Just diagnosed with PCOS.. what now?

[DreamsTonite]

Posting this to see if anyone has any advice or has recently been diagnosed or got pregnant with PCOS.
I’m 22 and have just (about half an hour ago) got the results from my blood tests. I have had scans in the past that were suggestive of PCOS where the results weren’t passed on to me and I had to insist on blood tests after seeing some old notes while I was in the hospital that mentioned PCOS.
So I have got PCOS and im just wondering what now??!

Are you overweight? Are you currently trying to conceive? What are your cycles like?

I was diagnosed with polycystic ovaries, so can empathise with the frustration.

I have PCOS and endometriosis. I also have 3 little boys. What sort of advice are you after?

I have PCOS, I was over weight & lost 2 stone. Went on to concieve my daughter naturally months after losing the weight. I put weight back on during/after pregnancy. Went on a big health kick & lost almost 2 stone again & my period came back again within weeks whilst still breastfeeding! It's a good incentive for me to be healthy, knowing my fertility is massively impacted by weight. My OH always says you don't need contraception, just pizza I've read that losing just 5% of your body weight can improve PCOS massively. I also have a friend with PCOS who has always been a healthy weight & has 3 children with no trouble concieving at all. So PCOS does not mean you are infertile!

@physicskate I am overweight but wasn’t at the time of the first scan that indicated PCOS. I have been trying to lose weight but suffer with severe depression so it’s made it difficult but have been losing weight recently and trying to eat more healthily and get a bit more active. We were TTC but we are doing the house up etc and then my period stopped completely so we have put it on hold while we do stuff to the house and while I had tests etc done. My period still hasn’t returned. My cycles are normally pretty irregular and horrendously painful and heavy. I’ve been trying to get answers as to why my periods have been bad since I first started when I was 13 and have only just got the answer now.

@Obsidion the advice I was looking for is just reassurance from people who have conceived or have coped with PCOS so I don’t go in to complete meltdown!

@Ilovemybaby91 what did you do to lose weight? I’ve been trying to eat more healthily and get a bit more active so hopefully that will help but I’ve never been good at diets and have no idea what to eat and what definitely not to eat! I’m hoping if I lose a little bit of weight it will put me in a better position for conceiving. I’m just worried because I haven’t had a period now for 2 months!

I have PCOS and wound myself up just like you are doing, thinking maybe I'd never conceive. I got pregnant the first month of trying. There are degrees of PCOS and it's sometimes manageable just by diet. Try not to worry. I also had the same experience re lack of diagnosis for years. So frustrating. Sorry this has happened to you.

Toni Weschler's book Taking Charge of your Fertility is really helpful

I was diagnosed with PCOS at 27 and panicked about fertility. It took 1 year to conceive, which happened literally as soon as I lost 2 stones with Slimming World.

I have PCOS, didn’t start TTC until I was 36 and was very overweight (I’ve lost the weight now but didn’t manage it until this year). Was diagnosed early thirties, had a scan which showed a lot of cysts on my womb and was told by my doctor that conception was likely to be difficult. He put me on Metformin which I took for years - pretty much until the end of my second pregnancy. I firmly believe that’s what made the difference for us, although I know it’s not officially tested. DH believes it’s his super sperm ;)

Two happy, healthy DC. One boy, one girl. Second one conceived within a month of starting to try. There’s no rhyme or reason to this. Don’t panic. Please, it’s not as bleak as you might initially fear. Do research and don’t despair.

I'm on the OMAD diet OP. It's pretty full on... one meal a day. Not for long term... but I lost a stone in 2 weeks so it's quick. I eat what ever I want within reason for that one meal too... pasta, pizza (but homemade), rice... pretty much anything if you aim to stay around 800-900cals. Or if you prefer you can split them up through out the day. Like 300 breakfast 600 dinner & skip lunch. I'm no expert but I'd be surprised if you hadn't had a period by the time you lose a stone...

I have pcos, I was diagnosed in my late teens.

I have gone on to have 3 kids.

I was diagnosed with PCOS when I was 15 and weighed just about 7 stone. My mum took me to the Dr because I hadn't really started puberty, and certainly wasn't menstruating. I've never had regular periods, I was averaging 3-4 a year, but currently have a Mirena coil which appears to have stopped them completely. This is what I was aiming for as they were so very heavy and painful.

I conceived all my children naturally (in fact number three was a complete accident shock.

After I had my kids I became very overweight/obese. I tried Michael Mosleys Blood Sugar Diet and within a week of cutting out sugar I started menstruating. I would recommend it. I'm definitely healthier without the sugar, it made a massive improvement.

When I first went to the Drs about my periods being totally irregular, suffering from terrible acne and just being generally shit in feeling. He suggested it could be PCOS and when the tests came back confirming I was devastated but least I knew what was happening with my body. Dr informed me I should expect to struggle to conceive. I wasn't looking to get pregnant at the time but knew I would want kids.

From then on I wasn't careful with my ex and we never fell pregnant.

BUT then 3 months into my relationship with my current OH we did fall pregnant and we have a lovely DS now nearly 9mo.

Roll on 3 years later when I met my current OH my periods had actually become regular, my acne wasn't so bad and my general mood had vastly improved. I hadn't thought much about it at the time but since conceiving DS I did start considering how much my symptoms had improved over past year which could be why I fell pregnant so easily with DS?

Someone on here recently told me that apparently PCOS isn't a static condition and that it can improve/worsen throughout your life.

(FYI always had a lower BMI)

My advice if you did want to lose weight:
When I wanted to lose the bit of weight I had put on with DS I cut cheese and sugar out of my life. But I ensured I always had a mid morning and mid afternoon healthy snack like a banana or a homemade sugar (no replacing sugar with sweetners!) free snack.

zzzzz Just because then you will be tempted to replace sugar with sweetners in everything and they have their own health warnings and you will miss out on sweetening with fruit instead. Sugar free banana muffins are delicious!

Not going to get into this and bite the bait. I was only offering my experience of what helped me.

Good luck OP with your future. You do not have to worry about being diagnosed with PCOS

I have PCOS, I was diagnosed at 21. I had my first baby at 31, I took Metformin beforehand for 12 weeks. That's as long as it took me to fall pregnant. Periods have always been irregular/missing sometimes unless I've been on the pill and having a fake one. Also a bit overweight and have always had awful skin.

I am currently 14 weeks pregnant with baby 2 at 33. Again was taking Metformin, and I got pregnant first month trying.

I am possibly disgustingly lucky. I was prepared for months/years of issues but for me once I'm on the Metformin I fall quickly and have (so far!) easy pregnancies.

Don't panic.

I have just been diagnosed with PCOS. I'm overweight too :-( I wasn't until I had my DD 20 months ago but after she was born I seemed to pile it on by only just looking at bloody food! How do you go about getting on Metformin?