pcos, trying to lose weight & trying to have a baby

couponmom85 · 11-17-2010, 02:32 PM

so, does anyone else have this issue?

i have pcos (no cysts but everything else)
i have to lose weight somehow so i can try to have another baby.
i know it would be better once i get down to my goal and hold it for 6mths or so.
but i don't want a huge gap between my son and our next child.
he is almost 4 so my chances are running low at this point.

i have heard if you lose 10% of your weight that your pcos gets better, (periods restart and such)

I'm just so conflicted, i know i need to be healthy first but i have been trying so long.
i know i will wind up on bedrest again if i don't wait for the weight to go down.

i need to lose 100 lbs, is that even possible in under a year?
even if i git down to 200 i might do better.

anyone else dealing with this or have any advice?

beerab · 11-17-2010, 02:50 PM

My suggestion is to do the south beach diet- that's the only thing that has worked for me with my PCOS

You should be able to lose much quicker going low carb overall. And yes 10% can help but you'd definitely have to make sure you don't gain too much during the pregnancy.

I noticed after losing 20 lbs my periods returned, my dandruff went away, etc, so I believe the 10% is right. For you that's at least 27 lbs which can be done in a few months.

junebug41 · 11-17-2010, 03:06 PM

For what you are trying to accomplish, I would shy away from having a set goal and losing 100 lbs in a year is a pretty big goal. I'm not saying it can't be done, but what you are trying to do is so much more than the number on the scale.

I would absolutely focus on losing weight, but moreso making sure you are getting your body to a good place in order to carry a baby to term. Many women find that going from "obese" to "overweight" brings about tremendous health benefits in and of itself. With PCOS, I've seen lots of women find relief from symptoms and the return of their cycles with a moderate loss.

I say do what you can to provide the best environment for your LO

My symptoms improved drastically once I lost weight. Unfortunately, my cycles are still messed up, but they are closer together (45-60 days as opposed to 90-100 days prior to weightloss).

kellie105 · 11-17-2010, 03:41 PM

I wanted to say hi and that i know what you are going through. I started at 275 and dropped down to 250 and after three years of trying and treatments we did it on our own (with the help of Metformin) when my daughter was 13 months old we got pregnant again unintentionally and we now have two beautiful babies. I will say that both times pregnancy was VERY uncomfortable and i was in pain alot because the extra weight killed my back and hips. I would have lost more weight but my point is it only took very little weight loss to make it happen.

couponmom85 · 11-18-2010, 01:40 AM

thank you for the wonderful advice.
i know i won't lose 100lbs in a year, thats the overall goal.
i hope i can be 225 by next thanksgiving.

oh and I'm mostly worried about carrying another 10 lb baby

its not related to gestational diabetes, large babies seem to run in my family.
i was 9lbs 10oz my mom was 10lb 12oz and my son was 10lbs 8.25oz

i know it will happen one day, it took over 3 years to concieve my son and i was fluctuating between 214-245 during those 3 years.
i think its because i finally had a job i loved, i was active and on my feet all day (cake decorating) that i was able to concieve.

but i have become more sedentary since then and i don't want to be this way.

i know even if the weight comes off slowly, that as long as i try and eat healthy and take care of myself that it can happen one day.

thanks

Kierra · 11-20-2010, 03:18 PM

I'm also wanting to lose weight before another baby. I did not have gestational diabetes but had preeclampsia which my doctor said I can possibly reduce my chances by losing weight before trying for a second baby. I had a tiny baby who was only 5 pounds and a month early but I was so very sick that I do not want to put myself or a baby through that again. I was on bedrest and hated it. I had wanted to lose weight before having a first baby but I got an unplanned surprise BFP from ovulating on CD 88 so any weight loss plans got put on hold so I could carry him. He's 8 months old now and I am ready to get started.

JMSilver · 12-03-2010, 06:51 AM

*HUGS* I'm in a similar place, though I am hoping to lose weight to have a healthy and easy (as possible) conception of my first. While I am eager, my thoughts are for my future child. I know the best environment for my baby to grow in will be one that is, at least, 70 pounds lighter, if not 100.

Think of the baby and everything seems less of a struggle and more of an act of love.

astrophe · 12-05-2010, 09:53 PM

BTDT.

I had managed to get to 220 when I found out I was pregnant. I'd been hoping to come in under 200, but was still TTC because we were at the age where we wanted to be at and just hoping all would line up right.

I had a high risk pregnancy with emergency C-sect and while in the end, it all turned out ok, it took me a while to bounce back so that initial baby care part was hard. Gestational diabetes and preeclampsia, baby breathing problems -- ugh.

I don't want more, but if I were to do it again? In your shoes I'd be the same. Focus on getting fitter and not worry too much about the age gap. In fact, having older child in school may be helpful so that you have a few hours to focus on younger sibling initially too.

Both children would benefit from a fitter mom also -- not just during pregnancy but after the birth too.

GL!
A.

Losing4another · 12-06-2010, 03:04 PM

I would say any weight loss does help. I had a miscarriage after getting pregnant with clomid.. after losing the pregnacy I gained about 25 pounds. Went back to try again and clomid would no longer work.. it was even slow responding on injections.. I gave up and took some time away from TTC.. Lost 30 pounds and to my surprise clomid worked again ... Even the doctor was surprise I responded so well. Hoping to lose 20-25 before trying again early next year

PinkHoodie · 12-07-2010, 04:10 PM

I have been trying to lose weight to have my first baby...we also suffered our first miscarriage this Spring/Summer. It was HARD. We also just went through our first medicted cycle after the miscarriage and it looks like it didn't work. So I am going to try to lose some more weight while we try again. I do respond to meds better when I am eating/exercising right. But even then it doesn't always work out.
I also have had the most success being on South Beach. PCOS hates sugars and carbs, there really is no way around that reality, at least for me. I will lose if I really watch those 2 things, but I won't lose if I am eating a lot of them. Also weight loss can be slow. There are ups and downs, and I have decided I am not going to put a time limit on myself. If it takes me another 3 years to lose the next 50 pounds its okay. Because I know I am learning along the way, its a journey.
Good luck!

Willow324 · 12-20-2010, 04:27 PM

that is so eerie! I am ttc my second! My son is 3 1/2 and Im freaking out about the age gap.
Ive been going to an RE for 9 months. I've done every test, all normal but I didnt respond to clomid- did 3 rounds with IUI. Next month is my first month on injections. My MD is STRESSING weight loss. I'm looking into SB. Good luck, you arent alone!

MyBodyisMyTemple · 01-07-2011, 01:06 AM

Here's some *babydust* for all of us that are trying for

I also am really wanting a baby! I want it to be as easy and less stressful as it can possibly be, and want to lose at least 50 lbs, so that I can increase my chances.

JMSilver - this really resonated with me "While I am eager, my thoughts are for my future child. I know the best environment for my baby to grow in will be one that is, at least, 70 pounds lighter, if not 100.

Think of the baby and everything seems less of a struggle and more of an act of love."

I, too, want the best environment for my baby, and that's what I want to focus on.

Thank you ladies for the great advice and support in this thread. I can't wait until we all have our healthy babies and are also in better fitness/health.

Princess Peach · 01-07-2011, 07:30 PM

I know exactly what you mean. I have been ttc for over a year and tried clomid, ect.. and nothing has worked. I'm now doing what I should have done in the first place and trying to lose weight so my cycles can return and hopefully be normal enough so we can conceive on our own. Good luck to all!

karilynn56 · 01-11-2011, 05:04 PM

August 4th 2009 I was finally diagnosed with PCOS, and was told that if we wanted a child soon, to start testing for fertility treatments. So DH scheduled an appointment for a sperm analysis. I had just lost about 4-5% of my body weight fairly quickly before being diagnosed.
August 13th I had a feeling something was 'different' and then got a positive pregnancy test. I had been using ovulation sticks for months and had never gotten a positive ovulation, but I think that the sudden weight loss triggered ovulation.
I was about 30 lbs over my ideal weight when I got pregnant and gained about 30lbs on top of that in 8 months (water broke at 36 weeks) and I was absolutely miserable during pregnancy. I developed a skin rash all over my neck. Thankfully we had a beautiful and very healthy daughter despite some pregnancy complications.
We're about to start trying for another as soon as I lose at least 20 lbs. I vowed to lose weight before the next time because it will be so much healthier for me and the child.

kimmirue · 01-28-2011, 08:35 PM

Wow, your story sounds a lot like mine. However my son is getting ready to turn 8 yrs old and I still have not been successful in getting pregnant again. Unfortuanately I had an IUD put in place for 4 years after my son was born on the advice of well intentioned relatives, since we were young parents.

I was about 270lbs when I conceived unexpectedly, gained 85lbs, had a smooth pregnancy though, difficult delivery because he was a 10.13lb baby, no gestational diabetes, just overdue. My c-section incision took a long time to heal and was not fully closed when they removed the staples. So I was scared to get pregnant too soon and had the IUD put in. I had it removed, luckily without incedent, October of '07, and haven't done anything to prevent pregnancy.
My cycles are extremely long and I only have a period twice or three times a year. Metformin did not make me ovulate. Since the fall, I've been charting my cycles using the Creighton Model. I've been visiting a OBGYN in Columbus, Ohio that specializes in Napro-Technolohy, a very different and common sense way to approach women's health issues and especially PCOS.
This doctor put me on several different medications to "jumpstart" my ovaries and it's working, I just ovulated a couple weeks ago. I was so excited, I jumped up and down like a crazy fool.

I am also in the process of loosing weight. 10% is definitly the magic number. I'm looking to be at my goal weight, that 210lbs lost, by early summer next year - and hopefully I can get pregnant.

It's so nice to hear others out there with similar struggles. You can do it girl! And I know you dont' want a big gap in your child's ages, I feel and felt the same way. Just stay strong and press forward, you can only do what you can do.