PCOS, hopes for D and me #NaturesBestPCOS

When I was growing up, I guess because of a fractured childhood, all I wanted was to have my own family and a little house, somewhere I could feel secure and watch that family grow.

We had D’s Annual Review at school recently and she expressed the same wish, but added in the fact she wished to live close to the family home, it’s where she was born. Obviously with her autism and anxieties, there is a doubt as to whether that would actually happen but… who knows, certainly as her parents, Hubbie and I want to see her happy.

However, there is a shadow hanging over that request as it’s likely that she would have Polycystic Ovary Syndrome or PCOS, which tends to run in families and can inhibit a woman’s ability to conceive.

Here’s some details from the NHS website of the symptoms:

“If you experience symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), they’ll usually become apparent in your late teens or early twenties.

Not all women with PCOS will have all of the symptoms, and each symptom can vary from mild to severe. Many women only experience menstrual problems and/or are unable to conceive.

Common symptoms of PCOS include:

• irregular periods or no periods at all
• difficulty getting pregnant (because of irregular ovulation or failure to ovulate) 
• excessive hair growth (hirsutism) – usually on the face, chest, back or buttocks 
• weight gain 
• thinning hair and hair loss from the head  
• oily skin or acne“

Symptoms can obviously vary from woman to woman, with some experiencing many more than others. My overriding symptom, when trying to conceive C, was the irregular periods and I was diagnosed via a blood test.

Not what a newly married woman wants to hear!

I’m lucky, I had a live birth with the assistance of Clomifene, a fertility medication that stimulates the ovaries into producing eggs, I also overhauled my lifestyle and tried to get myself into the best possible pre-pregnancy shape I could. It worked, but for many woman, there is the prospect of further, invasive treatment which may or may not produce that longed-for baby.

Another option would be to look online for hints and recommendations, naturesbest.co.uk is one such site, with pages of suggestions for living with PCOS, dealing with the many symptoms that can manifest and how to improve your wellbeing whilst coming to terms with the unexpected.

As mentioned above, I was lucky that I received treatment and had my first child. My body seemed to receive a kick-start after C was born, my periods became regular and eight years later, after telling my new Hubbie that we may not be able to have a family,

T was born naturally and at home, followed by D, 18 months later!! Two very unexpected and extremely happy accidents!!

Not the most glamorous post birth picture but our family was completed and, as we’d moved into our new home six weeks previously, D’s (planned) home birth felt very right.

Nature’s Best asked me if I had any advice for women who suspected they might have PCOS or are living with the symptoms and mine would be:

“Ask your doctor for recommendations around diet, lifestyle and supplements and make sure you are taken seriously. PCOS was hereditary in my case so I shall have to discuss any implications with my daughter if ever she plans a family.

Join online groups and support forums where you can share your hopes and fears, knowing that someone else has the same condition can really help.”

Disclosed: this is a collaborative post

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