TTC with PCOS 39 getting down please share your positive stories on ttc with pcos

[Lena18]

Evening all,

So I'm almost 39 a curvy size 16 to 18. Been with dh eight years never in any rush to get married he is 41 was married before with 1 child age 12. We tried for approx one year found out I had pcos and he had low motility. Then covid hit and we planned a small wedding and so ttc took a backseat for about a year. And then we started again in august this year. I've been watching what I eat, tracking cm, using ions, fertility massage and reflexology, cutting way down on caffeine and alcohol. The last week I have felt queasy and tender breasts and a week late 3 tests done and still nothing. Getting a little deflated. Getting an appointment with the gp seems to be like winning the lottery and when I did before they just told me losing the weight will help the pcos and ttc.

Can you please share your positive experiences with me :)

Hi! Just chipping in to say I'm 36 and also a size 16 with PCOS. I have a thread about PCOS (it's on this board just scroll down the threads a bit) with lots of good hopeful stories and advice in it. I'm TTC at the moment after finding out I have PCOS and am waiting to see an endocrinologist about it.

TTC with PCOS www.mumsnet.com/Talk/conception/4457717-ttc-with-pcos

Hi @Lena18 , I'm 38 with pcos, size 18/20 and currently ttc #2. I was ttc for just under 2 years for number 1. After the first year of no luck I went to gp and began all the initial tests. Had all the bloods etc and finally at the 2 year mark got sent for a scan at the fertility clinic where she was instantly able to tell I had pcos (suspected for years before but gp has never been interested in my period problems) She also said I probably only ovulated every other month but from the scan she could see my uterus was 'ripe and ready' and I'd be ovulating soon. She prescribed clomid to help encourage ovulation but Amazingly I got pregnant the following week and found out two weeks later!!

I'm now ttc #2. June to September we weren't tracking but weren't using protection. Since oct I've been using opks (internet cheapie and clear blue digital) but no luck so far. If no luck by March I'll be going back to Gp to ask for clomid again.

I'm 35, usually around a size 16, with PCOS and had DD1 in June last year.

I was diagnosed about 7 yrs ago, and referred to our local endocrinologist consultant, who has been amazing. For the first few years, i tried to manage with a low carb diet. Then once i knew we were planning on TTC, we did a few months of blood tests to check for ovulation. This showed i wasnt ovulating (and my cycles were still v irregular), so started metformin. It takes several months to kick in, so i took this for around a year. Once cycles were established, we repeated bloods but i STILL wasn't ovulating. So endo team referred me straight to assisted conception unit at same hospital, which took about 6 months (partially delayed due to the first lockdown). ACU did a number of internal scans and prescribed provera (to bring on a bleed) and then letrozole (a newer and more effective version of clomid). Each cycle was monitored with scans to check for ovulation / rule out OHSS. First cycle I didn't ovulate so dose was increased, second cycle i ovulated without conception, third cycle was the charm! DD now 7 months and asleep on my chest.

Things i learnt in this whole process:

• A lot of GPs are rubbish with PCOS. See if you can get with a GP who has an interest in women's health and get a referral to endocrinology
• Work out your PCOS triggers - mine is def much worse when im at my heaviest and eating carby rubbish
• try and get monitoring alongside any ovulation induction. Sometimes they try and just write you a prescription, but OHSS is dangerous and monitoring can catch it much earlier.
• OPKs are useless for me. Wish I hadn't wasted my money. Showed me as ovulating when hospital tests showed i hadnt.

Hope that helps and happy to answer any questions about the whole process

Thanks ladies..

I find this really interesting as I guess I just assumed because the opk tests were positive I was ovulating.

I agree the carby days don't help.

Also taking pregnacare prenatal, folic acid, a multi vit, and b12 I read about inositol I'm not sure if the supplements help but I guess they don't do any harm

Congratulations @GuidingSpirit that's the dream

@Lena18 I haven't got personal experience with pregnancare but there are lot of anecdotal stories in these conception boards that they can delay/mess with your cycle so maybe be worth having a read/asking on some of the main conception groups for other's experiences?

I only found out I had PCOS when I came off the pill to start TTC. I tried clomid and Metformin but neither helped. In the end, I got pregnant naturally after 7 years. I did get pregnant once more, but that ended in MC at about 9 weeks and I never got pregnant again. My then H also had low motility though, so obviously issues on both sides.

Hi :) Although the last time ended in mc (thought to be random/unrelated to pcos), I have managed to conceive several times with PCOS, last time at 38; I know it's not the magic cure for everyone but myo-inositol has been amazing at regulating my cycles.Took me from a cycle every few months to regular 32 days. I know it can affect everyone differently but have always been told that in itself pcos is something that can be addressed and I hope that is the case for you guys. My husband doesn't have low motility, but his morphology isn't fantastic; we did conceive shortly after he started taking proxeed. PCOS runs in my family, and all my cousins (many, many cousins) seem to have gotten there eventually; some have 10 kids (that's a whole other thing!). Wishing you lots of luck!

Try to get more tests asap. If possible pressure your gp by the phone to take you seriously, you need help, losing weight with pcos in order to have a family can be very stressful and takes a long time. I took metmorfin in order to help me out, and it was still difficult. If you need any help or suggestions drop me a dm.