The Baby Journey with PCOS: The Beginning

So we decided to start our baby journey back in November 2010. I came off birth control at the very beginning of November.

I am going to give a bit of background so some things make sense. From 2005 until summer of 2010 my weight was always between 130 - 150 lbs. I am 5'1" and usually my weight gain was proportionate. I was a little heavy for my stature but nothing drastic.

By the second month off birth control I had gained around 20 to 25 lbs and every bit of it went to my stomach, chest and chin. That is probably the most frustrating part of this journey so far because I know that the last thing I need is more weight on my frame.

I decided to use the ovulation tests for the first couple months and was delighted when it said that I ovulated on my birthday in December. I tried not to let myself get too excited but I must admit the thought of having a child that was conceived on my birthday was a fun idea.

By the end of January I still had not had a period but 4 pregnancy tests taken at different times said I was not pregnant. I called my doctor and they described prometrium which basically forced my body to have a period.

Again on March 6, I thought I had ovulated but I still had not had a period or a positive pregnancy test when we got to my 6 month appointment with my doctor on April 21st.

She ran blood tests and an ultrasound which revealed an ultra thin lining of the uterus which meant that despite what the ovulation kits said I had not been ovulating at all.

I must say this was bittersweet news because we now knew why we had not conceived yet but that is one of the most crucial things need to be able to conceive.

The news also confirmed my PCOS status.

The Dr. gave us two choices: 1. Start immediately with Clomid which is an infertility drug but also causes weight gain or 2. Try Metphormin which is a diabetic drug (since I am prediabetic) and try to lose some weight before starting Clomid.

We chose 2 because I do not want to add more weight because I am already to heavy for my size.

Presently I am a little over a week into Metphormin, counting carbs, and exercising everyday. I have lost 5 lbs which is very exciting!

So now that I have caught you up on the journey so far we can go forward :) I will talk about other things surrounding my PCOS in other posts.

Until Next Time...

The Baby Journey with PCOS Series Starter

Ever since I was thirteen I have wanted to be a mother. I have talked about my baby itch on here before and though I have had times where it was not strongly present, I have never been able to dispel it completely.

I originally said I would not tell people when we started trying because of the constant questions of "are you pregnant yet?" and just the added pressure of people knowing.

But then I found out that I have PCOS, which is polycystic ovary syndrome. For those unfamiliar here is a formal definition:

"Polycystic ovary syndrome: Abbreviated PCOS. Polcystic ovary syndrome is a condition in women characterized by irregular or no menstrual periods, acne, obesity, and excess hair growth. PCOS is a disorder of chronically abnormal ovarian function and hyperandrogenism (abnormally elevated androgen levels). It affects 5-10% of women of reproductive age. PCOS is also called the Stein-Leventhal syndrome.

Women with PCOS do not ovulate -- they do not release an egg every month -- and they are at significantly higher risk for high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer of the uterus (endometrial cancer). Much of this risk can be reversed by exercise and weight loss."

Most women would not share such info much less blog about it, but I have thought long and hard and decided to blog about my/our journey.

Why?

Because I believe that one of the greatest things about the internet is the support system you can obtain. If you have a problem or situation where once you might feel like the only one in the world, you can now go to the internet and find at least one other person (but usually way more) that is going or has gone through the same thing.

The important key of this "internet support" system is the "open book" people. People, like me, who don't mind sharing all the intimate details of their ups and downs so that others can be encouraged and gain knowledge of different subjects.

So with that said I shall start this series about our baby journey in hopes that it will indeed help someone out there going through the same thing.

Until Next Time....