PCOS and Infertility
If you are suffering from infertility, it could be due to one of many
reasons. This page deals with infertility that is caused by Polycystic
Ovary Syndrome. If you are dealing with infertility, and you have not
yet discovered the cause of it, it may be helpful to read about PCOS and
it's other symptoms. If you know you are a PCOS sufferer, than you may
know all about why you are not ovulating. However, some of you may not
understand why PCOS makes it difficult to for us to have children, and I
hope I can shed some light on that here. I do recommend however, that you
see your doctor if you think you are either infertile, have PCOS or both.
This entire site deals mainly with my opinions and experience with PCOS,
but I have as much accurate medical information as possible that has been
supplied to me by my Endocrinologist.
PCOS, OVULATING, AND GETTING PREGNANT
In my experience, the idea that women get from their PCOS diagnosis
that they may not have children is the worst symptom of the syndrome.
Despite all of the cosmetic atrocities it incurs on us, most of us
find an understanding mate who we eventually decide we want to have a
baby with. Pretty normal for most young, married couples. The entire
time I was young and single I could have cared less about PCOS, except
for the annoying physical symptoms. I thought it was great that I never
had to deal with my period.
If you have been diagnosed with PCOS, you most likely suffer from varying
degrees of regularity in your menstrual cycle. Some women may have one
pretty near regular, others hardly ever or somewhere in between. The reason
we do not have a regular period is due to not ovulating regularly.
Pretty simple. I know that in those years that I had two periods in
twelve months that I only ovulated twice. Let me stress that I know that
NOW, I probably went through 6 or 7 pregnancy tests at the time not clueing
into the problem.
I never used birth control, figuring out eventually that I was infertile
so why bother. Big Mistake!! It is important to regulate your cycle regardless.
And if you are young and single and decide you aren't going to bother, you
should listen to me because I did eventually get pregnant. Most PCOS
sufferers will most likely get pregnant if they have unprotected sex
on a regular basis. It isn't usually that we NEVER ovulate, it's just that
we don't very often. So now I have a brilliant two year old to prove that
it is possible.
I know as PCOS sufferers, it is exciting to get our period during that
blue moon that we do. As yucky as most women find that time of the month
to be, it felt good to know that I was indeed a 'normal' woman at least for
that month. It is good when you are trying to get pregnant also to see it
come, because you know you have most likely ovulated...(unless your infertility
is due to something other than PCOS, which I would know nothing about).
So I recommend being on the birth control pill to all PCOS sufferers, even if
you do want to become pregnant. I also recommend the low-carb/protein diet
that I used without birth control pills and I have a period every month regular
almost to the day just from that. It's fabulous!
Of course you must ask your doctor or endocrinologist for the proper
treatment in your case. Birth control pills can help your hormonal problems
so well I swear by them for PCOS sufferers. Just my opinion of course, see
your doctor.
When our hormones go crazy, our ovaries go crazy too, and they don't release
the egg we need to fertilize. So basically, regulating our hormones will
help our ovaries do their job. And we can regulate our hormones through
prescriptions from our doctor such as the pill, and through the proper diet
which I strongly swear by. (Ask your doctor first please...)
Your infertility could just be that PCOS won't let you release the much needed
egg or it could be caused by something else which I would know nothing about.
So check out the other symptoms and you may see a pattern that tells you that
you should see your doctor about PCOS. If you already have done that, and you
know you have it then you probably know this information pretty clearly.
My advice to the latter group would be that if you are trying for a baby,
hang in there, ask your doctor about the low carb/protein diet, (it's good
for everyone anyway who wants to be healthy) and what the pill can do for your
regularity. It's pretty ironic, but when I think of my own circumstances, I am
more likely to get pregnant when I'm on the pill than if I don't take it.
(If I miss one...)
See your doctor, Good Luck, and when you do make that baby, please send me a
picture. I would love to know if I helped AT ALL.