PCOS trying to conceive/ advice please. :)

[Trixie6]

Hi everyone! I am glad I found this forum and hoping to learn a little more about PCOS and other's experiences.

I have was diagnosed when I was 16 and was just prescribed contraceptive pills, never thought much of it.

I have been trying to conceive for about a year but my periods are very irregular and seem to be getting so long ( from 38 to over 130 days!) . I saw the GP November last year because we decided to try for a baby and because I sometimes was getting strong pains on my right lower abdomen. I had ultrasounds which showed small cysts. The GP said I just needed to keep trying for now as my bloods were normal ( just glicose thyroid etc, no specific insulin resistence or hormone levels were done yet). I felt a little deflated because it is quite hard to try when you have a period every 3 months(if I am lucky).

I use kindara on my phone to track my cycles but don’t do the temp checks.

I think the anxiety of not getting pregnant took a lot of my motivation away, I stopped exercising and put on weight. On top of all that my partner started having some erectile distinction, he went to the doctor and it is likely to be psychological. Sex feels a bit forced and almost another source of anxiety. I feel I am more worried because I am 32 and don’t want to wait too long to have a baby and he might not have the pressure of getting older on his head as much).

I guess, after this long text (sorry) , my questions are:

1.What tests should I ask my GP to do?

2.How did you manage to get your GP to refer you to a specialist?

3. Has anyone managed to get regular periods with medication?

4. how did you get your partners to get on board with trying to get help?

[zoejane]

Make sure you let your GP know you've been trying for over a year and really he should refer you to a gynaecologist

If that doesn't happy give your local fertility centre (in the hospital)

I don't have regular periods but I do have one every month I've just started tablets because I don't ovulate naturally

What do you mean by get your partner on board do you think there may be a problem with him, men definitely take it hard as it's there pride I guess

Hope this helps xxx

[Trixie6 in reply to zoejane]

Thanks zoejane!

It does help to hear you managed to get regular periods with help of medicarion.

What medication are you on If you don’t mind me asking?

I will try to book another appointment this week with my GP and hopefully get a referral to a gynaecologist.

My husband reluctantly has been to the GP to talk about his ED, which I think was a Great step! He was given medication (viagra) and had some blood tests to find out if there is no physiological cause for his difficulties. However when I was reading things online and said maybe in the future we both would have to be checked for fertility he said he didn’t want to go to the Dr again to find out thinks are “not right with him”. I think I try to understand it must be very difficult for his pride to ask for help in this subjects. Also I might be getting ahead of myself reading about all possibilities before even been referred to a gynaecologist.

My husband always said if we could not have children he would adopt and he doesn’t seem too stressed about it. I guess I just really want to have a baby or at least give it my best shot before I run out of time.

Writing this made me realise perhaps I do need to learn to relax. Hopefully once I have seen the gp and get the referral I will feel I m doing what I can to help my chances :).

Thanks again for your reply. I hope all goes well with you! Xxx

[Betty196 in reply to Trixie6]

This was me many years ago my periods were so erratic and I desperately wanted a baby when I gotvmarried and tried for over a year and did a number of pregnancy tests in that time because my periods were always late 38//45 day cycle I tried clomid onnhs temperature charts and the best thing they ever did was refer me to a private clinic !! Where I was told I was subfertile not infertile and had iui which thankfully worked first time and the n went on to conceive 2children naturally which was a lovely surprise resulting in a 15 month age gap between them.

[Betty196 in reply to Betty196]

good luck I hope it works out for you

[LouiseReilly in reply to zoejane]

What tablets are you taking to help you ovulate if you don’t mind me asking xx

[zoejane in reply to LouiseReilly]

Course not I was taking comifene to get pregnant with my daughter xx

[Hols969]

Look at the NICE guidelines on pcos as you should be referred after 6 months as it is a known fertility issue. I would start taking your temperature as it is the only accurate way to see if you are ovulating as a period doesn't mean much as you can ovulate without one and a period doesn't mean you are ovulating, which was me. I know quite a few ladies that have conceived with no period!

Get your partner on the Boots Vit C and zinc tablets to give his wrigglers a boost as 1/ of fertility issues are now men so wont do any harm to give them a boost.

The cysts are only a symptom and not the cause and it is not uncommon to have normal bloods so your GP is not familiar with pcos to be able to advise in my opinion.

It took me 3 years to conceive Noah (I was 36) and he is now 13, we had issues with erectile dysfunction at times, its a real difficult one to resolve as it is physiological, it did get better. I have to say I hated the TTC process it felt so clinical and has actually changed, still, how I feel about sex!

Our egg quality remains better for longer so you have quite a while before it starts to drop and your partner can produced when he is an OAP lol!!! I think to get around the erectile issues you need to try and engage a bit more, we can obviously lie there and do a shopping list in our head but chaps obviously can't, he obviously feels under pressure to do the 'deed' which isnt helping. If you start charting your temperature and looking for body signs then hopefully you can pin point a bit more accurately when you may be ovulating, only have sex every other day too otherwise the sperm isnt mature enough to swim to the egg.

Noah was conceived via IUI in the end (2nd attempt, 13% success rate), you have loads of help available but first you need the GP to refer you to fertility which they should do as you are not a spring chicken and have been trying for over 6 months.

Good luck, try and get your BMI under 30 as it will restrict how you get treated at fertility (mine was 30.8 when I conceived).

It can be a long road sometimes but it is extremely rare not to conceive just due to pcos.

[Trixie6 in reply to Hols969]

Thanks so much Hols969!

I feel very positive after reading your reply! You are very knowledgeable and funny! 😂👍

It is so nice to hear success stories and feel others went throug the same challenges. It can sometimes feel like you are the only one facing them!

I am glad I found this forum! Thanks again! Xxx

[Hols969 in reply to Trixie6]

I found it the most depressing time of my life, which is why we only have one as I would have rather chopped my leg off than do it all again but saying that Noah is an absolute joy and well worth the highs and lows of ttc- it is a rollercoaster xx

[Trixie6 in reply to Hols969]

It is a rollercoaster!! 😅

All my life I was told “be career full, don’t fall pregnant before you finish your studies! “

“Have a career, make sure you are independent before you have children”

Then suddenly it changes to: “why don’t you have a baby yet!? Don’t leave it too long!”

There is pressure from all sides, family and friends and of course from ourselves. (People don’t mean it in a bed way but they don’t realize the pressure they put on others, and suddenly there are “experts” all around you, everyone has advice even though they never had any fertility problems).

Even though I know it’s not my fault I am having difficulties to conceive now , I think I kind of blame myself a little for not having started this process earlier :/

But moving forward, I hope that if/when I finally get through this I will appreciate having a baby much more!

Thanks again for your message and advice!

Xxx

[Hols969 in reply to Trixie6]

We were married about 8 years prior to looking at TTC and actually most people gave up - we bred jack russell puppies so I just said I would rather do that lol - people are a bit insensitive sometimes - I remember when we were TTC one of my colleagues said to me, havent you got there yet .... really, what a bl**dy thing to say.

But you started the process when the time is right, I have to say I am, in my view, a much better mum now that I would have been if I had conceived in my 20s, so their are pluses to being more mature and settled etc so dont feel guilty!

[EmGLA]

Hi Trixie6

I am about to turn 32 and I also was diagnosed with PCOS at 16. I have been TTC for 2 years now, my periods are completely unpredictable. I went to the GP initially when I was coming off the pill to let them know and start the clock as it were. I was told at 16 that I would always need help to get pregnant. My GP started me on metformin to try and regulate my periods (unfortunately this didn't work for me). He referred me to the fertility clinic after maybe 9 months. I've been undergoing treatment for about a year, unfortunately my body seems unwilling to ovulate so I have my first IUI/IVF appointment in 2 weeks.

Don't be afraid to challenge the GP, as long as you have your information correct (which you do) and you're polite, they'll no doubt do as you ask. It is your body and relationship after all.

Good luck!!

[Trixie6 in reply to EmGLA]

Hi Emma!

Thanks for your message. Our story does sound quite similar. My periods were also very irregular until I started taking conctraception. I stopped on my late twenties and I only started paying attention to my cycles when I was in my thirties and started to think about conceiving really. My periods were at my best when I was exercising regularly (they varied from 36 to 39 days). Then I changed jobs. it was a very stressful job and had to commute far from home. I stopped exercising and put on weight, my periods became longer and longer. I have changed jobs now and am less stressed I think, but my periods are still terrible. My last period was 5 month ago!

I have booked another appointmwnt with my GP today for th 29th of this month (was the earliest date they had). Nevertheless I feel a little more positive now I found this forum and started taking some action. I have received lovely messages and guidance. I really appreciate all the support from all of

You :)!

I hope everything goes well with you in 2 weeks! I will keep my fingers crossed for you.

Xxx

[LisaEB]

The first thing I would say is relax!! I get a strong feeling from what you are saying you are panicking. I have been pregnant 4 times, and it has usually been around Christmas and last time on holiday, so think less means more chance.

1) If you are have sex, every other day, eating well, getting good exercise, tracking you periods and ovulation potential cycles (I know this is hard when your periods are irregular). I guess go to your GP to be referred to a fertility expert. You could also see if you could be put on Metformin, which can help PCOS.

2) In my case it was due to several miscarriages, not fertility as such, but you can just ask? I guess if you can't get pregnant IVF is an option to look into.

3) I've been luck enough to have regular periods in the last few years (I'm 36). However I would make sure you are a healthy weight, because even if you do get pregnant, you will have more compilations during pregnancy being overweight and possibly even miscarriages(coming from someone who has had 4), so I would highly recommend taking this part seriously, it is better to this before getting pregnant. I recommend trying Alpha Infolic, I didn't get pregnant for a year, took this and got pregnant after a month. It was recommended to me by a fertility specialists but it is not available on the NHS. Look it up, it is supposed to be good for regulating periods as well as other PCOS symptoms. The key is 'my-instol' and folic acid.

4) I'd recommend trying to have sex for fun and not just to have a baby. If it feels like a chore it will be not appealing to your partner. I guess its a trip to the doctors for him or for him to speak to someone. Unfortunately other than the sex part, how do you want him to help? If you do go the fertility route, they can test his sperm, if that hasn't yet been tested?

Hope this helps! Good luck with your fertility journey!