My Fertility Journey – PCOS to Pregnant

In 2014 I was diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), after experiencing a painful period that lasted more than three weeks. That was seven years ago and I can’t believe that I am pregnant today after less than a year of trying to conceive. This is the first time I am openly talking about my PCOS journey, in hopes that it may be helpful to someone out there who may be wondering if they have PCOS as well.

My PCOS Diagnosis + Symptoms

First off, PCOS is a hormonal disorder that can cause an imbalance of hormones. There are different types of PCOS and varying symptoms. I have insulant resistant PCOS, which includes unexpected weight gain, lack of periods, and high insulin levels.

My typical symptoms include painful periods, periods that go away for two months at a time, intense cramping, heavy flow, and fatigue.

Living with PCOS

Over the past seven years, I have experimented with a variety of methods to reduce my PCOS symptoms. The first treatment that was recommended to me was birth control. It seems like birth control is the most common treatment option for PCOS, but I did not have a great experience – after a few months of taking birth control, I ended up in the hospital experiencing tingling sensations on the left side of my body and slurring of speech. I immediately got off birth control and switched over to Metformin to see if that would help manage my symptoms. Metformin was prescribed to me to assist with my high insulin levels. Unfortunately, I have a very sensitive stomach and Metformin caused me to feel sick and bloated all the time. I continued to take Metformin for four years, but never saw any promising results, so I finally stopped taking it.

In 2018 I visited a reproductive endocrinologist and spoke to her about my issues with Metformin and birth control. She recommended that I try Ovasitol instead – a 100% pure inositol supplement formulated to promote menstrual regularity and support ovarian health. Ovasitol was a game changer for me. I no longer had the intense stomach pains, I started to lose weight and my sugar levels lowered. Ovasitol is fantastic because it is just a simple powder that you can either take as a shot or you can mix it in with water and drink it. It can take up to three months for your body to become regulated by the Ovasitol powder, so I definitely recommend not giving up if you don’t see immediate results. After three months, I noticed that my sugar cravings were greatly reduced and my periods were a bit more regular, occurring every 35-40 days.

I have been taking Ovasitol ever since and will continue to take it through my pregnancy to hopefully reduce the risk of gestational diabetes.

My Pregnancy Journey

Early in the year, my husband Greg and I decided that we were ready to start trying for a baby. A part of me has always been terrified of pregnancy, as I’ve been told at countless doctor appointments that trying to conceive with PCOS can be hard and there is a large chance of infertility. I was also afraid of how I might feel if I became pregnant, as my PCOS symptoms are always intense and cause a lot of abdomen pain.

After doing a lot of research, skimming through forums and reading books, I dived into all of the items for trying to get pregnant. My main staples were ovulation sticks, a basal body temperature tracker and of course pregnancy tests. With PCOS it can be tricky to track ovulation, so I downloaded a couple of apps to try to help me find my ovulation window. One of my favorite apps was Flo, as it gave me a lot of great tips and daily advice. The goal of the ovulation strips is to help find your fertile window and then it’s go time! It took a couple of months for me to get the hang of everything, as it seemed I kept missing my fertile window or I couldn’t find my peak ovulation each month.

I ended up visiting a new gyno after a few months since we were not successful in our efforts. The gyno recommended that we expand our time of trying to cycle days 12-30 since my period was all over the place each month. I have to admit that after 6 months of trying, I was tired of peeing on all the sticks! Throughout that time, I was also experimenting with a variety of supplements, including Pink Stork Fertility Support, R-Alpha Lipoic Acid, and Vitex Berry. I stopped taking all of these supplements in June and only focused on taking my Ovasitol powder twice a day for the next three months. I also highly recommend trying a lubricant if you struggle with producing enough cervical mucus during your fertile window.

In September we decided to take a break and I stopped tracking everything. I was mentally drained from all of the tracking and wanted to focus on my health instead. I was having a lot of pain in my abdomen, along with very painful periods, so my friend recommended that I see her gynecologist for an endometriosis consultation. I have always wondered if I also have endometriosis, as the symptoms can be similar. Here’s some more info on endometriosis if you’d like to know more.

Surprise, I’m Pregnant!

During my initial consultation with the gyno, I asked them if they need to take a urine sample. As I was waiting for the doctor to come speak with me, the nurse took my urine sample to the back. Much to my surprise, when the doctor introduced himself, he said to me “you’re late!” and I was confused. I told him that my period wasn’t late since it comes every 60-70 days. He proceeded to show me two pregnancy tests that were POSITIVE! You would not believe how shocked I was. Literally the month that we stopped focusing on trying to get pregnant and I hadn’t tracked a thing is the month that we got pregnant. Once I left the gyno office, I drove straight to Target to buy my own pregnancy tests and confirmed it on at least two different tests.

The biggest advice I can give is don’t give up! I honestly thought that we were going to have to visit my gyno for fertility treatments within the year if we were not successful, but I think taking Ovasitol two times a day and reducing stress in my body played a huge role in becoming pregnant.

Sharing the News

I always thought that I would create a beautiful reveal for Greg if I ever became pregnant. In reality, I was so shocked by the news that I couldn’t wait to tell Greg when he came home from work that day! When I told him, we both cried in disbelief and sheer joy. Soon after we found out, we shared the news with our families, as they all were aware of my PCOS condition and struggles with fertility. It really feels like a miracle / dream come true!

I’ll be sharing more on my pregnancy journey here on the blog, so stay tuned!