Blog 10 in Series: PCOS

If you don’t know what PCOS is, then please take the time to read the first post in this series, which can be found here.

Since you all know most of my journey with PCOS thus far, I thought I would enlist some help from a fellow blogger to talk about some of her experience.  Erin blogs mainly about TTC with PCOS. Her picture is below so you can envision her speaking this to you! This is a blog I know I will look back on for guidance in a few years time as I am NOT at the “Trying to Conceive” (TTC) stage just yet. I hope it helps you ladies that are in this stage right now!

So, you have Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) and you want to have a baby?  This blog post is for you!

My name is Erin and my husband and I have been trying to conceive our first little one for the past 6 months.  I was diagnosed with PCOS about 2 months in and as you can imagine, I was not happy about it.  I read lots of stories online about other women with PCOS.  The vast majority of them seemed to include miscarriages, couples trying for YEARS, or expensive/invasive fertility treatments.  This is definitely not what you want to hear when you’re first starting out.  I’m an obsessive researcher, so I scoured Google, baby boards, and blogs until both my husband and myself were thoroughly annoyed with my constant ranting about my findings.  I hope what I’ve learned can make your journey just a little bit easier.

The VERY first thing you need to do, if you haven’t already, is start charting your cycles!  The main purpose to charting is to predict when you’re ovulating thus indicating when you and your partner should have sex to best increase your chances of conceiving.  Get yourself a basal thermometer.  It doesn’t need to be anything fancy.  I use this one that I bought on Amazon.  You can also get them at Target, CVS, Walgreens, etc.  Next, download a cycle tracking app.  Most people use Fertility Friend.  I use both Fertility Friend and Lily Pro so I can compare the two.  They both do the work for you after you enter in your data.  The bare minimum you need to keep track of is your temperature (body at rest temperature, taken at the same time every day).  Other data that also helps to better determine ovulation is:  cervical mucus/fluid and cervical position.  Once a pattern can be established the app will determine your estimated ovulation date and fertile days and you can go from there.  Charting is especially important for women with PCOS because most of us do not ovulate regularly, if at all on our own.  Charting shows not only you, but your doctor how long your cycles are and if you are ovulating or not.  Both of which are extremely helpful when seeking treatment.

Once charting is starting to make sense to you, you may wish to add Ovulation Predictor Kits (OPKs) into your routine.  OPKs can assist in confirming ovulation as well as give you a heads up as to when it might be coming.  You can buy OPKs at any drug store as well as online.  I’ve used all kinds of different brands:  First Response, Clear Blue, Target brand.  They all seem to be created equal in my opinion, however, if you have PCOS, I would stay away from the digital ones.  I found them not to be as sensitive as the plain, old strips that you decipher yourself.  I start using OPKs around day 10 of my cycle.  You can start sooner or later depending on your cycle length.  Make sure you test around the same time every day with at least a 3-hour urine hold.  I test first thing in the morning so I don’t have to worry about it later in the day.  If the test line is as dark as or darker than the control line, you’re ovulating!  Make sure to have sex this day and 2-3 days after.  If you have PCOS, you know that this is a BIG deal!  It may seem like just any other cycle to your non-cyster friend, but since we can go months without ovulating, it is really something for us to get excited about!

Supplements are also a big part of my routine.  Of course consult your physician before starting any kind of regimen.  Daily, I take Biotin, Vitamin D, prenatal vitamins, Pregnitude, and drink Spearmint tea. 

If you haven’t already done so, consult your OBGYN.  If you definitely are not ovulating your doctor will most likely put you on a prescription.  Usually the first one they try is Metformin, which helps with the insulin resistance that a lot of women with PCOS struggle with.  If that doesn’t work, next will come Clomid or Femara.  Both of these induce ovulation, but as I’m sure you’ve been warned, they can come with some wicked side effects (extreme mood swings, cramping, diarrhea, headaches, etc).  Please don’t hesitate to ask your providers questions!

One final note—if you were previously taking any medications to combat your PCOS symptoms, ask your doctor to make sure they are still safe to take when trying to conceive.  For example, I had been taking Spironolactone for years to treat acne.  This is definitely not safe to take when trying or pregnant (can cause some pretty nasty birth defects).  It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

Finally, and most importantly, don’t give up!  It is extremely frustrating, and at times, heartbreaking to deal with infertility, but there are a good many success stories out there too.  Stay positive and work at it, and hopefully those positive results will come to you too!

A big thank you to Brittney & Mell for giving me this awesome opportunity to guest blog for you all!

Erin, What to Try When You’re Trying