs ago to day as a matter of fact that I found out my son was on his way. Praise God.