PCOS and ttc!

[KylieP]

Someone just suggested setting up a PCOS and ttc thread - I'm on the June ttc thread but would love to hear from other PCOS'ers too!

I've missed your story jodidi, why is you dp not up for ttc?

We have 2 dd's already, dd1 is from a previous 'relationship' and is 12, dd2 is 2. Dp said he never wanted kids anyway, but I managed to persuade him that he would be a great dad so we ttc dd2 for 2 years before I fell pg. I then fell pg accidentally in Jan/Feb this year and miscarried at 12 weeks (at Easter). He didn't want that baby, we hadn't been trying, now is 'not the right time' (when is the right time?) and he says he's happy with the 2 we've got so why make life more difficult for ourselves with another child. I have wanted another since dd2 was about 3 months old but had been managing to contain my broodiness until this last pregnancy and now it's all I can think about, because I SHOULD be pregnant right now.

He is an excellent dad and I just know that another baby would make our lives better rather than more difficult. I don't talk about the miscarriage to him, he seems to have gone back to normal while I am still in bits. I'm getting better at pretending I'm ok though.

Hi there,
Just been on One Born Every Minute website after watching it last night.. I think everyone I know has a baby! Keep seeing pregnant people everywhere I go, no-one I know has PCOS and although I've read loads about it and all these celebrities have it, it's still a very isolating. We've been trying since last May, I was on the pill from 16 (now 31) and was diagnosed with PCOS five years ago. We were referred to a fertility clinic by our GP and went to our first appointment last month. After just 4 cycles in the last 12 months, the whole experience has been quite saddening really. To my great shock and surprise I came on yesterday after a 30 day cycle (neve been known without the pill - whoop!) and booked my app for the tubal thing for next Mon! I really thought I'd have to wait months. Our review at the clinic again is next month. It was such a good feeling when we went, it took a lot of pressure off! Seems there are quite a few avenues before IVF is on the cards and my partner's results came back fine. It'd be great to know if anyone's on the same page
Thanks for reading, and I hope this has been of some use
Steph

Hi all
Tremologreen I felt compelled to post as you could be describing my cycle and bloodwork down to a tee there. Interestingly though, when my PCOS was first diagnosed 10 yrs ago my bloods were very different and I was more symptomatic. Now, bloods all normal and ovulate every month between cd 19 (absolute earliest- happens once in a blue moon) and cd 26. Also have a LP of 8-10 days. Metformin made this difference.
I hope Clomid makes a difference for you. I took it for 6 months and I'm afraid it did nothing for me- O and LP unaffected. But as you say, it's such an individual condition that it could be very different for you.
Good luck x

steph I've been trying since December and think I'm about to book my doc appointment to try and get referred. My sister in law had her third baby yesterday and am feeling a bit anxious today, gutted as I've been trying to feel more relaxed about it lately. Getting a bit nervous reading all the stories about tests etc, my first bump feels a long way off today! (mopes away to have a glass of despite feeling too guilty to enjoy it)

Hi FreeSea,
I'm new to this so will have to do some research on some of the acronyms! I was told by the doctor at the clinic that us with PCOS don't necessarily ovulate every cycle.. If at all! I rekon I did last June due to the change in (dare I be so upfront) discharge.. More of a gluey substance. I was asked if I'd bought ovulation tests, but as my periods were several months apart last year after coming off the pill in May I didn't want the strain on what was already starting to affect stress levels
Hope that helps, it's such a mine field. We're all different though, best try to stay focused and try some yoga or something while we hope for good news!

Hi Kylie P,
Sounds like you're being very pro-active, but be mindful that the GP may want you to try as you have been for another 6 months. Every PCT's different and of course every GP, we started trying last May and saw the GP together May just gone. He also checked my blood pressure, BMI and bloods. My partner also had some tests. It's so easier said than done but just enjoy your relationship and leave the science stuff for a wee while, or you may be asked to come back anyway. Although it's worth a try if you're at the end of your tether already! If it's any consolation, most of my friends are on their second baby! Good luck :)

Hi all, Steph, MrsHY

MrsHY - Good luck to you. Can you attribute your shorter cycles to anything in particular, like less stress? I ovulated the earliest I have since coming off the pill this cycle, day 26 . I'm also having my longest LP to date of 11 days so far. AF will probably come tomorrow! This is the first month of all the vitamins and a bit of exercise. I've also been practising meditation - on the train in the morning is a good time

Steph is the tubal thing a hysterosalpingogram (HSG) where they put dye into the uterus? Are they offering you this before trying Clomid? Just wondered as none of the doctors have mentioned it to me but it kind of makes sense. Hope it goes well.

FreeSea OPKs might not work if you have high levels of LH all the time. Also, LH may rise but then the ovary may still fail to release an egg... You can try OPKs and see if they work for you (try the cheap generic ones). The normal pattern which suggests ovulation is positive tests on two consecutive days with negative tests either side and on random days, and a rise in basal body temperature (BBT) the day after the surge. BBT confirms the LH surge resulted in ovulation as the rise is caused by progesterone produced by the empty follicle.

Hi TremoloGreen - yes that's it! I didn't have my letter to hand when I was typing last night. The doctor said it was the 'easiest' of two procedures.. the other is key hole surgery through your belly button eek! (sounds like a fib, but I guess I have to believe a consultant!) Really hope there won't be any need for that. I don't know anyone who's had an HSG, do you? I gave more bloods during the consultation, so I assume it's to see whether I'll respond to hormone drugs. What have you been through to get where you are? Is there any scope for IVF? Seems there are lots of success stories

I am 36 , have had PCOS for 12 years and TTC,partnered for 7 years but only lived together 3 years,for many reasons -worked all -my life partner only divorced last year -this is the right time for me, although i fear i dont have long in which to (TTC),charting for 11 months.

Freesea,

"re everyone else why do opk's not work with pcos. Is it because we won't ovulate, or will get LH surge then not ovulate, or we just don't get the LH surge?"

Many PCOSers have an excess of LH to begin with therefore the kit reads this increased level. These kits will therefore give misleading false positive results.

OPKs are not without problems anyway even if PCOS is not an issue; these work on the misleading principles that there is one rise in LH every month and that such a rise is followed by ovulation. Both statements are simply not true.

becboo

Would suggest you stop charting as of now (it can be particularly unhelpful when PCOS is present as you could end up with a temp chart nigh on impossible to determine) and seek medical help asap. PCOS can require careful management from those in a subfertility unit.

You have a PCOS diagnosis already and are over 35. Gynaes generally like to see women over the age of 35 if they have been ttc their first child without success after 6 months of ttc.

Hi ladies, sorry I've been AWOL for a while. Lots going on at work, in life etc and just not had the time.

Hope we are all doing ok (on phone so haven't had a chance to look through all messages!)

Steph just wanted to say I had a HSG undertaken back in March. My consultant would not give me the Clomid as he said until they knew my tubes were clear there was not much point as if my tubes were blocked then the egg won't make it through anyway.

HSG is not the most pleasant thing to have but it's short lived and I was without severe cramping after (only during the procedure). I even managed to ovulate the same month, got pregnant but sadly lost it at 5 weeks. I think probably because of my PCOS as I have read that m/c's are higher with PCOS because of the hormones (depends which ones though so is not true for everyone with PCOS).

Anyway just wanted to offer some support and hope it goes well, tubes are clear and you get the drugs!!

Steph I don't know anyone in RL who has had an HSG (or not that has told me). From what I've read on here, people vary but many find it absolutely fine and some find it uncomfortable during the procedure. It will be worth it to know how everything is structurally though, and hopefully it can put your mind at rest. It is definitely the preferred option over a laparoscopy (hole in the belly button) as you don't want them to have to cut and stitch you!

I have been ttc for 9/10 months, which I know is not as long as some. I have had lots of blood tests, doctors scratching their heads, an ultrasound which diagnosed PCOS and now DP is having tests and we are waiting to be referred to a gynae who I imagine will prescribe Clomid. We haven't decided whether to go private/NHS. If I see the (private) doctor I saw before, he has already told me he will proceed straight to Clomid. GP thought the NHS gynae would probably do similar.

I don't know if that will work for me or not to be honest. I have late ovulation and short luteal phase at the moment and the hope is that Clomid would sort that out. However, there are other factors which suggest it might not work that well for me. I am trying to stay away from researching it - difficult as this is my job! - as it is just increasing my anxiety :-(

Anyway, I really hope the HSG is OK for you and good luck!!

So sorry to hear the outcome of your pregnancy Mooley. I really appreciate your message and your support. Are you now on Clomid? It's so sad that the risks are so high for m/c, but I guess it's pretty normal for it to happen to anyone for their first pregnancy. Just reading up on the procedure, sounds pretty straight forward. Thanks for the insight, I'm finding this really helpful :)

No, not on Clomid yet; finally get to see the consultant next Tuesday, so hopefully he'll prescribe it then!!

It's all very frustrating. I never thought TTC would be quite so complicated!!

Thanks for your message TremoloGreen. I think we've been really lucky with the NHS. I know it's a postcode lottery, and I wasn't expecting to be referred to the centre for Life in Newcastle as the outome of our first meeting with the GP! My partner was given a swift app to provide his sample, which came back fine. It was such a relief! Must admit that I did let it add a little more pressure on my part, afterall I now know that it's my body thats the problem. He's been fab with the whole thing, I'm so lucky to have him. What's a luteal phase? I'm trying not to resarch too much too! After watching 'one born every minute' the other night, (I avoided the last series, too stressful) there was a woman with PCOS - she was told to lose 5st before she got pregnat (not sure she did actually) and she had such a quick labour! The spectrum of syptoms for PCOS is huge.. I'm a size 12, although I could do without the upper lip waxes. When we went to the clinic at Life last month my cycle was at least 3 months, only had four in the last 12 months. I recieved a letter about the HSG on Fri, and started my period on Sunday! Ive never been so thrilled to be on! ha!
Thanks for the support, I hope I can offer the same at some point :)

Mooley - I know, loads of people seem to take joy in telling me that "oh, we got pregnant as soon a I came off the pill!"
Not long to wait til Tues then.. just think how much of an expert we'll all be at the end of it, hopefully our grandchildren will be so grateful that we went to so much trouble! :o

Hey, I read the posts about OPK's and wanted to make sure I haven't got the wrong end of the stick (ba dum) so is it possible to get false positives with PCOS but not false negatives? Dtd last night and am randomly doing OPK's

Hi KylieP - I don't think OPKs are an exact science unfortunately. You may get false negatives if 1) your urine is too dilute or 2) you 'miss' the peak concentration of LH in your urine (it is secreted in a circadian rhythm with the peak concentration being in the afternoon) and the method is less accurate if you take the tests at different times every day. For me, I take them at 4pm, making sure I don't drink too much from 2pm onwards.

False positives will occur if you always have elevated levels of LH which can happen in PCOS.

The important thing to remember is that these tests measure LH not ovulation. If you have a normal LH surge (OPKs used correctly will typically 'catch' it over two consecutive days, on the way 'up' and the way 'down', ovulation will typically occur in the next 12-24 hours. The only home method to measure ovulation is the maintained rise in basal body temperature resulting from the production of progesterone. Both these methods together will give you a good picture, but a blood test at 7 days post-ovulation would be hard evidence.

EWCM appears just before ovulation. It is there to ease the journey for the sperm. The only way to confirm ovulation is through monitoring your temperature throughout your cycle (your temperature rises slightly, and stays high after ovulation), or a blood test.

Does anyone have experience of follicle tracking? I've had 5 cycles of Clomid which have been hit and miss, I've ovulated but not regularly, ranging from CD14 to CD39! The clinic have told me that they want to stop Clomid as its not working for me and the next step is likely to be different drugs (not sure if they mean injections or not) and follicle scans. Won't know for sure until after I've met with the consultant in July.