Anyone Know about PCOS

[Kazoo]

Does anyone have any advise on Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and getting pregnant?  My doctor put me on the pill to keep PCOS and related hormones under control, but doesn't tell me anything about this problem even when I ask him.  Has anyone been through it, can you get pregnant without drugs????!!!

[ourbabydreams]

Hi hon, I don't know a lot about it but there is a great forum on www.babycenter.com that is just for PCOS. I belong to a couple forums on that site and all the ladies there are so kind and helpful. I only know how it is diagnosed. I wish you luck and hope you get your baby dreams when you what them.

God Bless
Christine

[24T]

well I have a friend with PCOC and she has two kids, the doctor told her if she exercised lost weight ate healthy drank alot of water that would increase her chances of conceiving, and it worked for her both times...  right now she is on the pill the dr gave it to her to help bring down the side effects of pcos , acne,facial hair, and the weight, PCOS can be treated be sure you have a good doctor when trying to conceive,

good luck

[LauraJoan]

Hi - I have PCOS. I had a miscarriage last year. I've had the symptoms for years, but the doctors missed it, depsite rather obvious symptoms.

Anyway, I'm now 20 weeks pregnant - thanks to Metformin - a drug used in increase insulin sensitivity (originally designed for Diabetics). I didn't have any periods - I was told I was infertile. When I started taking this, my periods came back within 2 months. Within 4 months of taking metformin I became pregnant for the 2nd time. This often happens with PCOS sufferers, although some also take CLOMID to help them to ovulate.

I spent a lot of time looking into how to at least get through the first crucial 12 weeks - there's quite a lot of evidence that PCOS women suffer a far higher m/c rate - a lot to do with low progesterone levels I understand, amoungst other things - PCOS women seem to sometimes take progestone pessaries. I stayed on Metformin (against my GPs wishes, but they are completely uninformed so I just went with all the info I'd found out) for the first trimester. Metformin looks like it helps massively reduce m/c rate. Its a FDA class B drug - not certified for use during pregnancy, but it doesn't look like it does any harm.

So, I came off it at 12 weeks - there is also evidence that it helps reduce Gestational Diabetes, another thing that PCOS women are more likely to get. But, I wanted to come off it asap as the long term effects are as yet unknown. I've been taking baby aspirin - also some evidence that PCOS is related to blood clotting problems too. But its all such a new area ...

I strongly recommend you find yourself a good Reproductive Endocrinologist. I've not, and fell like I'm wondering around in the dark - PCOS is little known or understood by the medical profession in the UK, from my experience. I'm on mailing lists at www.pcolist.org, which is a really good place to hear how other people cope with it. I strongly recommend it.

Good luck.

Laura