PCOS, Dianette and Babies

[ruthiebusybee]

Hmph.

Feeling very SW positive, but feeling a bit pooh about family planning.

Would love to have a family now, but have a list as long as my arm why now isn't the perfect time.

So thought, I will stay on the dianette until my next thorough check-up with Doc in Nov. Then talk to her about coming off it and then trying for a family.

Have already been fully diagnosed as having PCOS and am nearly 30, so everyone is saying 'oo you don't want to wait too long' etc etc. Even the Doc said something similar.

In fairness, Doc is a diamond, I only got an appt with her by chance and now see her by choice rather than my assigned dr.

OH is a bit reserved about it, as we've always just assumed it will be in the future but now the future is here and we're no closer in terms of our 'plan'.

Anyway, feeling a bit down about all the unknowns - how long it takes your body to settle down after Dianette, how long it can take a 'normal' person to conceive and how much longer it can take with PCOS, and then the 'if at all' too.

My job involves extreme planning and monitoring and keeping control of everything, and I'm that sort of person too. I just want to know. Don't like the not knowing.

Also waiting for the results of a re-smear too. The one I had 6 months ago was 'borderline'. I am sure it will be fine, but still..................the worry.

Oh pooh.

At least weigh-in tomorrow should be okay.

Just going to focus on losing weight and getting fit and getting my body in condition for the best possible chance of babies later.

 

[jayneharrison]

Ah, I feel your pain Ruthie, I really do. PCOS is the bane of my life and also the reason why I'm on Slimming World the second time around. I'm 29 and was diagnosed at 23 when I had to come off Depo Provera due to bone density issues. I have ALL the classic PCOS symptoms including insulin resistance and central obesity. My GP's surgery have been fantastic - I get such a lot of support from them and we've agreed that they will help me to manage my condition. The hospital were useless and the consultant was so rude to me, I wrote and complained to the PCT. He said (and I quote verbatim because I'll never, ever forget it!) "You're too fat and this condition is your own doing. We won't even entertain helping you until you have a healthy BMI."

I know pretty much everything there is to know about PCOS and obesity can exacerbate symptoms but it certainly can't be the cause because there are so many slim women with the condition. In fact, the most famous sufferers I can think of are Victoria Beckham, Louise Redknapp and Jools Oliver - hardly fatties, are they?

I think it hurt more than anything because he assumed I was there to ask for fertility treatment when all I actually wanted was some help understanding what was wrong with my body, and what I could do to help myself but he was so dismissive and in the end, gave me less than 5 minutes of his time.

I don't know what the future holds for me. I want a child so badly and struggle to be happy for my friends when they announce they're pregnant because I fear I'll never get my turn. The fact that we're now into our 7th year of not using contraception without even a hint of pregnancy breaks my heart. My husband is mega supportive as well but it's something that I just can't deal with discussing at length really, because I find it all so upsetting. The majority of people really have no idea how PCOS can affect your life; there's far more to it than irregular periods and a bit of a moustache!

You seem to have the right attitude towards things though, Ruth - I'm putting all my energy into getting fit and healthy too and hopefully, a baby will just sneak up on us, eh?

 

[ruthiebusybee]

Oh, Jayne, I think it's about all we can do to help ourselves really.

An ex-work colleague's daughter has PCOS and she had her ovaries drilled, which worked for her, thought the procedure was apparently horrendous.

The hospital consultant, well, that makes me seeth. Just goes to show what an ignorant, pathetic man he is. Such a shame that you saw someone like that, when there are, I am sure, many understanding people.

I know the 'old school' consultants think it's all our own fault on the main, due to weight. But there is the chicken and egg issue, which came first, the weight or the PCOS?

I was never overweight for the majority of my teens and only gained weight from the age of about 16 or 17, when I gained a lot of independence in terms of food etc. And although I have been between a sixe 14 and a size 20, up and down since then I certainly wouldn't say I was so big I couldn't possibly conceive under normal circumstances.

BF announced this week that she is preggers, and when she first told me I am glad it was during a virtual-chat because if she'd seen my face she'd have been mortified. I am so happy for her, just so jealous and sad for myself.

Sucks that there's nothing that can be done to treat PCOS as such, and the thought of babies is what gets me out of bed at 6.00am to go for a jog before work.

 

[MadameLaMinx]

Hi,

I was in a similar position a few years ago, several years of infertility, PCOS, and a few cycles on Clomid that did nothing. At the time, I weighed 21 stone. I didnt really think it could be anything to do with my weight, because after all lots of bigger people do get pregnant successfully.

However, having seen an admittedly more supportive consultant than yours, they told me that they wanted to try the Ovarian drilling, but because I was so overweight, I would be at risk from the anaesthetic and they wanted me to get down to 17 1/2 stone before they would attempt it.

Now, I hadnt ever had a general anaesthetic before and the whole concept terrified me. But so did the thought of never being able to have a baby. So I went off and went on a diet. I didnt want to just be on the borderline for the anaesthetic so I got myself down to 15st before I arranged an appointment to see them again. They were pleased with my progress and suggested that before they try the drilling, we should try some more cycles of Clomid. The results were a lot better, although an IUI cycle didnt work, and nor did the following one, the third one did, and my elder daughter is the result.

I have no doubt that it was my weight that was causing the problem, and that the doctor suspected that, and prompted me to lose the weight in a manner that was strong enough to motivate me to actually do it.

Now, there is no guarantee that losing weight will automatically fix things for you, but it WILL greatly improve your chances, and give you more options for treatment. Your consultant was harsh and unkind in their approach, but right, in that the impact of the weight could be seriously hindering your ability to concieve naturally.

I was furious at the time I got told to lose the weight, I had spent so long convincing myself that I was a fat happy person that it was quite a jolt to realise that actually it was probably that which was making me so utterly unhappy in the trying and failing to concieve stakes. But also it made me doubly determined to fix it if I had it within my power.

If I hadnt lost the weight, I wouldnt have my kids now. No, there isnt really much that can be done to fix PCOS, but there IS plenty that can be done to help with fertility despite PCOS, and I hope that you achieve your hearts desires soon.

I hope Im not speaking out of turn, I just wanted you to know that you are doing the right thing, and that you are greatly improving your chances by working on getting yourselves in the best possible shape.

 

[jayneharrison]

No, you're not speaking out of turn at all!

I know that my weight will be affecting my ability to conceive, but fertility is just one small aspect of the condition and at the time I saw the consultant, we'd not even thought of having children so it was the last thing on my mind! My issue with the consultant was that he assumed that was the case and treated me accordingly, instead of granting me the time of day and making a proper assessment. I didn't know anything about PCOS at the time; I just needed some idea of what it meant for me and what my treatment options were.

There's no question that obesity exacerbates the symptoms but as Ruth said, it's something of a chicken/egg situation. Looking back, I had PCOS symptoms from around the age of 14 (I started my periods at 11) and I didn't have a scrap of fat on me at that point in my life.

Things have changed now and having a baby is definitely on my mind, hence me making the effort to lose weight and get healthy

 

[ruthiebusybee]

Re-smear results came through this morning. Not clear again.