How to help my daughter

[Nannalaura]

How can I help my daughter who suffers from PCOS and has been hoping for a baby for a few years now. She is feeling really low and is having time off work. She feels guilty for not being able to get pregnant and also people make silly comments about her not having any children...... her friends are having babies and each time it throws her into a depression..... counselling is not being offered on the NHS and she cannot afford to go private. I don't know how to help her.

[Ruby26]

There are lots of online communities to support her. I find this site useful but I also set myself up with an anonymous Instagram account where I share my journey with others similar to me. I find it helps me feel like I’m not the only one going through the same thing x

[merrohawk83]

Hi NannaLaura,

Has your daughter been to her GP about this? That's the first step. The next step is getting a referral to a Gyn/obstetrician who will be able to recommend the best way forward. Many people with PCOS find it difficult to conceive but it isn't impossible - far from it. I am currently pregnant with my second, after some help from my obstetrician. This pregnancy, all I had to do was take metformin (a diabetes drug, which is sometimes used in women with PCOS are diabetes and PCOS are cousins!) and then within 3 months I was pregnant.

She will not become pregnant from being stressed and depressed. She needs to take control of her health and her situation and understand that she can change her circumstances. PCOS isn't something anyone would wish for, but it can also be managed easily when you get the right help.

Instead of being thrown into a depression each time a friend becomes pregnant, she needs to think 'that will be me soon' and take the appropriate steps.

Is she overweight? If she is, one of the best things she can do for herself to help aid ovulation is lose weight through exercise and diet. I was 17.7 stone in 2013, I lost nearly 5 stone and by January 2014 I was pregnant with my first with no intervention. I am someone who has absolutely Classic PCOS - I used to have a period once every few YEARS, struggle with weight, have hirtuism etc. But I have learnt that I can control my body and what happens in my future.

It sounds like your daughter needs someone to tell her this too, and perhaps you could help advocate for her by going to the GP with her and ensure she gets the referral she needs?

Lucy

[Hidden]

I agree very much with Merrihawk83, my daughter was in a similar position. She was overweight, had been trying for a baby for years .we saw a dietitian,who helped her go on a gluten free, low GI diet, which helped her loose weight. She also took multi vitamins, omega 3 oils, basically trying to enrich her body,also stayed away from anything with a lot of hormones in such as cows milk, some plastics used, mimick hormones,she had spent years eating low fat stuff ,but high in sugar, hoping to loose weight

This is all well know for PCOS , so you should be able to find info and books to start you off. The divina McCall cookbook is good .

My daughter also had ovarian drilling , she was lucky to have it done privately , as her husband’s

Job , had private medical cover, while this doesn’t cover fertility problems,it does cover gyney problems. This procedure drills through the hard covering ovaries get with PCOS, to help the eggs to be released.

My daughter is expecting her first child in December, your daughter needs to get back to her doctor to be referred on , there is help , she needs to see a consultant.