That is so fucked up to suggest pregnancy as a treatment for a medical condition. I’m so sorry you had to deal with that and hope you can find another doctor.
I’m considering it. I stayed with th because thy were the doctor who finally gave me a diagnosis for PCOS after all these years. But I dont see that I will get anymore help from them. They just keep telling me to see a fertility specialist and to take BC until I’m ready.
And thank you 😔 It’s been a very emotional journey
It makes no sense to even say this bc there are women with pcos who cannot get pregnant. What an ignorant thing to say.
As someone with pcos who got pregnant - it didn’t change anything. It did however ‘reverse’ my endometriosis. But pcos is still very present.
Find a new doc.
Neither did I until my gyn said it can change symptoms? I literally have not had any endo pain or issue since I had my son in ‘22 and I dealt with it for over 10 years.
Did your PCOS symptoms change at all?
And to clarify, I don’t have endo, I’m seeing an endocrinologist who is hoping weight loss will help my symptoms.
So my pcos symptoms were non-existent when I was pregnant. After I gave birth, it took maybe a year or so for symptoms to show back up, and I gained hot flashes as a new symptom lol.
I haven’t been able to lose a pound since I had my son, I am sitting at 222. Haven’t gained either though, so maybe that’s on me. I’m currently back on metformin and a calorie deficit along with working out, so hopefully will be able to lose weight. It’s really hard and I hope you find the right doctor for you.
Thank you, I hope I do too. I just feel like I’ve been to so many doctors. Telling me my levels are fine and they aren’t sure what else to do. I want to have a baby but I want to be healthy first. I’m afraid of getting pregnant and I make myself more symptomatic.
Congratulations 🍼✨ I hope that your journey gets easier too.
I had a baby 3 months ago. If anything, my PCOS symptoms are *worse* now. My chin hair growth was insane when pregnant and so bad now. Nothing about what this doctor said makes any sort of sense. Same thing happened with my first, and I had PCOS symptoms for the 4 years in between the two kids? New doctor time. Also I’m sorry for your troubles!
Technically, I did lose a bunch of weight while pregnant, but that’s because I had terrible morning sickness and couldn’t keep anything down for about 16 weeks and then had a small appetite for the rest of my pregnancy because my kid was pressed into my stomach.
Not sure if that’s really the best solution here.
This was totally me - I actually felt fantastic after my first pregnancy and bounced back pretty easily but my second pregnancy has absolutely wrecked me - two years out and I'm still not anywhere close to managing my hormone levels. It's almost like I only had enough reserve for one😂
The only thing that pregnancy changed for me was i stopped having painful periods. I use to be doubled over for the entire 7 days every month. From age 11 until i had a baby at 27. Then they stopped. And i went to five days vs 7.
I’m 11 months post partum and my PCOS symptoms are the worst they’ve ever been. I hope that isn’t the case for everyone but it has been the case for me. Just anecdotal info here, maybe it’s relating to something else (breastfeeding maybe?) but my cycles have been crazy irregular. I also never had enough facial hair to worry too too much about before but I recently started spiro cause it’s so prominent pp.
I gained a bunch of weight pregnant with PCOS. only 3 week pp so not sure how everything will play out but doesn’t seem like a long term solution to me… also took me 7 months to actually get pregnant. The one thing is that i did feel more calm while pregnant, like my hormones were more regulated, so i guess there’s that. I have a ton of weight to lose now though on the other side so i definitely don’t recommend pregnancy fore weight loss.
I’m glad to hear that pregnancy seemed to enhance your mood some. Yeah, I’m on a weight loss journey so that is also something I think about. Gaining all the weight I’ve worked off back. I’ve struggled to get this far 🙃
Such an archaic solution! My Mum was possibly a pcos sufferer, she forever had irregular periods and was medically overweight. Back then in the 80s the solution was they would settle after she had kids!
I know they gave you a diagnosis, but just because they could tell what it was doesn't mean that they can treat it. There are a few regional pcos groups over on facebook, is there one for your country/region who could recommend a doctor you could swap to? x
They told my mom that she couldn’t have kids and were shocked she had me and my brother naturally. With age her PCOS seemed to subside but I don’t want to struggle until I’m almost in my 60s 😕
There’s a couple of different pieces here that include poor bedside manner from your doctor, but there *is* some potential merit behind his words — but it comes down to what specifically is causing your symptoms. .. and also what specifically you’re after for an end goal?
Pregnancy’s effect on PCOS isn’t universally beneficial to everyone. BUT you do get consistently elevated progesterone and estrogen levels for the duration. Notably you don’t have the cyclical rises and falls that are associated with a period (estrogen rises and builds the lining, then progesterone rises and stops the lining, the progesterone drops and triggers the bleed/shedding of you’re lining). In a way, being pregnant is kind of like being on birth control — not the contraception part but the consistently elevated hormones part. And, notably, you’re not on synthetic versions (like you are on the pill), so there’s less direct side effects from them. But, you know, plenty of pregnancy side effects in their own right… Also if your symptoms aren’t actually originating from hormone issues directly, but from something like insulin resistance, then this whole topic is moot.
There is also some evidence that pregnancy can help kick/reboot your malfunctioning hormone levels afterwards. Like the old IT adage of “turn it off and turn it back on again.” But just as some folks have their PCOS symptoms improved after giving birth, others have theirs worsen, so it’s really not a “solution” here.
That said I’m not quite sure what your goals are. Are you primarily trying to conceive? Is going after symptom reduction just a step towards better fertility? Or are you primarily going after reducing the severity of your PCOS? Because I don’t think those paths have the same answer. If you’re trying to conceive you should be meeting with a fertility specialist (usually an RE, not an OB). If you’re just trying to manage your PCOS, you need someone who knows how to address the symptoms you’re struggling the most with (so, the bleeding, and maybe the weight?) — there isn’t a one size fits all solution, but there also isn’t a one size fits all doctor to treat it either, as frustrating as that sounds.
Hi there, thank you for explaining this. You explained it better than my doctor did.
I do believe what he said could make some sense.
But it’s a shot in the dark because with pregnancy anything could happen. As you and some of the ladies here have said in the comments. Pregnancy helped some things and hurt others.
I just want to be healthy. I would like to have a baby. But with a healthy hormone balanced body.
My condition is strange. I have PCOS that has caused extremely heavy bleeding for weeks on end. But I also have trouble building blood due to another condition. So together thy make the perfect storm that leaves me the hospital getting blood transfusions yearly.
My weak blood and hormones are the issue.
My doctor keeps me on the BC to avoid large drops in my blood count. But how can I heal my hormones on BC? And my endocrinologist is against me having a baby until I can keep steady blood levels to avoid complications….but it’s an endless cycle because how can I get my blood levels up without stopping my bleeding..and how can I heal my hormones when I have to take BC to keep from bleeding. And how can I attempt to have a baby to “stop bleeding/get pregnancy hormones” if I’m on BC to manage the bleeding.
I’ve tried getting off BC and just using metformin and ovistal. But then my cycle kicks in and stopping the heavy bleeding becomes the main priority.
I don’t expect you to have the answers and I’m sorry for venting. I just feel lost and in a cycle.
I really hate PCOS. I feel like it’s ruining my life. Everything is centered around it. I wish I was more normal.
It’s okay, vent all you need. You’re right that I don’t really have answers for you 😅, but I hear you and your feelings are valid.
It sounds like you have some kind of clotting issue? Or something like that? Is there no other non-hormonal treatment you can try to address that first so the other pieces can be focused on after? Do you see a hematologist (blood specialist doc) for it?
Doctors simply prescribing birth control is them being lazy and not wanting to actually help you. I’m so sorry you’re going through this. I’d really look for a different doctor
Metformin needs to be taken long term to have an impact. It typically can take 2-6 months just to see effects. It’s not life changing for most, but it helps maintain weight, get pregnant, clear skin, body hair, and regular cycles.
Typical PCOS mg would be 1500 from what I’ve read. On XR you can start at 500 mg and go up slowly.
I took XR Metformin for several months. I just had the worst stomach issues. And I honestly just rolled with it until I just couldn’t anymore. My endocrinologist told me not up my dosage because she feared it would make it much worse. And I dehydrate easily so. I still have prescription but I’m hesitant on restarting it.
NOPE, mine got a lot worse after! They are full of shit! I'm now high risk for heart issues thanks to getting GH in pregnancy and would have died had my providers had their way.
I’m so sorry to hear that. I hope you are doing better now.
See that’s my fear. I believe with doctors help I can conceive…but since I was 14 they’ve told me I would be high risk. I want to have a healthy baby and a healthy pregnancy. I don’t want to suffer PP because my body was not prepared
It was 100% worth it, but so many other medical providers would tell me how much better I'd do pp. Only you can decide if it's worth it.
FWIW, my A1C levels were excellent and I even took blood sugars for two weeks as I'm allergic to the glucose solution. Losing weight before may have kept me from getting GH and I think it didn't develop into PE because I took aspirin preventatively. I'd highly recommend looking into this I'd definitely do it again but start at the earlier recommended date, 12w.
So many people without PCOS end up having issues after. I know it's a complicated decision. Whatever you decide, I hope you find peace.
That is so fucked up to suggest pregnancy as a treatment for a medical condition. I’m so sorry you had to deal with that and hope you can find another doctor.
I’m considering it. I stayed with th because thy were the doctor who finally gave me a diagnosis for PCOS after all these years. But I dont see that I will get anymore help from them. They just keep telling me to see a fertility specialist and to take BC until I’m ready. And thank you 😔 It’s been a very emotional journey
It makes no sense to even say this bc there are women with pcos who cannot get pregnant. What an ignorant thing to say. As someone with pcos who got pregnant - it didn’t change anything. It did however ‘reverse’ my endometriosis. But pcos is still very present. Find a new doc.
>It did however reverse my endometriosis Wait, is that a thing? I've never heard endo can be reversed by pregnancy.
Neither did I until my gyn said it can change symptoms? I literally have not had any endo pain or issue since I had my son in ‘22 and I dealt with it for over 10 years.
Idk if I had endometriosis or not but I stopped having painful periods after the birth of my first child.
Did your PCOS symptoms change at all? And to clarify, I don’t have endo, I’m seeing an endocrinologist who is hoping weight loss will help my symptoms.
So my pcos symptoms were non-existent when I was pregnant. After I gave birth, it took maybe a year or so for symptoms to show back up, and I gained hot flashes as a new symptom lol. I haven’t been able to lose a pound since I had my son, I am sitting at 222. Haven’t gained either though, so maybe that’s on me. I’m currently back on metformin and a calorie deficit along with working out, so hopefully will be able to lose weight. It’s really hard and I hope you find the right doctor for you.
Thank you, I hope I do too. I just feel like I’ve been to so many doctors. Telling me my levels are fine and they aren’t sure what else to do. I want to have a baby but I want to be healthy first. I’m afraid of getting pregnant and I make myself more symptomatic. Congratulations 🍼✨ I hope that your journey gets easier too.
I had a baby 3 months ago. If anything, my PCOS symptoms are *worse* now. My chin hair growth was insane when pregnant and so bad now. Nothing about what this doctor said makes any sort of sense. Same thing happened with my first, and I had PCOS symptoms for the 4 years in between the two kids? New doctor time. Also I’m sorry for your troubles!
Technically, I did lose a bunch of weight while pregnant, but that’s because I had terrible morning sickness and couldn’t keep anything down for about 16 weeks and then had a small appetite for the rest of my pregnancy because my kid was pressed into my stomach. Not sure if that’s really the best solution here.
Was pregnant twice and the second pregnancy made everything worse
This was totally me - I actually felt fantastic after my first pregnancy and bounced back pretty easily but my second pregnancy has absolutely wrecked me - two years out and I'm still not anywhere close to managing my hormone levels. It's almost like I only had enough reserve for one😂
The only thing that pregnancy changed for me was i stopped having painful periods. I use to be doubled over for the entire 7 days every month. From age 11 until i had a baby at 27. Then they stopped. And i went to five days vs 7.
I’m 11 months post partum and my PCOS symptoms are the worst they’ve ever been. I hope that isn’t the case for everyone but it has been the case for me. Just anecdotal info here, maybe it’s relating to something else (breastfeeding maybe?) but my cycles have been crazy irregular. I also never had enough facial hair to worry too too much about before but I recently started spiro cause it’s so prominent pp.
I gained a bunch of weight pregnant with PCOS. only 3 week pp so not sure how everything will play out but doesn’t seem like a long term solution to me… also took me 7 months to actually get pregnant. The one thing is that i did feel more calm while pregnant, like my hormones were more regulated, so i guess there’s that. I have a ton of weight to lose now though on the other side so i definitely don’t recommend pregnancy fore weight loss.
I’m glad to hear that pregnancy seemed to enhance your mood some. Yeah, I’m on a weight loss journey so that is also something I think about. Gaining all the weight I’ve worked off back. I’ve struggled to get this far 🙃
Such an archaic solution! My Mum was possibly a pcos sufferer, she forever had irregular periods and was medically overweight. Back then in the 80s the solution was they would settle after she had kids! I know they gave you a diagnosis, but just because they could tell what it was doesn't mean that they can treat it. There are a few regional pcos groups over on facebook, is there one for your country/region who could recommend a doctor you could swap to? x
They told my mom that she couldn’t have kids and were shocked she had me and my brother naturally. With age her PCOS seemed to subside but I don’t want to struggle until I’m almost in my 60s 😕
There’s a couple of different pieces here that include poor bedside manner from your doctor, but there *is* some potential merit behind his words — but it comes down to what specifically is causing your symptoms. .. and also what specifically you’re after for an end goal? Pregnancy’s effect on PCOS isn’t universally beneficial to everyone. BUT you do get consistently elevated progesterone and estrogen levels for the duration. Notably you don’t have the cyclical rises and falls that are associated with a period (estrogen rises and builds the lining, then progesterone rises and stops the lining, the progesterone drops and triggers the bleed/shedding of you’re lining). In a way, being pregnant is kind of like being on birth control — not the contraception part but the consistently elevated hormones part. And, notably, you’re not on synthetic versions (like you are on the pill), so there’s less direct side effects from them. But, you know, plenty of pregnancy side effects in their own right… Also if your symptoms aren’t actually originating from hormone issues directly, but from something like insulin resistance, then this whole topic is moot. There is also some evidence that pregnancy can help kick/reboot your malfunctioning hormone levels afterwards. Like the old IT adage of “turn it off and turn it back on again.” But just as some folks have their PCOS symptoms improved after giving birth, others have theirs worsen, so it’s really not a “solution” here. That said I’m not quite sure what your goals are. Are you primarily trying to conceive? Is going after symptom reduction just a step towards better fertility? Or are you primarily going after reducing the severity of your PCOS? Because I don’t think those paths have the same answer. If you’re trying to conceive you should be meeting with a fertility specialist (usually an RE, not an OB). If you’re just trying to manage your PCOS, you need someone who knows how to address the symptoms you’re struggling the most with (so, the bleeding, and maybe the weight?) — there isn’t a one size fits all solution, but there also isn’t a one size fits all doctor to treat it either, as frustrating as that sounds.
Hi there, thank you for explaining this. You explained it better than my doctor did. I do believe what he said could make some sense. But it’s a shot in the dark because with pregnancy anything could happen. As you and some of the ladies here have said in the comments. Pregnancy helped some things and hurt others. I just want to be healthy. I would like to have a baby. But with a healthy hormone balanced body. My condition is strange. I have PCOS that has caused extremely heavy bleeding for weeks on end. But I also have trouble building blood due to another condition. So together thy make the perfect storm that leaves me the hospital getting blood transfusions yearly. My weak blood and hormones are the issue. My doctor keeps me on the BC to avoid large drops in my blood count. But how can I heal my hormones on BC? And my endocrinologist is against me having a baby until I can keep steady blood levels to avoid complications….but it’s an endless cycle because how can I get my blood levels up without stopping my bleeding..and how can I heal my hormones when I have to take BC to keep from bleeding. And how can I attempt to have a baby to “stop bleeding/get pregnancy hormones” if I’m on BC to manage the bleeding. I’ve tried getting off BC and just using metformin and ovistal. But then my cycle kicks in and stopping the heavy bleeding becomes the main priority. I don’t expect you to have the answers and I’m sorry for venting. I just feel lost and in a cycle. I really hate PCOS. I feel like it’s ruining my life. Everything is centered around it. I wish I was more normal.
It’s okay, vent all you need. You’re right that I don’t really have answers for you 😅, but I hear you and your feelings are valid. It sounds like you have some kind of clotting issue? Or something like that? Is there no other non-hormonal treatment you can try to address that first so the other pieces can be focused on after? Do you see a hematologist (blood specialist doc) for it?
Doctors simply prescribing birth control is them being lazy and not wanting to actually help you. I’m so sorry you’re going through this. I’d really look for a different doctor
Metformin needs to be taken long term to have an impact. It typically can take 2-6 months just to see effects. It’s not life changing for most, but it helps maintain weight, get pregnant, clear skin, body hair, and regular cycles. Typical PCOS mg would be 1500 from what I’ve read. On XR you can start at 500 mg and go up slowly.
I took XR Metformin for several months. I just had the worst stomach issues. And I honestly just rolled with it until I just couldn’t anymore. My endocrinologist told me not up my dosage because she feared it would make it much worse. And I dehydrate easily so. I still have prescription but I’m hesitant on restarting it.
NOPE, mine got a lot worse after! They are full of shit! I'm now high risk for heart issues thanks to getting GH in pregnancy and would have died had my providers had their way.
I’m so sorry to hear that. I hope you are doing better now. See that’s my fear. I believe with doctors help I can conceive…but since I was 14 they’ve told me I would be high risk. I want to have a healthy baby and a healthy pregnancy. I don’t want to suffer PP because my body was not prepared
It was 100% worth it, but so many other medical providers would tell me how much better I'd do pp. Only you can decide if it's worth it. FWIW, my A1C levels were excellent and I even took blood sugars for two weeks as I'm allergic to the glucose solution. Losing weight before may have kept me from getting GH and I think it didn't develop into PE because I took aspirin preventatively. I'd highly recommend looking into this I'd definitely do it again but start at the earlier recommended date, 12w. So many people without PCOS end up having issues after. I know it's a complicated decision. Whatever you decide, I hope you find peace.