Question by Dilly D: PCOS and trying to get pregnant?
I have my 2nd visit with the womens health specialists. Last time I went the doc said he believes I have PCOS. All my lab work is normal. my general practitioner had an ultrasound done which showed a small cyst… and from all my symptoms I described thats how he gathered I had PCOS.
My fiance and I have been trying to conceive for over a year with no luck.
I was just wondering once I tell my doctor that I’m trying to get pregnant, what are the first steps that he will take in order to help me? Will he be able to prescribe me an ovulation stimulant right there, or will I have to go through more tests and such??
Also if I have no evidence that my fiance and I have been trying for more than a year, will the doctor consider me infertile still??
And one more question. Are there a number of ways the doc can help me conceive before he questions my fiances fertility? He has different insurance and doctor than I do. I’d hate for this to become complex with jumping form doctor to doc. But whatever it takes right?
I just want some insight on what to expect.
Best answer:
Answer by mollysmom
Why would you try fertility treatments on yourself before ensuring that your partner’s sperm count is alright? That’s a simple and relatively inexpensive procedure compared to medical intervention to increase your fertility. If you’re both on board with TTC, what would be problematic about having sperm count and motility checked?
As for the rest, those are questions your doc will have to answer – sorry…
Add your own answer in the comments!
I would question being diagnosed with PCOS if all your labs are normal. Cysts on the ovary alone are not enough to make the diagnosis, and really not all that uncommon for a normal healthy woman. It’s the P part (poly) that is the problem. It’s if you consistently have cysts that do not go away.
You need your hormone levels checked on specific days of the month and those would not be normal. I would not trust the diagnosis of a GP. You need to start anew with a gynecologist.
Normally the gyn will do a certain number of tests on you to determine the cause of infertility. At some point early on he (your gym) will ask your boyfriend to submit a “sample” for testing. There is no need for him to see another doctor because your gyn will need all the info in one place. He is fully authorized to request this test and can charge it under his own insurance plan. A reputable doctor will not go on with treating you until he has this info from your BF because it’s 50/50 likely the problem is his. Treating you for a problem BF has is not going to result in a pg, kwim.
ETA… just wanted to address your other question. You gyn will NOT prescribe something like Clomid right away until he gets all his facts from the both of you. Again, his job is to treat the problem *causing* infertility, not infertility itself which really isn’t a disease. Something causes infertility and it is his job to find out what that something is and treat it. So far your GP has not diagnosed anything, as far as I can tell. It may be as simple as incorrect timing on your part or too much stress.
If all your lab results are normal than I would say in my opinion u don’t have pcos. I was diagnosed with pcos ten years ago and was told it would be very hard for me to have children I now have a 7 yr. old I am also 11 weeks pregnant without the help of any drugs to help me conceive. so never give up hope!! I wish u well!
Your fiance needs to be tested for infertility as well! Fertility treatments are expensive and it is not worth investing your time and money if your fiance has an issue with his sperm etc. IF you do have PCOS there are different things that the doc. could do. Birth control to regulate your cycle, LOTS of ultrasounds, Clomid or Leterzole, HcG injections, Dechadron (steroid that helps balance male hormones in your body), he should also do a dye test in your fallopian tubes to make sure there is no blockage. If you have a good doctor he/she should run every sort of blood test imaginable–be prepared to have your blood drawn a lot to check hormone levels etc.
I read your question and I understand your frustration, my dear.
Believe it or not, my husband and I tried to conceive for more than 2 years. We tried to refrain from sex for days and even weeks but it didn’t help.
Worst part is, there were empty hopes – I thought I was pregnant but in the end I wasn’t. It’s really frustrating and I understand that.
I was in Yahoo Answers and in this section quite some time ago and I ask a question similar to yours and a person recommended me a book. It’s entitled “Getting Pregnant Bible”. I swear it’s like a gift from God!
It teaches stuffs like the seven things you need to do before even you try to get pregnant to ensure a healthy pregnancy; the appropriate diet to conceive; how to increase your husband’s sperm count; the ovulation cycle and many others!
I am already having my 4th child now! I really recommend that you try reading this book out. Also, they are currently giving free bonus books like fertility secrets and choosing your baby gender! It’s for a limited time only!
Learn more about it here:
http://whit.me/pregnant
All the best and lots of baby dust =)
Your doctor should run tests to see if you’re ovulating, he should also run an HSG to make sure your tubes aren’t blocked. at the same time he should run a Semen Analysis on your partner. If the HSG and SA come back clean, he will probably start you on Clomid or Femara to get you ovulating.
Here is what I’ve found while dealing with PCOS and TTC, some of it may apply to you, some may not, just my observations/findings:
1) Chart. You need to know if you’re ovulating. With PCOS you can get the LH surge (ie test positive on an ovulation predictor strip), but not ovulate. The best way to determine if you ovulated is your basal body temperature. If it goes up and stays up you O’d (not the fun kind, but the important kind).
2) Insulin is the devil. Especially for you, because PCOS and Insulin Resistance are twin sisters and they hate you. If your insulin resistance is fair to normal, you can control it with diet. Lower carb, no sugar/flour, lots of fruits and veggies. Good book to check out is Fertility Foods by Jeremy Groll. Designed for PCOS.
3) If your insulin resistance is pretty bad and diet isn’t doing the trick, you may need some drugs to help out Metformin/Glucophage is a big helper. If that doesn’t do the trick Actos can be brought to the party.
4) Did I mention charting? You really need to know if you’re ovulating or not. Because if not, you may need some ovarian stimulation ala Clomid/Femara. It’s dirt cheap as these things go and is pretty effective with the PCOS set. I personally have gotten pregnant with Clomid and am on Femara now.
5) Take your vitamins. Start your prenatals now. They help. And they do wonders for your hair and nails.
6) Exercise. I know it sucks, but it really helps with the insulin resistance. You need 150 minutes of exercise a week, preferably 100 minutes of cardio and 50 of strength training. Muscles are good for fighting insulin resistance. This is the area where I really suck at meeting my goals.
7) If you’re overweight, lose some weight. A loss of just 5% can have a tremendous impact on your insulin resistance.
Use full fat dairy if you use dairy at all. The lower fat dairy has a disproportionately high level of androgen hormones which can exacerbate PCOS.