Need some where to start on naturally becoming pregnant.
But first I feel like it will make things easier if I give you a brief background:
a year ago I was diagnosed with PCOS. My hormone levels showed that they were according to my Dr. "just slightly off" he proceeded to put me on the contraceptive pill. I took it for 3 months and seriously could not even see straight. I was worshiping the potty every single day. The only thing that kept me going was smoking marijuana in the evening after my day was over so I could actually eat something. I made it through the 3 cycles to thin out my uterus that was 3 times the thickness it should have been. Dr. Wyatt never could see my ovaries for my massive uterus. After my experience with the pill I was throughly scared. I started doing research on clomid and metformin. The next two steps in my fertility treatment plan. Some of what I read DEEPLY disturbed me. So for the last year I have been slowly changing my eating habbits and my level of activity. I joined the gym and started the water aerobics class (LOVE LOVE LOVE THOSE CLASSES!!!). Now before this year I would have a period once ever 2-3 years. This year I had the 3 of the pill induced periods and last month I had one all by myself. This GREATLY reassured me that maybe I can do this on my own.
Now here's my issue. I have dug my heels in with my family and decided that either I will get pregnant all by myself or I won't at all. I know a good diet, exercize, prenatal pills and weight loss is the first step. What is the next? where should I look first? I'v found herbal suppliments and this and that but I don't know whats the real dead and what's just a plane old scam. HELP!
Temping and charting your ovulation would seem to be the logical next step. Have you read Taking Charge Of Your Fertility yet? It's a good read with in depth instructions on how to chart. Knowing when you ovulate is critical for timing conception. To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
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Ok, my doctor had me thinking I did not ovulate AT ALL. And as far as my past years worth of reading online I don't remember ever hearing that PCOS diagnosed women do ovulate. I was under the impression that we just cant, weather it be the LH produced by the pituatary (or the lack there of) or it be the testostrone the ovarys produce (too much) that I was incapable of ovulating. So... then is it from time to time that we do ovulate? I'm sorry for the newbie'ish questions I would read the links provided but for some reason it says I have to have more posts to do that.
It is possible, though if your doctor has told you that you don't ovulate, that would make temping and charting impossible! You don't mention what your periods were like before the BCP...if they were regular or semi regular, you may have been ovulating.
I know some ladies have had a lot of luck with soy as an alternative to metformin and clomid in the first part of their cycle to get them to ovulate. Maybe someone will come along and chime in that is more knowledgeable than I am about this! I went the strictly medicated route.
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Wow, I could NOT find this post for the life of me. Just by chance I found a way to find my posts. any ways... He really did not tell me much. He told me I had a mild case of PCOS in more words than I'v used here and put me on the pill to thin out my uterus. The way he talked he sounded very sure that with just a tiny nudge I could get pregnant but on my own it would never have happened my uterus was too thick and "women with PCOS do not ovulate, they don't make the eggs" is what he told me. A rather generalized comment if you ask me.
After I finished the 3 cycle's I lost my insurance and had all ready been contemplating an alternative to the hormones and pills and what have you.
I went in to my first appointment knowing in my heart I had PCOS and had done research for several months before I even met my Dr. I think either I did not ask enough of the right questions (I tend not to want to "bother" people even if it's in my best intrest) or he just did not care enough to make sure I was fully informed. He never spoke of my levels again (of course I only met with him those first few times at the end of last year) Essentially he said I was an easy case and was planning on first placing me on clomid then if that did not work metformin. By the book as he said. I could not continue to go to work and take those pills and the thought of going through even worse... I was driving a few times and almost crashed I was so sick.
The hormones in the contraceptive pill he put me on had an extreme reaction in me. And his nurse told me to hang tight and keep taking them... -sigh- then I read about deformities in children concieved by mothers on clomid and it really REALLY terrified me. Now I'm here trying to figure it out for myself trying to find a doable way for me to help my reproductive organs work right and this site won't let me click on anything that could help and clarify things for me without posting 10. 15. or what have you times. Sorry I'm just seriously stressing out right now and .... ugh... I just need to feel like I'm still making progress towards my goal. I mean I'm 26, I have time but I'v worked so hard all year to lose some weight and I'v suceeded for the first time in my entire life. I'v changed my diet and have been happy about it. My relationship is strong and , I have this big gaping empty space in my life where I'm SO READY to love my baby and I know it's out there waiting to be concieved in my heart and I can't do anything about it till I get a bit of PCOS education and help and I can't access it.... once again I'm sorry about the rantyness. I'm sure other's here can understand, my situation has become a bit of an obsession.
Women with PCOS can ovulate on their own. I have, even before Ovarian drilling. Though we typically don't often, and after a while can get into a pattern of annovulation.
I am rather shocked at the docs analogy, though I probably shouldn't be. We make PLENTY of eggs, we just don't "mature" them or allow them to be released because of the hormone imbalances.
Tristen and Gwenneh's suggestions are good ones.
It really depends on your specific situation with PCOS. Something I take may not work for you. For instance, I don't have the issues with male hormones, hirustism(sp?), lack of periods. I do have IR, and have typically had the string of pearls appearance on my ovaries, and I don't ovulate on my own most of the time. I have always struggled with weight, energy, etc.
Soy isoflavones can be a great alternative to inducing ovulation. Dong quai, Red Clover Blossoms, and some other herbal supplements are effective as well.
If you have issues with thick endometrium, I would STRONGLY suggest you start drinking Red Raspberry Leaf tea. Yeah, you can take the pill form, but the tea is better absorbed by your body.
I ovulated spontaneously after BCP cycles, and got both my BFP's the first cycle off BCP. HTH, and Good Luck!
__________________ Sam (30)
Loving & Living Life w/ Mark (32) To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
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I'm so glad I found your post. I too am trying to find the most natural way to do this. I hope others post their advice. I've talked to my neighbor who, after going through the clomid/met and injectible route, studied and became a certified yoga instructor and worked with chinese medicine. She also suggests regularly seeing a chiropractor. I'm researching all of these right now. There are several pcos books out there; trying to find the right one to help with nutrition.
The making babies book I liked.. and I to am wanting to try things naturally because the clomid didn't work like I thought it would... I ovulated every time but for some reason didn't get pregnant .. it could very well be that we didn't try at the right time but I don't think so... I have been trying for almost 2 years now and will be 26 in march so I know what you are feeling and I am with you on the natural approach. hopefully others can give you extra guidance
Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU! The more I think about Dr. Waytt the more I feel like he should have informed me more. Told me about my levels, explained to me where I was on a scale or something. Instead he just went to "the old stand by". I'm glad I followed my gut. I personally still need to learn the meaning of all these abreviations but for me I am not insulin resistant but I am obese. I do not grow excess hair and I do not have male patter baldness. I do have skin tags, and Endometrial hyperplasia. Samie, that is EXACTLY what I have been looking for. Thank you for giving me a place to start!
Tristen918, AWESOME thanks so much for pointing me in the right direction. I'm off to make myself a game plan! wish me luck and Baby dust all around!!
Good Luck!!! And of course baby dust to all!
You may want to "regard" yourself as IR though, because more and more information is showing that blood tests aren't enough to diagnose IR. My doc, even if all blood test's come back "normal" for glucose and insulin, will still put someone who's PCOS on metformin, to see if they do respond to it, if they do, then chances are they are IR, but just haven't reached that critical point that shows up in blood work.
But instead of jumping to Metformin, if you wanted to go the more natural route. Cinnamon, i think like 2000mgs a day, DCI or inositol, goat's rue, and other herbs have been shown to be effective insulin sensitizers.
Hop over to the Alternative remedies forum and browse the threads there.
__________________ Sam (30)
Loving & Living Life w/ Mark (32) To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
4 Beautiful Children
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Brennen(ds), 6.5
Connor(ds), 6
Brandon(ds), 4.5
"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent"
"A woman is like a tea bag- you never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water."
~Eleanor Roosevelt
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Try the Alternative Remedies forum as well. You may want to look into acupuncture as well.
Temping is also a good suggestion. Met/Clomid is commonly the "textbook" treatment for PCOS women trying to conceive if they can't on their own. However, many do not have trouble conceiving. PCOS is really varied.
It only really happens (and then its fairly rare) when a mom takes clomid during early pregnancy.
But because there is a link to birth defect and Clomid, it is "still" in the information.
But when your taking clomid it is in the very beginning of your cycles, and unless you have some sort of liver or kidney dysfunction, it should be pretty much out of your system by the time implantation occurs, which is typically 4-12 days past ovulation.
__________________ Sam (30)
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4 Beautiful Children
Darcy(dd), 10 going on 21 To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
Brennen(ds), 6.5
Connor(ds), 6
Brandon(ds), 4.5
"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent"
"A woman is like a tea bag- you never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water."
~Eleanor Roosevelt
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Good Lord, Sammie. You are a wealth of information! What is it about Dr.s that make us feel like were safe if they say so. I think I'll be doing a LOT of reading and note taking today.
Would any one suggest purchasing an ovulation tracking kit? I feel like even if it said nothing it would at the very least help me feel more in control. If so what brands should I look into?
I've just been there...and it helps that my mom has always been involved with some sort of occupation dealing with female health. To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
She made sure my sister and I educated ourselves especially when it comes to our bodies, even though my sis doesn't typically, I always did.
It depends on how much you want to spend and where you are...
__________________ Sam (30)
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4 Beautiful Children
Darcy(dd), 10 going on 21 To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
Brennen(ds), 6.5
Connor(ds), 6
Brandon(ds), 4.5
"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent"
"A woman is like a tea bag- you never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water."
~Eleanor Roosevelt
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
Need some where to start on naturally becoming pregnant. 
