Confused about the next step!

mrs.poochie · June 1, 2009

I have had PCOS since my early teens so of course it's no surprise that the last 9 years I've been married I've made numerous attempts to have a baby. IVF attempted 7 times, 2 miscarriages, Clomid, Metformin and now Aldactone. I seem no closer to having a baby. I am overweight, insulin resistant etc. So far no further health issues. I have been told many times that I just need to lose weight. My husband as well as doctors have told me to just try harder as though I can control this. Funny, I don't eat much and I exercise but apparently I don't try hard enough. It's just so frustrating.

Ladies, I need your advice as fellow PCOS sufferers. I am desperate for a baby but IVF is futile. My last resort is lap band surgery. It seems so drastic. I am worried that I'll regret it especially if I still can't get pregnant. Normally, I don't ovulate at all, as in naturally not for years, so it seems strange that this surgery will work. I was thinner previously and I didn't ovulate either. Of course it'd be great to be thin again!

Sorry for the long rant but I feel like I have no one to talk to who understands what I'm going through. Has anyone had a similar history with a positive outcome? Can anyone recommend a Dr. in Sydney Australia?

Divis · June 1, 2009

Hi Mrs.Poochie,

My husband and I just started talking about having kids about a year and a half now, we too are having trouble conceiving. I just found out at the beginning of the year that I to have PCOS and I am just now learning about all its affects. I understand the frustration of telling your doctor that you are trying everything to lose weight and it just isn't happening. I was on a strict 1500 calorie and was hitting the gym at least 4 days a week for 3 hours every day, an hour alone on cardio. I had a personal trainer and a nutritionist and only manage to lose 25LBS in seven months! That's a little over a pound a week and I was killing myself! :party: I then had a family emergency and could not make it to the gym for about a month and a half and gained every pound back plus 10 more!! When I saw my first doctor she just dismissed all I was telling her and told me to just "lose weight" as if I wasn't trying to. Luckily I have a new doctor who suggested I have weight loss surgery so that it will be easier to conceive and carry a child to term without any complications. She informed me that once you gain weight while having PCOS it's virtually impossible to lose a significant amount of weight. Of course everyone is different, what works for some women might not work for others. Just look at it this way at the very least you will have a healthier body and feel better too. Wishing you the best of luck! :thumbup:

marie715 · June 2, 2009

Hi Mrs.Poochie,
........She informed me that once you gain weight while having PCOS it's virtually impossible to lose a significant amount of weight. .........

God bless that doctor for truly understanding PCOS! Every doctor should memorize that statement. We've all been told for years that 'calories in vs. calories out' = weight loss or weight gain. Not true for PCOS sufferers. We hold on to everything. Anyways, off of my soap box. I would like to encourage you by telling you that I am a 49 yr. old woman with PCOS. I had my lapband surgery in September 2008 and I have now lost 80 pounds. Totally unbelievable because the most I have ever lost on my own is maybe 25 pounds. And that was with dieting and a cardio work out 1 hour a day 6 days a week. I've had an excellent experience so far with the lap band and I wish you the same and even better luck. PCOS women can lose weight with the lap band.

mrs.poochie · June 2, 2009

Thanks for your replies. I don't know how many doctors have told me in front of my husband that it is all down to diet and exercise and if I want a baby enough than I'll work hard enough! Now my husband has warped ideas about it being down to my lack of effort. My current endocrinologist put me on a really strict diet. Diet shakes, high Protein, low carb= horrible. I was on the diet 3 months and only lost 5 kilos which is not enough. I was sick and lethargic the entire time and it didn't help the hormones. There was a death in the family recently and I have gained 4 kilos back in a few weeks. I was doing exercise 3-4 times a week but now I've stopped because there seems to be no point. It is just so irritating because if it weren't for the PCOS I wouldn't be fat. No one in my family is fat and my sisters are super fertile. I feel cursed.

Because I've lost hope, the surgery is the only thing left to do.

Divis: I have pursued having a baby for the last 7 years trying absolutely everything from natural to unnatural(IVF) treatments. When did you have the band surgery and how much have you lost? Did you get a period again? I hope you are successful with getting pregnant in the future.

Divis · June 2, 2009

Divis: I have pursued having a baby for the last 7 years trying absolutely everything from natural to unnatural(IVF) treatments. When did you have the band surgery and how much have you lost? Did you get a period again? I hope you are successful with getting pregnant in the future.

I have not been banded yet, I'm doing it in September :thumbup:(if all goes well). But I did a lot of research and finally gave in after trying all I could to lose the weight.

As soon as I stopped taking birth control and tried to conceive and I started to gain weight and that's when I realized I was not ovulating. I'm told by my doctor that the band is one of the best ways of reaching my goal of having children. She did mention that if I where to put it off for a while and stay at my current weight I run the risk of becoming permanently infertile. I have not tried IVF because of the health risk of becoming pregnant to both me and a baby at my current weight. Not to mention the cost. I made a deal with my husband if I lose the weight and still can't get pregnant instead of IVF we are going to adopt. I would still like to adopt even if I can have children that way I can make sure to pick a cute one instead of running the risk of them looking like me! :ack2: :frown:

By the way congrats Marie, 80lbs wow!! :clap::welldone2:

Edited June 2, 2009 by Divis

Divis · June 2, 2009

Mrs. Poochie

I just went to the "Pregnancy with Lap-Band" forum and came across a post that's labeled "Just found out I'm pregnant" you should take a look. It's about a woman with endometriosis and PCOS getting pregnant 4 month after getting banded without even trying. (Not trying to rub anything in). Proof that there's still hope.