Trying to Conceive...

[JKATHERINE]

Okay ladies, I would like your wisdom and input. My husband and I have been trying to conceive since April. While I realize that is not a long time, I am afraid there may be something wrong with me that is preventing me from becoming pregnant. My mom had several miscarriages/problems. (Miscarriage, ME, miscarriage, tubal pregnancy, SISTER, miscarriage, TWINS--one died late term in womb). Also, two of my cousins have a condition that hampers their ability to conceive. I cannot think of the name of it and neither are home right now so I can't tell you what it is. I do know that one of them, Sheri, had a 50% chance of being able to conceive. Some of her symptoms were: weight gain, acne breakouts, depression/emotional instability). I also know that the birth control pill masked the symptoms of the disease so she didn't know about it until she stopped taking it. Once she was finally diagnosed, she had to take Glucophage (i believe)even though it's for diabetes. It made her physicallly ill almost every day. But she lost 25lbs almost immediately and within a few months was able to conceive.

I stopped taking the pill in August of 2001. I have gained a LOT of weight, especially since earlier this year. I just thought it was due to the fact that I FINALLY quit smoking. In the past 4-5 months my face has been one big breakout. I used to have small breakouts every month around the time of my period. Now they are big breakouts and they never go away. Emotionally, I've been a NUTCASE--and not just once a month. Stupid little things are getting to me and I'm crying over nothing.

I'm working on finding an OB/GYN so I can talk to them and set up some tests. I just thought you all might have some insight into all this. Thanks for listening.

Jamie

[Unicornmom77]

Not any advice from me, I just wanted to let you know I will pray for you! I wish you all the luck in trying to concieve!!

KEEP TRYING!!

[annie169]

Glucophage is for diabetes control. Not sure what else it could help with tho. As far as your cousins, it could be a chance of a tilted cervix which does make it hard to conceive. Have you thought about your thyroid condition?? This can make you lose or gain weight depending on if its over or under active.

Good luck hun!! I would have it checked out. I'm not diagnosing you, but I had a friend with thyroid problems and she has a lot of the same symptoms. She did eventually get pregnant with doctor's help. :D

[laughsalot]

I dont have any advice. Just wanted to send some hugs your way. I will keep you in my thoughts. :D

[RobMom]

Try not to let this get to you. DH and I are trying for our second with no luck. With my first, it took 6 months. So, I'm not really worried. They always say to not think about it. Believe me, I know that it is very difficult to not think about it. Each month you feel the disappointment that you are not pregnant. The only thing that could put you at ease would be to see a doctor. You said that you put on a lot of weight. A lot of times that is a problem with conceiving. I know a nurse at work that is very overweight and tried to have a baby for years and it just never happened. I think she had invitro firtilization and now she is pregnant. Hope things work out for you.

[lpelham]

JKATHERINE,

I am trying to, but I am just old (40) :-) I have read in books that being overweight is not good (not picking on you, just telling you what I have read), exercise is good. I've also read online that you should try to have sex every other day to increase your chances and read that some women prop their hips up on pillows after sex.

Libby

[JKATHERINE]

Thank you all so far for your advice and input. I do not take any offense to anything that has been written here. I am overweight, but not severly overweight. I do not think that most people that see me on the street think "wow, THAT'S a big girl!" I'm just not small. My mother had mentioned to me, however, that some people who are not of ideal weight do not ovulate, so that's a possibility I guess. I have figured out my ovulation schedule so that every month during my "ideal" time, my husband and I have sex (all 5 days).

[lpelham]

Originally posted by JKATHERINE
Thank you all so far for your advice and input. I do not take any offense to anything that has been written here. I am overweight, but not severly overweight. I do not think that most people that see me on the street think "wow, THAT'S a big girl!" I'm just not small. My mother had mentioned to me, however, that some people who are not of ideal weight do not ovulate, so that's a possibility I guess. I have figured out my ovulation schedule so that every month during my "ideal" time, my husband and I have sex (all 5 days).

I know what you mean...I am not "horribly" overweight either, but could stand to lose a good 30 lbs. I am half way there now. I figure either way it can't hurt! There are ovulation kits out there, but I heard they are expensive. There is a good forum, but I don't have it bookmarked at work. If I can find it at home, I will send it. It is broken down into different groups and I found it really helpful!

Libby

[morris2b]

My womb was tilted and dr told me I would never carry a baby full term my first was 2 weeks overdue the next one was right on the due date, but when you are done, do not get up, keep ur legs up so the sperm can go to the where ever it needs to go LOL sorry not a clear head for medical terminology... and do not pee right afterwards, just lay there, let it do it's thing.....if you can handle it lay there as long as you can the longer you can lay with your legs propped up the better off you are to conceive...

Good luck and early Congrats for when it does happen

[bcjjhh]

Well having a medical condition that makes it so I do not ovulate (polocyctic overies or PCO) I needed to take medications in order to get preg. with PCO you do tend to be on the heavier side, acne can be a problem (not saying this is your problem, but perhaps you could as the dr to check you for that) and birth controll will "mask" the symptoms of it.

I have 4 beautiful children and I am preg. with number 5 right now, all my children were conceived using Clomid and HCG, this last one I also took a drug called Actose which is for diabeties also (I do not have that) but the fertility specialist said it aides in getting one pregnant.

As far as your "fertile" times, in all the years I have been charing I have been told that once you reach your fertil stage to have intercourse every other day, in order to give the sperm more strenght. so if you ovulate on day 14 have sex on 13, 15, and 17 that way the sperm are living long enough to fertlize the eggs.

If you need to chat or anything please feel free to email me chenbru@yahoo.com and know that I will be praying for you, even though I am about to have number 5 I know all too well the heart break of months when you are not pregnant.

[Dragonfairie]

pm'd you

[janelle]

Yes, this was in our paper this week. I'm not saying that is what you have but do go to the doctor to be tested. Huggs.


'The hidden epidemic'
The hormone imbalance that causes polycystic ovarian syndrome can affect all of a woman's health
BY KAREN SHIDELER
The Wichita Eagle

No matter how hard she worked, Tanya Honton-Leddy couldn't get rid of her abdominal "pooch."

No matter what she did, her acne wouldn't go away.

Her doctor assured her that she'd grow out of her irregular menstrual periods -- but she didn't.

Not until her sister noticed a quarter-page article in Glamour magazine several years ago did Honton-Leddy put all her problems together and add them up to polycystic ovarian syndrome, or PCOS.

Now, she's trying to let other women -- an estimated 5 percent to 10 percent of women worldwide are affected -- know about the disorder, which occurs because of a hormone imbalance.

PCOS often is called "the hidden epidemic," Honton-Leddy says, because so many women don't know they have it.

Elevated levels of male hormones disrupt the woman's ovulation. Normally, an egg develops within a follicle on the surface of the ovary. In ovulation, the follicle erupts and releases the egg. But in PCOS, the follicles never release eggs, so cysts remain on the ovaries.

Obviously, that affects fertility and regular menstrual cycles.

But it can cause other problems as well: The lining of the uterus can become thickened, and the risk of endometrial cancer may increase.

Many women produce too much insulin, or their insulin doesn't function normally, so they gain weight or have a hard time losing it. Some have insulin resistance.

Women may develop dark hair on their chin or neck. Or they may have bald spots.

Untreated, PCOS may lead to heart disease, high blood pressure or diabetes.

When Honton-Leddy went to her doctor after her sister pointed out the article, he agreed to run some blood tests, to measure her hormone levels. Had she not raised the issue, her PCOS never would have been diagnosed or treated, she says.

Doctors "might have heard about it, and they might know enough to diagnose your levels," she says, but many aren't familiar enough with PCOS to suggest treatment.

In addition to hormonal markers, symptoms help confirm a diagnosis. Sonograms may be done to look for the ovarian cysts.

"It's just not the easiest thing to diagnose," Honton-Leddy says, because no two cases are alike.

She was 26 when her PCOS was diagnosed, and she thought she was the only woman in the world with it. Through the Internet, she discovered others, but her initial feelings of isolation led her to become active in a PCOS support group. It meets monthly, its sessions focused on support and education.

In some cases, oral contraceptives help a woman with PCOS. That didn't work for Honton-Leddy. Through trial and error, she found that she felt better when she followed a low-carbohydrate diet that included whole grains. That, along with vitamins and exercise, keep her symptoms under control.

"Technically, it can go into a remission state," she says, though she will continue to be monitored. Some women get better at menopause; some get worse.

Honton-Leddy feels "very blessed and lucky" because she was able to get pregnant, although it took her and her husband, John Leddy, about 2 ½ years to conceive. Their baby is due any day. "It's not impossible to have a family and have PCOS," she says, though it may be difficult.

She suggests that women who have PCOS symptoms talk to their gynecologist or to an endocrinologist for testing.


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[DAVESBABYDOLL]

GO HERE SWEETIE~THESE GIRLS CAN HELP YOU WITH ANYTHING,ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE :D

www.babysplay.com

There are forums there

trying to concieve and others ,look on the left hand side :)Hope this helps.

[IselaRose]

good luck

[lpelham]

Here's the forum I was talking about Pregnancy.org (http://www.pregnancy.org/phpBB2/)

Libby