Getting Pregnant with PCOS

My menstrual cycle began when I was twelve years old. I remember panicking when I saw the bright red spots in my underwear and running to my mother. Starting at the age of twelve, my cycle was considered normal and didn't raise any red flags.

Throughout adolescence, my cycle was normal to the best of my knowledge. I wasn't sexually active hence I didn't pay particular attention to when my period came each month, so I can't say for sure if I skipped months or not.

I got married at 21, as a virgin. Four months after my marriage, I started experiencing abdominal pains. After running some tests I found out I was pregnant. I was elated, my husband was overjoyed and we were both looking forward to starting a family. My abdominal pains continued and at six weeks of pregnancy I started bleeding. I was rushed to the hospital where an ultrasound scan was conducted and I was told I had a cyst on my left ovary which was responsible for the pain I was feeling but was not responsible for the bleeding.

I was given some vitamins and placed on bed rest till the bleeding stopped. For two weeks all I did was lie down and sleep but the bleeding continued until I eventually lost the pregnancy at 8weeks. A D&C procedure was done because it was an incomplete miscarriage. It was one of the most painful experience in my life both physically and emotionally.

For two weeks after the miscarriage and evacuation, I bled. The following month my period came at the right time, which is 28 days later. Two weeks after my period I started spotting. The blood was dark red almost brown and really sticky. I spotted for 3 days and then it stopped. Two weeks later I had my period and I bled for five days which is the normal length of my period.

The following month my period did not come. After 35 days, I thought I was pregnant and did an at-home pregnancy but it was negative. I decided to wait for another one week to test again which also turned up negative. My husband and I went to the hospital and saw a GP(general practitioner) who told us the delayed period was as a result of the evacuation and that I should give my body time to heal. My period eventually came out after forty-eight(48) days.

The next cycle, pretty much the same thing happened. When I didn't see my period after thirty(30) days I decided to wait till it got to fifty days before testing for pregnancy. The test turned up negative and I went in for an ultrasound scan. During the ultrasound, the scanner told me my ovaries had little cysts which might explain my missing period. He encouraged me to see a specialist and he gave me a report of the scan.

My husband and I went in to see the specialist and he recommended hormonal profiling. He didn't explain what it was or what he was investigating. My husband was unconvinced and decided not to proceed with the hormonal profiling. After 68 days, I saw my period. The next cycle lasted 72 days. We visited another hospital. The doctor tested my insulin levels and did some urine tests and came up with nothing. He concluded it was hormonal imbalance and placed me on primolut N for two cycles.

During those two cycles I saw my period at the right time but as soon as I stopped the medication, my next cycle lasted 3 months. My husband and I changed hospitals again and saw a specialist. After talking with the specialist, he told me I had PCOS. I was twenty-two (22) at this time. My husband was dumbfounded and he argued with the doctor that I was too young to have a condition like that. The doctor smiled and calmly explained that PCOS is not a factor of age. He recommended a series of tests that I was to start as soon as I started a new cycle.

After that appointment, I waited for a long time for my period to come and it didn't. Eventually, after 100 days I went back to the hospital and was given provera to induce the period.

After my new cycle started I went back to the hospital for the tests written in the table above. Follicle Stimulating Hormone(FSH), Luteinizing Hormone(LH), Polactin and Progesterone tests were all blood work but HSG is a kind of scan that is quite invasive and a tad bit painful.

I waited two weeks for the complete results to come out then I went to see the doctor. Thankfully, the scan showed that my womb and ovaries were healthy, there were no cysts on my ovaries and my tubes were open. However, the hormones showed an imbalance consistent with PCOS. So even though my ovaries where healthy, I still had PCOS. The doctor said it was possible for me to become pregnant without any assistance but because we were in a hurry, I would be placed on chlomid.

I was given a 7-day dosage of Primolut N to induce my period after which I would start taking two tablets of chlomid once a day for six days. After the chlomid I went back to the hospital every two days for transvaginal scan which the doctor used to monitor the eggs. My ovaries produced two eggs but only one matured enough to be induced. On day 15 I was given a trigger shot of Hcg. Apart from fatigue and swollen painful breasts, I didn't have any other reaction to it.

This is the point where I am currently at right now. I'll keep you all updated on what the result is. To every woman living with PCOS, know that you are not alone and that you can defeat it even though it has no cure for now.

Three weeks after the injection a pregnancy test was positive. There has been slight bleeding but the baby is healthy and doing well.