I have PCOS and I'm pregnant. Any advice? Scared.

[tryingtokeeppositive]

Hi all. I found out last weekend that I'm pregnant. It's still early days.

We'd been trying for a year, and with my PCOS and I was expecting to have to try for longer, but this has been a happy surprise and I do feel bless. However - I can't relax, I can't feel positive, I can't even think about the fact that I'm pregnant. I'm so scared of miscarrying. I've seen online that the miscarriage rate for PCOS suffers can be up to 45% (my doctor described this as "an interesting statistic"), not sure how accurate this is.

My doctor was about to put me on metformin, but obviously as I'm already pregnant, she won't. I have seen that this greatly reduces the chances of miscarriage, but she won't budge. I am barely eating because I'm so scared of making my blood sugar level soar (I get so sleepy after eating, you know, anything) and I know this isn't good but I just am so scared.
I'm barely sleeping and just feel like I'm living in a nightmare - I want to be happy, but I'm so scared of getting positive and then miscarrying. My doctor says my blood sugar levels are fine, but I don't see how this is when I feel so tired after eating (this has been happening for quite a while).

If you had/have PCOS, what happened to your pregnancy? Do you have any advice? How do you deal with the anxiety of a miscarriage looming over your head?

Sorry if I sound crazy, I'm running on no sleep.

Thank you in advance xxx

I have pcos. I'm currently 34+5 weeks pregnant.

My pregnancy hasn't been treated any differently because of my pcos, apart from having a glucose tolerance test at 28 weeks to test for gestational diabetes. But many many people get tested for that, not just pcos sufferers. (I don't have GT, phew)

You may be given some advice on your diet throughout pregnancy, but just eat healthy and you will be fine.

Congratulations!

Thank you! What were you told, if anything, about the miscarriage risk? Congratulations on your pregnancy!!

I have pcos and am 36+5! Also had the gtt, came back fine. I knew about the miscarriage risk, but it wasn't spoken about and I haven't been treated any differently either.

Try to relax, it's definitely possible to have a normal pregnancy with pcos. :)

I wasent spoken to about the miscarriage risk, again I had done research but because I was told I was a low risk pregnancy I decided I shouldn't worry about it.
After all, there's a miscarriage risk in every pregnancy, even with the healthiest of people.

Please just stop stressing, because that is potentially more damaging than pcos!

Also, pregnancy makes you tired, I don't think I have ever slept as much as I have this last 8 months! So don't worry about the sleeping after eating thing, I'm sure it has nothing to do with your blood sugar levels.

I have pcos and have a 4 year old and a 16 month old. No doctor mentioned miscarriage and I was treated no differently (well, I was under consultant care but that was nothing to do with pcos). I had the gtt which was clear.

im currently 27 weeks, i wasnt told about a miscarriage risk, im low risk aswell, ill be having the Gtt in the next week or 2.

you're possibly feeling so tired due to the pregnancy. i was exhausted the first few months
make sure you eat even if its little and often, otherwise you'll feel worse and baby needs food.
what will happen will happen, dont worry about miscarrying, if you do you will stress yourself out, and that isnt good for either of you.

congratulations, relax and enjoy growing a lil person xxx

Miscarriage rates are slightly higher for women with PCOS, but I'm sure 45% is crazily over-stating the case. I have PCOS and had two healthy pregnancies and one MMC, but that is hardly an unusual experience, PCOS or no. I know other people with PCOS who have had 3 or more kids with no MCs along the way. All anecdotal, I know, but PCOS does not mean you are bound to have problems. Please eat, and go for things that won't send your blood sugar spiking - nuts, oatcakes, protein, veg - to put your mind at rest.

I was very anxious about miscarrying in my pregnancy after my MMC - that's normal too. But most MCs happen because of foetal problems you can't alter, so you just have to try to stay away from the paranoia and develop a 'what will be, will be' attitude. Hard, though, I know.

I'm 23 weeks with pcos. If it helps I've been on metformin for 5 years prior to getting bfp. As soon as I got bfp was told to come off metformin. There is information to suggest it does lower miscarriage risk (although i didn't think the risk of miscarriage was as high as 45%!) but I'm not sure there has been any official studies completed on this so it's all a bit of a grey area. I was worried about GD as have had bouts of dizziness and as I was on metformin prior (due to insulin resistance) I was convinced this was due to blood sugars but GTT came back clear. You will worry (part of being pg from what I can tell) but do remember the vast majority of woman with pcos have healthy pregnancies. Congratulations on the bfp by the way

oh and stay away from google. its just there to scare us! xx

I have pcos and am 32+3. We tried for a year.
It's the first time i hear about increased risk of miscarriage and i've done some research.
I am being treated as low risk preganancy and didn't have any additional test.
I didn't even have glucose tolerance test - that's nothing to do with pcos.

tryingtokeeppositive - you have nothing to worry about!!!
You'll be fine

I have pcos and tried for years to have a baby. I now have a 6 year old and a 2 year old. I did have 3 Mc's along the way, but as one poster said ' what will be will be'. I had gtt on both pregnancies - on the last one I was diabetic and was on insulin injections 4 times a day (it was scary to start with but once I started taking the insulin I felt loads better then I had done for months!) other than that there was no special treatment.
Congratulations and enjoy your pregnancy :)

Thank you everyone for taking the time to respond. I really, really appreciate it. Congratulations on your pregnancies and children, here's hoping this goes well for me too

Congrats :)
Just wanted to add that I used to get the magazine from the PCOS charity Verity. They had an article in there a little while ago that said there was no evidence to support an increased miscarriage risk for women with PCOS. Hope that puts your mind at rest a bit.

I always suspected I had PCOS but my doctor fobbed me off when I raised it with her in my early 20's.

Fast forward 12 years and I have 2 children, both conceived first month of trying, no mc's, no complications in pregancy and my PCOS was only discovered/confirmed AFTER I had them both when having an internal scan for retained placenta.

Good luck and try not to worry!

I have PCOS. DC aged 4 and 18m. 3 miscarriages but all just unlucky, not related to each other or to PCOS. I didn't know about the PCOS until after DC1 was born. Endometriosis and Adenomyosis have been much bigger issues.

Eat healthily and regularly; if you have PCOS you'll almost certainly have to do an extra GTT (glucose tolerance test) anyway so if there is a problem it'll get picked up early. Starving yourself won't help the baby grow!

Good luck and try not to worry. The main issue with PCOS is getting pregnant in the first place...