Obese and TTC

[mlmans]

Anybody any helpful hints?
I'm 38 and obese. Hormone levels are all normal last I checked but struggling.

 

[Elphabaa77]

I am 35 and obese. I also have PCOS, which can quite commonly go undiagnosed in obese women. Not to get you scared or anything. I am non-traditional PCOS. I don't typically get cysts on my ovaries or the excess body hair (mainly on back and upper lip) that other PCOS women get... but I do have insulin resistance which causes irregular cycles because my estrogen levels tend to soar. My general practitioner still hasn't sent me for definitive testing on this, but keeps putting suspected PCOS in my chart. I take Metformin, which is supposed to help... and does help some women. However, it did not do much for me. My OBGYN told me to start Pregnitude which is a supplement you can get by ordering online or asking your local pharmacy to order (if you are in the US). It has myo-inositol and folic acid in it. Mostly they target PCOS women with it because it can naturally combat insulin resistance, but it has been proven to help egg quality regardless of being PCOS or not. I know as we get older, egg quality becomes an issue. It may not hurt looking over the Pregnitude website and then asking your doctor about it. It was only brought to the US in May of this year, so a lot of doctors do not know much about it. Studies are good though! If your cycles are at all over 35 days, the Pregnitude is definitely worth looking into! It has helped my cycles get more in a normal range than they had been. Also, with this Pregnitude, one woman going through IVF egg retrieval blew her doctor away! She had IVF done before and they could only get 2-3 quality eggs. She started Pregnitude (on her own) for 3 months and went in for her next retrieval and they actually got 9 quality eggs that time. The doc was shocked and asked her if she had been doing anything differently, and she mentioned the Pregnitude. There are other studies (some are hard to find) that can show you the same. You can do an internet search for Pregnitude (US) or Inofolic which is what it is called in Europe. It has been around longer over there. A fertility specialist in Florida is the one who fought to bring it to the US.

Also, trying to lose weight can help too. From one obese lady to another... I KNOW that is probably the last thing you really want to hear. It can be so difficult to do! However, a couple years ago, I lost 80lbs. But after losing only 30lbs of that, my body was REALLY responding. I have since gained it all back and my body is back to hating me. lol I am working at losing it, but my hubby is not very supportive. He eats terribly! I just started acupuncture this week to help with weight loss AND fertility, so I am keeping my fingers crossed! Acupuncture has helped women get pregnant in the past, it just isn't covered by insurance. My doc charged $120 for the first visit (consult and acupuncture) and the rest of my visits will be $50 each for just acupuncture. Some acupuncturists are much more expensive, and my Mom's acupuncturist is actually a little cheaper.

Hope this gives you at least some ideas. Are you temp charting? Ovulation predictor kits alone are not always a good indicator. They can be... but in my case, they typically show positive too late.