Success getting pregnant using supplements and exercise/diet

wanda · 02-23-2007, 04:57 PM

Hi,
I'm generally a lurker but I wanted to post ny second pregnancy success w/ you in hopes that it'll help someone out there.

A bit of backstory: I've had PCOS ever since I was a preteen (which is when I started puberty). My periods were always erratic and nonexistent. I also can gain weight like no tomorrow eating carbs. I finally got a diagnosis back in 1998 and that was confirmed a year later, when I started TTC #1.

I was able to conceive DC1 by being on the Atkins Diet, Induction level. That got me to ovulate beautifully, and my DC is a happy, healthy 4 year old today.

I wasn't able to ovulate on the Induction level diet post pregnancy; plus, when I tried it again I was blacking out; maybe my blood sugars got too low? After a lot of soul-searching and discussion w/ my DH, we decided to not TTC anymore and instead just focus on being more healthy and controlling the PCOS as opposed to it controlling me.

So at the beginning of January, I resolved to be in better shape and control my mood swings (definitely PCOS related as I get extremely grumpy/depressed/angry after I eat carbs). I started taking D-Chiro Inositol (from Chiralbalance.com) at 600 mg/day (I weigh 140lbs) on Jan. 26th. I also started the IR Diet and started running and exercising around that time as well, at least 5-6 times a week at 40 min. per session. I also started taking cinnamon around that time; at first, I started out w/ about 2000 mg/day (split amongst my meals) but gradually increased it to about 4000-4500 mg. depending on what I ate that day (more if I ate more carby things, less if I pretty much ate low-carb).

While I was taking the supplements, controlling my carb intake (around 100-120g per day) and exercising, I had ovulatory pain and lots of fertile CM at one point; and I literally felt myself ovulate on Feb. 11th. My moods were also beautifully stable, my leg hairs were growing less (I don't have a problem w/ hirsuitism at all, but noticed that I could now shave my legs every 10 days as opposed to every 5 before).

B/c I was feeling very hungry and not losing any weight despite my increased exercise (which I was doing 45-60 minutes 6 times a week), I took a pregnancy test yesterday and found that it was positive. After 2 other tests, I can verify that I am pregnant, and that at least I ovulated.

I don't quite know what worked specifically, but I have tried exercising as well as diet control alone before; and those things, while improving some symptoms, didn't really normalize my body. Perhaps it's the DCI, or the cinnamon, or both that worked? I won't really ever know. However, there's something good in either or both of them for us PCOSers, and I'd strongly recommend taking either or both of the supplements, as well as exercising more and eating more healthy.

Hope this helps!