I have a baby and PCOS: What helped me conceive?
There is a common misconception that if you have PCOS then you can not have a baby. Sure, it is way harder to conceive when your menstrual cycle is all over the place. There are also so many women out there who simply said to me, oh I just count the days and we conceived during fertile days, you should do the same! Sure Lady, if it was that easy I think in the three years that my husband and I were trying, don’t you think it should’ve happened already?
I am going to share with you the various things that I did that finally worked out to be the perfect balance of everything all at once to help me conceive. Yes, it took me three years for me to figure out that I needed a good doctor and LOTS of research into what my body was lacking. I have become so in tune with my body that when I hear some stories about how some women can be pregnant for 7 months and not know it, I am like HOW? But anyways, I digress. (Seriously though, how is that even possible?)
What worked for me was lifestyle changes that I had never implemented before in terms of a whole different way of exercising and eating as well as a complete change in the supplements I was taking. Keep in mind that I say LIFESTYLE choices and changes all the time. The mindset of dieting and weight loss programs has lost all meaning to me because I feel like they make women with PCOS believe that they will never be good enough because programs like that set us up for failure.
So what exactly did I do?
Medical Tests:
First and foremost, I went to a doctor that knew about PCOS and understood the hormonal challenges I was having. If you are ever curious to know which doctor I went to, please don’t hesitate to contact me. He ordered the correct tests for me as an individual based on the issues I was having and for the first time, someone could tell me what was wrong and what steps I needed to take if I wanted to have a baby. My issue was clear and simple. I had INSULIN RESISTANCE levels that were way too high. I was told to go on a low sugar, low carb diet. My last blog post touched on the various tests that are done for PCOS and what you should be looking for in terms of hormones being high or low. Get tested regularly so that you know where your numbers are and can discuss the way forward.
Exercise:
I started an exercise program that differed from everything else I had ever done. There is a notion out there from gym instructors and trainers, and I believe this is changing, that in order for women in particular to lose weight, we must do aerobic exercise, Zumba, dancing etc. Sure that is good exercise, but what I found is that I had to integrate HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) with weight lifting and strength training. What was even better is that I LOVED the weight training! My body got Strong, posture improved and all those aches and pains I had disappeared. The muscle I put on made it seem like I gained weight on the scale but I got leaner and just felt better overall.
Medication:
I never stopped taking Metformin. I took it religiously. I am a Pharmacist first and foremost and I do believe that Metformin has played a big role in helping me tackle PCOS.
Yoga:
I put this as a separate entity because Yoga helped me create balance within my mind. It helped me battle my anxiety and worries as well as help stretch out sore muscles from all that strength training three times a week. There are also so many Yoga poses that are good and restorative for a clogged reproductive system.
Diet:
I started the KETO diet. Now I know the Ketogenic diet has been controversial but for the first time ever, I was allowed to eat all the yummy stuff that other diets before wouldn’t let me eat. I did not follow the Keto diet exactly but principles that meant I could not have any sugar or carbs. Carbohydrates were obtained from non starchy vegetables. I could have ANY protein (with the fat and skin on! What!? Yes please!), and as much fats as I want from foods I loved like avocados, fatty meats, butter, cheese, olives, and cream! I couldn’t believe that I was losing weight from eating fatty foods that had been deemed unhealthy! I lost 6 Kg in one month!
Sugar:
Yes, I have put this down as a separate category from the Keto diet because there were some days where I would fall off the wagon and would end up eating something that had carbohydrates like potatoes or pasta, but Sugar was the one item that I never, not once ate for 6 months straight. No cakes, no desserts, no soft drinks, no juices, no sugar in my tea, no nothing! I learnt the various names that most food companies put on their packages that are just other names for Sugar and avoided those at all costs. Ladies, I repeat, NO SUGAR!\
Supplements:
Now I have taken everything under the sun that MANY PCOS blogs and researchers say help with PCOS, but the main ones that helped in the long run were Magnesium, Cinnamon, Zinc, B-complex and the ultimate champion of Supplements for PCOS and Insulin Resistance: INOSITOL. I had to get it imported in for me as it is next to impossible to find in Kenya. I took it for two months straight, combined with my workout routine and dietary change. Within a month, my period cycle went from a 60 day cycle to a 35 day cycle! I am so sure that Inositol was a game changer as well as a diet that helped me lose 6kg within that same month of October 2018.
Tracking:
I tracked my period for almost five years using an app. My favourite and Go to App for this has to be Flo. It keeps track of everything you put in and stores that information in case you need to change your phone or anything like that, you won’t lose your data. Tracking your cycle is extremely important in helping you to understand what your body is doing. If I wasn’t tracking my period, then there was no way to have known when I conceived, how long my period cycle was before and once I made lifestyle changes, if they were having an impact or not. For example, most women with PCOS tend not to get a period for 3 to 6 months at a time, with a tracking app, as you make lifestyle changes, you are able to see the impact quite fast on your cycle. I can not stress how important this is for you and your body.
Most women make dietary changes to lose the weight, but when you see your cycle move from a 120 day cycle to a 28 day cycle within a couple of months, even if you haven’t lost weight, that is just magic right there. That is when you KNOW that you have balanced your hormones and now your body can start to work like the body of a woman who does not have PCOS. The App also came in very handy whenever I went to the doctors office and had to answer questions about my cycle from three to four months back and just couldn’t remember. Tracking your cycle empowers you as a woman. Do it. You won’t regret it.
So, let me put this all into perspective. I started seeing a new doctor from the beginning of 2018 I would say, which helped me realise what my hormones were doing at the time. I definitely had Insulin Resistance and the numbers were VERY high. My LH:FSH ratio showed I had high LH. So I apparently had “textbook” PCOS due to Insulin resistance. I implemented my workout routine in May 2018. I had stopped all the crazy Cardio and reduced it to 15-30 minutes a day. The rest of my workout consisted of strength training and weight lifting. I was still eating a no sugar, gluten free diet but from my blood tests we could see that my Insulin levels were not going down. This actually prompted my doctor to call me to his office in order to tell me off!
At the time I was trying to implement a low carb diet with Protein Shakes and gluten free options not knowing that many gluten free options that you buy have a high amount of other carbohydrates in them as a filler and that the protein shakes have hidden ingredients that just throw off your hormonal balances further. I had to make a decision to change my dietary lifestyle yet again. Fatefully, I stumbled upon the Ketogenic Diet and by September 2018, I was fully immersed in it. I loved it and it was working! I lost 6Kg by the end of October.
As I said, my supplements changed as I incorporated a lot more Magnesium and Inositol into my daily routine. I have always taken Omegas and a B complex on a daily basis as I feel those help with energy levels. However, Inositol from July 2018 seemed to make a world of a difference for me. Like I said earlier, by October my cycle length was down to 32 days from 120 days. It was amazing how a no sugar/high fat diet, strength training and the right supplements helped me Balance my hormones within 3 to 4 months!
On 21st November 2018, I had my first POSITIVE pregnancy test!! Believe me, I had had MANY negative tests before that. Each one made me feel like less of a woman and a complete failure. It can be heartbreaking. Getting a positive result seemed like a lie at this point and so I had to get confirmation from the doctor. Sure enough, we had a baby! My doctor was just as excited that we managed to get a baby within such a short time!
Little did I know that a tiny little bean on my ultrasound was going to change my life and my heart forever. It is an amazing feeling. For many women with PCOS, conceiving is a struggle and can be painful. To top it all off I am sure each and every one of us has had relatives and friends pass snide remarks and comments about how you haven’t had a baby yet. Like your worth as a woman is only measured by the fact that you can bear children.
Ladies, all I can say is that I have been there. I have been made to feel worthless and inadequate because I could not bear a child within the allotted time schedule other women and society had set out for me. I wasn’t aware that even after having my baby, I would no longer be important to these people anymore because now I was just like any other woman who had a baby. Ignore these people and find happiness in the fact that PCOS does not mean that you can not have children. You can! I did it and so can you!
So to my PCOS Warriors, Stay Strong and keep on fighting!
By: Ruveen Bharij