Polycystic ovaries advice

[imamummy]

Hi,
We took 2 years to conceive our daughter (now 5 months old) and I remember the hospital being surprised I'd conceived at all at one of our early scans when they saw my ovaries as they are polycystic which I know nothing about (also said they were very far back or something?)

I'm soooo keen to have a second child close in age but is there anything one can do to help ovulation as I've never had regular periods and haven't had my period back yet anyway. Is it worth seeing my doctor as is there anything one can do /take to help?

Sorry if this has been asked a zillion times and thanks!

[Twiglett]

I had polycystic ovaries before conceiving DS

afterwards I happened to have another scan and they'd cleared up, consultant said that happens a lot because hormones change after pregnancy

I did have a self-help book that suggested avoiding carbs ..

[imamummy]

Yippee, that sounds encouraging. Thanks Twiglett.

[AttilaTheMeerkat]

PCO can be a pain in the rear when it comes to conceiving. Although some women do not need additional help in order to conceive some do. You may fall into the later category.

The cystic follicles associated with PCO do disappear - the bad news is that they do come back over time. No one therapy or treatment will completely eradicate it; the cystic follicles do return.

I would recommend that you see your GP with a view to getting a gynae referral particularly as you've had a PCO diagnosis. PCO is not a condition that should be messed around with by GPs. If you are given clomid (a common drug treatment given initially to women with PCO) you should be monitored whilst on it.

Being the correct weight for your height is very important; excess pounds can be very hard to shift. Avoiding carbs is not ideal in the longer term; it is not sustainable. Following a low GI/GL (glycaemic load) plan is good for women with polcystic ovaries or its related syndrome.

Verity is the UK organisation that helps women with PCO/PCOS and their website is worth a look - its www.verity-pcos.org.uk.
Collette Harris is a PCOSer and has also written some books on the subject as well as cookbooks.

Good luck, do not be fobbed off!!!.

[goodtimes]

Hello imamummy
I had stopped ovulating and my cycle had slowed down to every 5 months - was advised I had PCOS. I attended a natural health practice and was prescribed some herbal medicine. After approx 8 months, my cycle was regular and I fell pregnant. The website for the practice is: www.naturalgynae.com. Good luck!

[Kewcumber]

there are cysts on ovaries - very common, come and go, asymptomatic, very common.

There is polycystic ovarian syndrome - ovaries more often than not cystic (with some fluctuation), symptomatic with the presence of one or more (but not necessarily all) of the following symptoms - weight gain, excess hair on face and belly, thinning hair (male pattern baldness), absence of or very irregular periods, acne, high level of free testosterone in blood, insulin resistance (there may be more they are just the ones I can remember). highest cause of secondary sub-fertility in women, about 10-20% of women guessed to have it to some degree.

If you have the first - no worries

If you have the second - no major worries but there are things you can do.

• Low refined carb/low GI diet
  
• exercise improves insulin resistance
  
• clomid is extremely effective in producing ovulation if you are not ovulating (successful in about 85% of cases I beleive)
  
• some people swear by herbal remedy Agnus Castus
  
  Collette Harris does write some very good stuff as Attila says

[Kewcumber]

PCOS is genetic it never goes away. It is natures way of ensuring the survival of the human race in famines!

[MamaMaiasaura]

JUst wanted to echo other fab posts on here. I have PCOS and am currently pregnant. Fell for ds (he was a surprise). This one I was referred for fertility and had clomid. Actually think getting my BMI back to healthy helped more than anything else as clomid didnt make me ov on first cycle but I ov'd myself (of course according to dp his 'super sperm' did all the work )

Good luck, all is not lost with this diagnosis, lots of women have it xx

[amariage]

Hi I have pcos and have just found out Iam pregnant with my fourth child.So there is hope for everyone.

[daisyhun]

Hi I have PCOS and now have a lovely DD 6 months old.

Conceived on clomid - 4th cycle. There's always hope! Consultants dealing with this are fab.

To echo other posts on here - losing a few pounds made cloimid work for me and I fell pg after losing a stone and getting my BMI back to a healthy level.

Good luck! and that you are thinking about second child already - I would love another now and working on DH to agree!!

[drsk]

I had pcos 6yrs ago and it runs in my family,I went to my Gp just for a check up and had it checked as i knew of this in the family,Unfortnately there were signs that i had it and we were told that there be a 50-50 chance that i would fall naturally,to my surprise i fell pregnant within two months of being told that i had pcos...I am now trying for another child and have been trying for the past yr with no signs of it happening but i am hopeful if it happened once it will happen again

[rufusmacdoofus]

Hi. I have PCOS and after 3 years of trying was diagnosed. Saw consultant. Had to go on v strict low GI diet and no sugar. My cyles came down from anywhere between 35 and 40 days to 28/29 and regular as clockwork. I started ovulating regularly so I could time sex beeter.I was also prescribed metformin to help with insulin resistance. I also started acupuncture and chinese medicine and 8 months later conceived my dd who is 7.5 months now. I had ecperienced 2 miscarriages before all this, which unfortuantely can be another side effect of PCOS. The rest of the posts on here are good advice. And you may sail into another pregnancy with no problems all all x. I suppose I wish I had known all this before I spent so long trying as I wanted lots of children and am now getting on a bit! The best bit of advice is to seek help sooner rather than later if you are concerned. Best of luck xx

[rufusmacdoofus]

Hi. sorry should have add that many GPs fail to diagnose PCOS because women show none of the classic symptoms - overweight, hairy, spotty. I had none of these and my consultant said it is the most common reason for referral to him for unexplained infertility. A scan and blood tests will help diagnosis too. x

[AttilaTheMeerkat]

"many GPs fail to diagnose PCOS because women show none of the classic symptoms - overweight, hairy, spotty".

I would also add that not all women with PCOS will have all of these symptoms at the same time or even at all. PCOS is a vewry individualistic disorder and affects each woman with it very differently. I was diagnosed with PCOS mainly on the basis of my irregular periods and the bloodwork showing a LH/FSH imbalance.

[whomovedmychocolate]

Hello, another apparent PCOS sufferer, not overweight and have a waist (apparently PCOS sufferers tend to have larger waistlines although this may be just health-police propaganda to make us feel guilty about the cakes).

Consultant prescribed Clomid - was hell of earth for two months, stopped all treatment, told to go for IVF. Conceived following acupuncture a month later.

DD is nine months, trying for the next one. Actually feel more fertile now than ever in spite of bfing DD!

If you managed it once, you'll probably do it again.

BTW my blood tests all showed I 'couldn't possibly' be ovulated, so I had a lap and dye and guess what - a corpus luteum (egg sac) showed up. What is normal for you may not be within the norms of the tests!

Good luck!

[CrookshanksinJimmyChoos]

Sorry for the hijack WMMC but TTC no 2...already DH is adamant no more babies until DS is ooh at least 18! lol!

[Kewcumber]

even "lean" pcos'ers can benefit from metformin when TTC I beleive there has been some research done on it. Also wroekd particularly well with fertility drugs (clomid and IVF)

[whomovedmychocolate]

Crookshanks - trying is the optimum word - DD doesn't sleep an awful lot

Actually I'm about to name change and post a TMI question about that.....

[CrookshanksinJimmyChoos]

Ahh, all you need is oooh....two mins maxium....in the interests of time saving, sod the foreplay, give him a wank mag to get it up and then jump on him, job sorted and your sleep not disturbed too much!

I'm just so romantic.....

[Zelda]

I was diagnosed with PCOS following a laperoscopy 9 years ago and am now 35 and trying to conceive (only for 2 months so far). Not sure if I still have the condition or if it always stays with you? Im not overweight and having just come off the Pill seem to have regular periods, has anyone been in a similar position and sought a further diagnosis?