PCOS and labour

[frsttimemama]

Hello Mumsnetters,

I am 34 weeks today and expecting baby no.1 on 3rd October 2019. I have PCOS and have just come across some info on the internet about complications with PCOS during pregnancy.

I was initially, innocently trying to find out if it affected your likeliness to go over your due date!

I have already cleared a few of the PCOS/pregnancy related hurdles that they listed;

• Miscarriage
• High blood pressure induced by the pregnancy
• Gestational diabetes (tested and luckily passed!)
• Premature birth
• Women with PCOS also have a higher likelihood of needing a caesarean delivery because their babies might be larger than expected for their gestational age.
• Babies born to women with PCOS have a greater risk of dying around the time of delivery and of being admitted to a newborn intensive care unit.

The bottom three on their list have scared me quite a lot! Are these common for women with PCOS, to anyone's knowledge?

I am hopeful that I can hear some success stories for women with PCOS and labour as, this has spooked me quite a lot. I am seeing my midwife on Tuesday and so, I will probably ask her about it then (and prepare myself for a telling off as, I know Google is the devil...!)

Thank you in advance!! Xx

A lot of the risks left on your list are related to the ones you’ve already crossed out.

For example, if you have uncontrollable high blood pressure, your baby is likely to be induced early. This still counts as a premature birth. If your baby is premature, it’ll likely need treatment on a neonatal unit.

If you have gestational diabetes, you’re more likely to have a large baby if the diabetes is uncontrolled. Uncontrolled diabetes is also linked to stillbirths and requiring neonatal treatment.

As your blood pressure has been normal and your diabetes test was normal I’d try not to worry

@IDontDrinkTea,

Thank you so much for replying - You have made me feel a lot better and that makes a lot of sense, when I think about it rationally!

Thank you again :) xx

Yh, its a load of old scaremongering bollocks. You are more likely to be over weight with PCOS which may lead to gestational diabetes and or high bp. Unchecked that might led to a bigger baby but even if you did get them they would do something about it. Both are fairly common. I have quite severe PCOS, was nearly 40 and had low bp and a baby who was 6ibs 11oz. As far as I was told PCOS only affected your ability to get pregnant- nothing about Labour. Step away from Google.

Thanks roundturn! I think you are correct, appreciate you taking the time to reply!

Backs away from PC!

Xx

Just re read my post which sounded a bit harsh and I didn't mean it to. I googled frequently when pregnant and it was v stupid but normal. To be fair I think you lose quite a bit of perspective when you're pregnant which is understandable. I hope everything goes great when the time comes. Good luck

Like anything, seriously pick a random drug in your medicine cabinet and read the leaflet, they warn you about every possible situation.

DS was induced 38weeks, 6lbs at birth, home the next day, pcos and endo, no gestational diabetes but induced for pre eclampsia so raised blood pressure but that didn’t start until 36weeks and wasn’t a problem to 37+5. No mention of pcos to me at the time.

Thank you @roundturnandtwohalfhitches and Luna :) xx

I had 2 big babies, but not early, and both straightforward vaginal deliveries. DS1 was 10lb at 42 weeks and DS2 was induced due to scans showing he would be very big - 9lb12oz at 39+2 so I'm glad he didn't go overdue but the births themselves were both ok.

My 2 were born at 40+5 and 40+6.
Not massive 9lb7 and 9lb6
Both normal vaginal birth with no intervention.
My PCOS is severe, at one point was having a period a year if I was lucky.

I have PCOS and did go overdue (not sure if that's related or not but it's common enough in first babies anyway!) Ds was 9lb 2 so on the large side but exdp is 6ft2 and a rugby build and I was 2 weeks overdue so that's more likely the reason. Straightforward vaginal delivery with no issues with ds - good luck with your labour and try not to worry too much!

Thank you for replying everyone! I really appreciate it xx