I remember how confused I was when the OB came into the room and showed me the ultrasound. “You have polycystic ovarian syndrome”, she said. She explained that the main concern with PCOS is the ability to conceive. The weird thing was that I had already had a child. PS. with my daughter, I missed most of the early pregnancy symptoms. Anyways, my daughter was born, and about 1 year later, I was diagnosed with PCOS. So, for me that diagnosis didn’t mean much. At least at that point.
PCOS became an inconvenience when I began trying for a second child. We tried so many different remedies (natural and medical). Check this post to learn about how we used Clomid and Metformin when trying to conceive.
I strongly believe that everything good happened after I stopped being so worried and anxious about having a baby.
This post contains affiliate links where I get a small commission if you purchase an item using the links I provided. This is at no extra cost to you. All the products I link, I have used and find them to be beneficial to you.
In this post I will guide you through everything I did to conceive my second child who is now a handsome one-year-old boy.
The first thing I need to mention is that PCOS needs to be diagnosed by an OB doctor. If you feel like you have symptoms, schedule an appointment with your OB or your doctor, and they will give you the information you need.
Also, PCOS is different for every woman. The remedies that helped me get pregnant may not work for you, but it is my hope that my experience can bring hope to you.
Whether or not you have PCOS, these pregnancy symptoms can also be happening to you.
Alright, let’s get to it!
Ovulation tests
Do ovulation tests work for PCOS? I bought THIS kit of ovulation tests. The one time I got a smiley face, it was a false one. The thing with PCOS is that we don’t ovulate regularly, and in some cases, never. So, taking an ovulation test, in my opinion is not worth it for people who have PCOS.
Now, if your periods are regular, then ovulation tests might work for you.
TMI: One way you can test for ovulation, at home, is by checking the consistency of your discharge. Pssst... Egg-white consistency is king!
There are many posts about how your discharge can tell you whether or not you are ovulating. On average, women ovulate 10-12 days after they have their period. Then, two days after ovulation is when you are considered to be most fertile.
What worked the most for me when checking for ovulation was that I got the urge to take a pregnancy test. I googled symptoms of pregnancy, ovulation vs pregnancy, and other keywords similar to those. Then I took the pregnancy test, and it came back negative. I’m pretty sure, I was just ovulating.
When to take a pregnancy test
When I was trying for my second child, it felt like I was using a pregnancy test once a week. And I know I am not the only one to do this, because I used to read multiple forums and everyone trying to conceive wrote about their anxiety when they took them.
One positive thing I got out of PCOS is becoming one with my body. I could sit down and just know that something in my body felt odd, no matter how small that change was. I guess that’s why I went through so many tests.
Something I would advise women who are struggling with infertility is to limit the use of pregnancy tests. When my pregnancy test’s result was negative, I got depressed. It was a horrible feeling! Plus, anxiety and negative thoughts don’t help you get pregnant.
Also, I could sit here and tell you that I used this or that pregnancy test, which I did… But honestly, the one I had at home that morning was an .88 cent one from Walmart. That one was positive, and to confirm, I used the ones I linked above.
The Two-Week Wait
So, you feel like you are ovulating, then you do the thing grownups do when trying to conceive, and now what? You must wait. Yes, I know waiting stinks. After you do the deed, the two-week wait comes to play. The two-week wait is referred as the time between ovulation and the date of the expected period. FYI: The date of the expected period is considered the best day to take a pregnancy test for accurate results, but some pregnancy tests claim to have accurate results up to 6 days before you miss your period.
This is very difficult for women with PCOS, because it feels like it’s a guess game. Will we even get a period? There are no certainties, just waiting. This was the hardest part for me.
I would google things like: how soon can a pregnancy test show positive? Sometimes, I would lay down and just feel. I would try to feel any bump by my ovaries, any little ‘pinching’ pain I could feel. These are just a few of the many hours I would spend on the internet searching for anything that could give me the hope that this was the time I would be pregnant.
My advice to you for the two-week wait? Do anything to get your head away from anything pregnancy related. This is super hard, but it can be done. You can get your partner to play board/video games with you, go on a walk, build a puzzle, etc. You can even make a 14-day schedule of activities you can do to get your mind away from the two-week wait.
Early Pregnancy Symptoms with PCOS
Again, I want to remind you these are the symptoms I experienced a few days before I found out I was pregnant.
Fatigue
The day before my positive pregnancy test, I went to church and fell asleep upstairs. My husband took me home, and I took a 5-hour nap! Yes. Fatigue was definitely a symptom of pregnancy for me. I remember telling him that if I didn’t get my period the next day, I would take a pregnancy test. The next morning, I took a pregnancy test, and it was POSITIVE!
Pinching and Pulling
Can pinching and pulling (twinges) be a pregnancy symptom? To me it was. The left side of my lower belly would feel like was being bitten by a super-tiny elf (that is the best way I can explain this). It was not a ‘gassy’ feeling, nor a stomach cramp, I told my husband that my uterus was itching. Haha. It truly was a different feeling that I was not able to explain.
Mood swings
I would feel so offended by any little thing that happened at home. I felt so embarrassed! After I found out I was pregnant, it all made sense. I should also mention that PCOS is a hormonal syndrome, so mood it can be hard to distinguish between a PCOS related mood swing or pregnancy mood swings. Because I already had the word ‘pregnancy’ in the back of my head, the mood swings felt a little different.
Breast tenderness
My boobs felt like they were doing pull-ups (again, that is the best way I can explain this). These symptoms went away after the 10th week of pregnancy. Your body, through your hormones, is working quick to get your body ready for the soon arrival of your little, hungry baby.
Headache
That same day that I fell asleep in church, I had a major headache. I took a Tylenol and went straight to bed, not knowing that the next morning I would receive one of the biggest surprises ever!
Those are all the symptoms I can remember experiencing during the days leading to a positive pregnancy test. Also, I believe that the fact that I already had a child, helped me get to know my body more, which helped me find these symptoms. Some of these might go unnoticed to you if it is your first pregnancy.
You should know that a negative pregnancy test does not define who you are. You are no less of a woman by having infertility issues or by struggling with PCOS or any other diagnosis.
Stay positive and try to relax as much as possible. Remember that every miracle takes a little bit of time.
Sending baby dust to you.
Sincerely,
