Polycystic Ovaries and Falling Pregnant...

[Blondie]

Hi all
I am new to this site, and forums in general so bear with me if I am repeating something that may or may not have already been discussed.

I need some help answering some questions that are niggling at the back of my head!

Firstly, I will give you the low-down...
I am getting married in approx 8 months, I am (25 y/o) and my Fiancee and I want to start a family pretty much straight away.

? I have HAD endometriosis a year or so back but that has all gone now.
? I HAVE Polycystic Ovaries in one Ovary.

I was wondering if there is something I should be doing to get ready for pregnancy?Should I be off the pill? Taking some sort of medication etc?? I don't want to wait until next year only for the Doctor to tell me that I should have been taking something or doing something earlier.

I realise there will most likely be a few things I have to do but should I be worried, should I start trying now??

Just thought that I would put the question out there? I just want a healthy and happy pregnancy and if there is something I can be doing now then I am all ears!

Thanks for reading! Comments appreciated!

[mobykat]

Hi, firstly congrats on the upcoming wedding

Im not 100% sure on everything that can be done, Im new to reading all the advice on here, but for my PCOS, a low GI/carb diet helps a lot to keep my cycles on track. that try to keep stress levels down (easy to say when planning a wedding), but just a nice healthy lifestyle, moderate exercise and good multivitamins.

Im sure most will have much better clues...but best wishes

moby

[FabFiona]

Hello and welcome!

I have PCOS so for years my cycle was never regular (unless I was on the pill!).

It's up to you if you want to come off the pill. It's Murphy's Law isn't it - if take the risk and come off before the wedding then you will get pregnant! However if you don't come off then it might take ages.

The main thing will be to manage your weight with your PCOS when you do come off the pill. I'm not sure of your size, however my experience was that I never had problems with my weight when I was on the pill. However when I came off the pill, I put on about 15 kgs.

I will just back up what mobykat has said about lifestyle - low GI, lots of exercise and generally being healthy is the best preparation you can do for conception / pregnancy. Keeping your weight down and being healthy will ensure regular periods / ovulation which will in turn (hopefully!) make it easier to fall pregnant.

You might want to think about taking folate daily in the months prior to coming off the pill in case you do fall pregnant straight away, but that might be a bit OTT.

Good luck with it all!

Cheers,
Fiona

[Blondie]

Thanks for all your advice Mobykat and Fionaw

I think I will take a new approach and start eating more healthy and exercising more. I do eat moderatly healthy but probably a little too many lollies - hehe

Yes I can see that happening! Knowing my luck I would come off the pill and then get pregnant within a few months!! - not that I wouldn't be estatic I would just wait until bub is born and then get married. Its hard because a friend of mine took 6 months and she had no issues so I can't help but think I should start trying now and then I would most likely fall pregnant within 12 months...if all goes well humm decisions decisions!

I will definately have to watch my weight when I come off the Pill...I'm prone to weight gain anyway let alone when my hormones are fluctuating!

Thanks again I really appreciate any feedback you might have...

[CoNNiE_Melb]

Blondie, make sure you are not confusing Polycystic Ovaries with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. Many women have polycystic ovaries, and getting pregnant isn't an issue for them.

It's the syndrome that can cause the weight, hormal imbalance, irregular periods, hair and issues with fertility.

Good Luck with it all!

[FabFiona]

Perhaps if you get into a fitness / eating routine now it will be easier to keep when you come off the pill?

I was off the pill for about 3 years before I conceived the first time. Even then I only fell pregnant the first time when I started working out at the gym with a personal trainer. My fitness improved out of sight and I am pretty sure that contributed to my conception.

[Blondie]

Hi Connie_Melb,

"Blondie, make sure you are not confusing Polycystic Ovaries with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. Many women have polycystic ovaries, and getting pregnant isn't an issue for them."

I didn't know there was a difference? I thought that by having Polycystic Ovaries that you had Polycystic Ovary Syndrome?

Thanks for all the feedback. I had a talk with HTB and we thought that perhaps starting to try/ coming off the pill in Dec / Jan would be a good idea. That way if I do fall pregnant then I will only have a small bump for the Wedding in May...if any at all!

[Jicky]

Hi Blondie,

Well like all the others have said start taking a multivitamin with higher levels of folate. I started taking Elevit 2 months ago and am only TTC now.
Also, I suffer from endo and I have just recently seem a naturopath as everyone on here raves about them. To begin with I couldnt understand how natural stuff can help with conditions like this. But I was amazed. I highly recommend you see one.
Goodluck TTC

[Turkish Delight]

HI Blondie and welcome.

I don't know your weight, but if you are over your healthy weight range try and lose some weight. That's what i had to do, to conceive DD.

Take supplements now. Get your hormones tested (via blood test), to see if there are some funny looking levels. My testosterone was through the roof and was referred to an endocrinolgist.

Lost the weight, gained the baby. I hope it's as simple for you too..

GL

[Blondie]

Well, thought that I would email Gynae Doctor and bascially told him the plan. He said that I will be fine to start trying in Dec. I should be taking Folic Acid and to have blood tests to ensure Rubella etc is OK....this may seem like a silly question, but what does that have to do with trying to conceive? Isn't it measles? Has anyone else had to have blood tests like that?

I just wanted to put another question out there. If I am coming off the Pill in Dec to try for a baby should I start taking Elivet now or wait until December?

He also gave me some advice that says that I might not necesscarily take long to conceive so look out! HAHA!

Thanks for all your advice everyone! I feel a lot better about my decision and am now starting to get excited about the whole prospect

[FabFiona]

Rubella - The reason they test for Rubella (also called German Measles) is to see if you have an immunity to it. It is a disease that if you get it whilst pregnant can affect your baby. For example, my Dad is profoundly Deaf as his mum had rubella whilst she was pregnant with him. If you have no immunity, your doctor might recommend having a vaccination. I think (but correct me if I am wrong) that you can't have the vaccination whilst you are pregnant.

Elevit - There are various pros and cons to taking elevit. Elevit is a fancy multi-vitamin that is targeted at women who are pregnant or TTC. One of the main reasons to take Elevit is because of the folate. However if you are taking folate on its own, then you are doubling up, if you know what I mean. My thinking on Elevit was that if I have a balanced diet and no other major vitamin deficiencies, then just straight Folate was fine. Also (and this might just be me) but I found Elevit hard to swallow as it is a massive pill! Elevit is also $$ compared with straight folate.

Good luck!

[Blondie]

EEEK! I am not the best with big tablets! I will look into my options.

Thanks for the info on Rubella. I think I might have had a vaccination for that when I was younger?? But I will get tested regardless...I will also have my hormones tested as Turkish Delight suggested.

Thanks again for your sound advice!

[BrightSparkles]

Hi Blondie,
I have PCOS and have been diagnosed since i was 20 and fell naturally with both DD and our our newest addition after being told it was unlikely.
My advice would be....
make sure you stick to a low carb/low GI diet. This helps to keep the weight part under control. Make sure you drink plenty of water and exercise regularly. This will help to keep your body healthy.
I suggest having the blood tests to ensure you immunity to all the various things (rubella etc). If you are concerned maybe get a refferal for an endocrinologist who will help you to keep all the various things under control and also give you suggestions on having a baby and other things you could be doing.


Me personally, I also had reflexology on a regular basis to help me keep things equalised within my body (some might not believe this) though I have a stong belief that doing this helped.

GL and HTH.
xx

[didispunk]

Personally I would go off teh pill.. at leat when you get married and want to TTC then you wont haev that time of going off the pill and getting your body back to normalish!!


Definilty low GI and plenty of water as well..

Hi Blondie,
I have PCOS and have been diagnosed since i was 20 and fell naturally with both DD and our our newest addition after being told it was unlikely.
My advice would be....
make sure you stick to a low carb/low GI diet. This helps to keep the weight part under control. Make sure you drink plenty of water and exercise regularly. This will help to keep your body healthy.
I suggest having the blood tests to ensure you immunity to all the various things (rubella etc). If you are concerned maybe get a refferal for an endocrinologist who will help you to keep all the various things under control and also give you suggestions on having a baby and other things you could be doing.


Me personally, I also had reflexology on a regular basis to help me keep things equalised within my body (some might not believe this) though I have a stong belief that doing this helped.

GL and HTH.
xx

[mitzy81]

I have PCOS, I am now 25wks pregnant, this was a natural pregnancy. I was due to start on clomid but found out I was pregnant the day before I was due to commence. I have 2 periods a year if I am lucky. I have been told by many people that you have the best chance of falling pregnant straight after you come off the pill, whether or not that is true I don't know. It took us nearly 12months to fall pregnant, I was diagnosed with PCOS a few years back and was told chances of falling pregnant naturally would be zilch, and we are very lucky considering I only ovulate twice a year! I was actually considering cancelling my appointment with the specialist becuase we had decided to take a break and I would go back on the pill for 6months and not think about it, but it seems it all fell in to place.
Just being healthy in general, if you smoke, quit, cut back/quit on alcohol, eat plenty of fruit and vegies, exercise. I lost 30kg to get to a healthy weight and it still made no difference to regulating my periods and ovulation, I think it all depends on the individual person and case. I also started taking vitex to try and shorten my cycles and when I had doubled my dose I found out not long after I was pregnant.

Good luck to you, baby dust your way when you TTC.

[BlackRose]

Hi Blondie,

I have recently been diagnosed with PCOS and my recommendation is to come off the pill ASAP so you can see what your body is doing naturally. Ok yeah, BD'ing won't be the same if you have to switch contraception methods but I think it will help figure out exactly what's going on with you down there. I would also start to chart your temps on Fertility friend and checking your CM as well.
I came off the pill in June and haven't had AF yet. we're starting to TTC and I have been given Clomid rather than waiting other year to see if my periods might regulate, because there is a good chance that they won't.
And I also had a lap band nearly 3 years ago, have lost 30kg but that hasn't done anything for my irregular cycles, so I guess everyone is different. I exercise and eat well which is about as much as I can do!
And my advice for the prenatal supplements is to get I-Folate (from blackmores) which is an iodine/folate combination supplement. Then, if you're concerned about other vitamins, get a good multi or start on Berocca Advanced. I have berocca advanced because of my lapband (I can't swallow big pills as they get stuck!).

Hope you have a wonderful wedding and good luck with your TTC journey!!

Erica xx

[Janie]

Blondie, you've been given some great suggestions here, I just wanted to reiterate what a PP said, that having polycystic ovaries is not the same as having PCOS. So you might just want to clarify with your gynae which it is that you have, as they will mean different things in regard to your fertility.

Oh, and although you have probably been vaccinated in the past for rubella, the immunity may well have worn off, so it's important to have that checked. If you don't have adequate levels and need to be vaccinated again, I'm pretty sure that you can't fall pg for something like 3 months, so you might want to go and get that checked ASAP.

All the best