Can someone help with my PCOS confusion?

[D9101]

Hi, I am new to this site and have a question that my doctor can never explain to me no matter how many times I ask. It is bothering me more and more as I get older and now me and my husband are thinking of trying for a baby in the next couple of months. When I was diagnosed with pcos 7 years ago I had the blood tests and they all came back normal but they sent me for an ultrasound anyway which is where they found I had pcos, my question to my doctor was why is it possible that I have pcos but my hormone levels are normal? Surely they shouldn't be? The women in my family don't have pcos and i was told it commonly runs in families so how am I the only one? I am now worrying that when we start trying for a baby I will be the failure that can't have a baby and I also worry if I do fall pregnant I will lose the baby and it will be my fault again. I know my husband doesn't see it in this way, he says he loves me no matter what but I would be heartbroken to know I cannot have the one thing I have always wanted.

Not sure about the hormone levels/bloods factor...hopefully someone can answer that a bit better soon.

No other females in my family were diagnosed with PCOS until I went to the doctors about unrelated issues really (I struggle with weight so they ran my bloods)

I didn't actually have a scan at that time to confirm, as the doctor bluntly said "You don't need one, it's pretty obvious from your bloods that's what it points too"

I was only diagnosed in August 2012, after splitting with ex and wanting to sort my weight out. I actually told him and we ended up getting back together and when I said I didn't know if we'd ever have kids together (he really wanted them!) We said we'd cross that bridge when we came to it...

Few months later, I was pregnant and DC1 was born in Dec 2013!

I too was worried the whole way through about increased risks but she was born healthy.

As was DC2 in May 2016.

After my diagnoses, my Sister went to get tested too, after discussing having similar symptoms. She has PCOS too but also has two gorgeous DC's as well. Good luck OP

I think it's because the diagnosis is made if you match a certain number of a larger list of possible symptoms?

I've got PCOS and I'm 5 months pregnant right now, so it doesn't prevent pregnancy: just makes it more difficult for some women.

You need to meet 2 out of 3 criteria I think, hormones on the blood tests, cysts on the ultrasound, and symptoms: ie weight, hair on face, acne, irregular periods.

Did you have two of those three? There's a possibility of having polycystic ovaries but not the syndrome I believe.

I would really recommend a book called taking charge of your fertility to understand more about the way it all works. I have friends with PCOS who got pregnant first time, it's a reason people struggle but it doesn't have to be that way. I have it but haven't started TTC yet and am hoping it all goes well but found the book quite useful to help understand everything.

I was told that as high as 1 in 10 women suffer from PCOS, but only 1 in 4 actually have symptoms.

Like you when diagnosed I was the only one in the family with it. It since then my sister and my niece have also been diagnosed with it.

As for the bloods - were they taken at a specific time in your cycle or did you have a full cycle done?

Thank you for your replies, ohwhatsinausername it gives me some comfort that it's possible to fall pregnant naturally with pcos. I have two of the symptoms which is the multiple cysts on the ovaries (one is worse) and I was overweight and I still am but finally getting somewhere with my weight. I have got a regular cycle back now since loosing 3 stone and I will continue until I get to a healthy weight. I also have bleeding after being intimate sometimes which they said was another thing that can happen when you have pcos. I have only ever had that one set of bloods done 7 years ago so I can't really remember what time in my cycle it would have been done. I just wish that my doctor had been helpful as I had to read up online what it actually was, I am with a new doctor since moving house so I might book an appointment. I would love to know what state my ovaries are in 7 years down the line

The weight loss is brilliant for PCOS (and it kills me to say it!). Just a 5% loss of your body weight can be enough to trigger ovulation.

In order to check you are ovulating you need a day 21 set of bloods to check your progesterone levels. Off the top of my head I can't remember what a good level should be.