TTCAL PCOS thread

[hb1]

Maybe you're retaining water - could you be gearing up for a period? My friend said at her weightloss class they have a star week each month where they are allowed to put on up to 5lbs to account for the weightgain at this point in the month? You never know - the weightloss might have kicked off your system - you have lost at least 11.76% of your body weight - exert from women's health:

"Studies have shown that losing between 5% and 10% of your body weight is often enough to ease the symptoms of PCOS."


I have done the same in the last month, put a few on and then lost it over several days and each time there seems to be no reason - did go out for one meal and that put 3 on - it is v distressing!!

Still go in armed with details of the weight you have lost - 2 stone on 2 months is amazing Nat - I still have hope that you will get the clomid. They may want to do extra hormonal test to see what the weightloss has done......

 

[chocolate]

Just a random question here - how exactly does eating high gi food increase the chances of miscarriage once pregnant? I know metformin reduces our chances of miscarriage, so I presume eating sugary things would increase the miscarriage rate?

I actually ate mostly sugary stuff with ds in pregnancy and thank god he is here today!

Im trying to fight off the high gi food!! But wondering if it still matters if I have already ovulated and could possibly be pregnant .....

 

[hb1]

Hi Chocs - I think the idea behind low GI is that is prevents sugar spikes so lessens the over-production of insulin so reduces the hormonal inbalance. The metformin sensitises you to insulin so you don't over-produce insulin hormone and inbalance other hormones. How much this affects the risk of miscarriage - not sure - but wonder why continuing metformin into first tri is meant to help reduce mc rate? will have a look around.....

 

[hb1]

ps have you tested and got a BFP? how exciting!!

 

[natp18]

Maybe you're retaining water - could you be gearing up for a period? My friend said at her weightloss class they have a star week each month where they are allowed to put on up to 5lbs to account for the weightgain at this point in the month? You never know - the weightloss might have kicked off your system - you have lost at least 11.76% of your body weight - exert from women's health:

"Studies have shown that losing between 5% and 10% of your body weight is often enough to ease the symptoms of PCOS."


I have done the same in the last month, put a few on and then lost it over several days and each time there seems to be no reason - did go out for one meal and that put 3 on - it is v distressing!!

Still go in armed with details of the weight you have lost - 2 stone on 2 months is amazing Nat - I still have hope that you will get the clomid. They may want to do extra hormonal test to see what the weightloss has done......

Hello Hun

Its so nice that someone understands how distressing it is nobody seems to undersand around me. I was up till 4.20am stressing and thinking about this dam appointmet arghhhhhh.
Nope no period due on CD13 at the moment hun.My gp did day 2 bloods again this month but bless he couldnt really understand my results apparently my fsh were 5.5 which is meant to be good and my LH was 4.7. I think other results like progestion and testostrome were not back................I dont know only time will tell whats going to happen,I must admit after 2 months of Atkins I need a new diet. Anyway how are you hun? x

 

[hb1]

watching a horror movie at the mo so quite scared to tell you the truth!!

On cd4 - started the fertility monitor so quite excited about that. On a week off but my AF showed up Tuesday afternoon which meant I was wiped out for a few days - much more painful and a lot more tired than af's before my mc!! was glad I was at home instead of work tho!

Your fsh and lh sound v good!! If you do decide to come off atkins do it v v v v slowly - maybe look up on the internet how to come off it.

Hope you have a restful weekend

hx

 

[chocolate]

Hi Chocs - I think the idea behind low GI is that is prevents sugar spikes so lessens the over-production of insulin so reduces the hormonal inbalance. The metformin sensitises you to insulin so you don't over-produce insulin hormone and inbalance other hormones. How much this affects the risk of miscarriage - not sure - but wonder why continuing metformin into first tri is meant to help reduce mc rate? will have a look around.....

This is what I was wondering ....... Im going to ask the specialist on Wed. about that.

I have tested but a negative as only 8dpo lol! I had a tiny speck of red blood yesterday and that was it, so could have been implantation spotting, I hope so! Will test again Tuesday and then Wednesday before my appointment where they will probably scan anyway, not that I think they'd see anything at 3wks5days!!

 

[AngelSerenity]

Hi all, dropping in to say hi and hopefully join in. I'm 35 and have had various gynae problems since I was about 20. Mainly lack of periods and then extreme gynae-related pains (I nearly had a hysterectomy about 5 years ago because of it).

I had a mc when I was about 18 and I've been TTC since my late 20s, for around 6 years now. In addition to my 'aggravated' 'hostile' womb as they call it I was diagnosed with PCOS in Jan 09, and we went through 6 cycles of Clomid in 2009 unsuccessfully. I then refreshed my diet (eliminating some perceived good foods but bad for us PCOSers) and started taking Agnus Castus and we had a wee miracle last Sept on our second cycle doing this. Unfortunately had a missed mc late Nov/early Dec 09 at about 10 weeks .

I'm a thin PCOSer with little other symptoms other than the length of my cycle and very sensitive skin. Diabetes runs in my family and I also already have a minor heart condition so I really do want to try and control the PCOS to try and avoid the know PCOS related health problems down the line.

So back on the rollercoaster again. My diet is a combined GI/non-dairy type diet and I feel great on it. My AFs are around 28-34 days long compared to goodness knows how long a few years ago!

I'm charting using Fertilityfriend and just trying to be as healthy and relaxed as possible.

I'm currently on cd34 and am too scared to test again lol. I had a spot of blood on cd31, internally a couple spots fresh blood (sorry if TMI) and have had loads of creamy cm and nipples have been really tingly/sore all week. I did a test on cd32 which was negative so trying to put this cycle down as a no joy but AF aint appeared yet so, as we all do, my brain is in overdrive. We all know how our bodies play tricks on us so I'm trying not to get my hopes up. Seems very late for it to be an IB on cd31 but I do remember last Oct when my af was due I also got a couple of spots of blood over a couple of days but thought it was just one of my weird AFs due to the PCOS. I found out 2 weeks later I was preggers. My temps are also still high...

Fingers crossed for us all.

Looking forward to sharing....

xo

 

[hb1]

An of exert I found :

Is the miscarriage rate higher in women with PCOS?
There does appear to be a higher miscarriage rate in women with PCOS, but the exact reason is still under investigation. According to some studies, the risk of miscarriage in women with PCOS is 45 percent or more. One possibility is that early loss is associated with elevated levels of luteinizing hormone — and women with PCOS often have elevated LH levels — but the reason why it relates to miscarriage is not understood. Another possibility is that elevated levels of insulin or glucose may impede implantation or cause problems with the embryonic development. There is a clear association between uncontrolled blood sugar and pregnancy loss, but the issue of insulin resistance and elevated insulin levels is relatively new and in need of further study. There is a possibility that insulin resistance reduces egg quality. That leads to another possibility — that late ovulation (after cycle day 16) may be associated with poor follicle development and decreased egg quality.


I don't think they know enough about why met helps after conception tho...

 

[hb1]

Hi AngelSerenity - so sorry you've had such a long and painful journey, fxd that it's a bfp and not a mean trick!! The temp staying high is promising!! hx

 

[chocolate]

Hi AngelSerentity, I hope after all your problems and heart ache this cycle is a good one for you.
Sounds similar to me, I have had a couple of tiny flecks of blood but only internally yesterday and again today, I had this last cycle the day before my period began, but this cycle I am only 8dpo........also got a bfn today so waiting till Tuesday to test again. I really hope it isnt the start of my period as that will b super early, but again at least I can mention it to the secialist Wed. What sort of things do you typically eat in a day for low gi and dairy! I find low gi hard enough and have been really bad this weekend, I always crave sugary stuff and white carbs in the 2ww ........

HB1 - thanks for that link, so it seems that 'There is a clear association between uncontrolled blood sugar and pregnancy loss' is worrying enough for me to try to stick to low gi even in the 2ww. Says she who has just shared an easter egg!!!

 

[AngelSerenity]

What sort of things do you typically eat in a day for low gi and dairy! I find low gi hard enough and have been really bad this weekend, I always crave sugary stuff and white carbs in the 2ww ........

Hiya, I posted this on another thread but it may give you an idea.


Hi a typical day for me would be something like:

Breakfast - peaches or mandarine oranges, small glass 100% fruit juice, and museli/high fibre cereal (watch sugar content of cereal).
Breaks - anything from nectarines, nuts, food bars with 12-15g protein, grapes, blueberries, blackberries, veg etc. I find I need a huge stock to keep me going for the week though.
Lunch - normally either a salad with loads of ham, tuna, other fish or chicken (all not of the processed variety, the tuna is tinned in veg oil). Or a sandwich on wholemeal bread or wholegrain high-fibre bread. A good tip I got as well was to only eat half the bread in a sandwich! Again load up on the fillings to fill that belly Low fat mayo if you need that.
Dinner/Tea - pretty much whatever the DH is having although I do NOT eat potatoes of any kind as they are a curse for PCOS sufferers. I would take a double portion of veg instead. Substitute white rice/short grain for basmati, wild brown or long grain rice. Pasta - thicker pastas are better, durhum (sp) wheat made - penne, fettuccine, spaghetti, vermicelli, linguine etc although I do tend to stick to wholewheat/brown pasta. Make sure the pasta and rice portion is only a 1/4 of your plate.
Evening snack - decaff tea with ryvita dunks (fruit ones are yummy) or occasionaly a couple of buscuits for a treat. I also have a habit of ccooking additional veg at tea time and would snack on that throughout the evening as well.

I use Soya milk, non-dairy butter (either soya or veg oil), decaff tea and coffee.

Any pre-made things e.g. pasta sauces, other meat sauces etc are all or the low-fat / light variety. I definately cook more from scratch but with time this is mainly limited to the weekends.

I found a great book in my library which gives a no nonsense guide for GI foods using the traffic light system, between this and basic guidelines for diabetics I think I'm kinda getting there. I carry a print out of the good and bad foods so if Im out and about I can quickly look something up if Im not sure about it

I have never felt better but yet am also trying to remain realistic in not pinning all my hopes on this. To me it isnt a diet it's a way of lifestyle now and it's like any skill, once you learn what's good and bad you hardly even think about it anymore when you're ordering food, getting your groceries etc. I'm lucky I've always enjoyed healthy eating and so does the hubby so perhaps that's made it easier for me.

Oh and I do slip up!! Normally once every couple of weeks, but this is allowed as long as your treats are surrounded by continued healthy eating. Chocolate is my downfall lol, but I try to stick to dark chocolate.

There is a website somewhere which gives a comprehensive list of red-amber-green foods, if you've come across it it gives a great variety of things in each section that you can enjoy all the time, some of the time or for treats.

Hope that is of some help?

xo

Angel

 

[hb1]

I reckon the odd treat doesn't hurt chocs!! My diet is pretty similar Angel - but am veggie - I am lucky that my oh does ALL the cooking and does it all from scratch - I do have dairy but we stick to low fat organic where poss - don't reckon I need any random hormones that they stick in to dairy cows to mess my random hormones up any more!! We usually have 4 nights of homemade soup, a couple of nights of wholegrain pasta and homemade sauce ( usually just fresh veg and tomatos ) and sometimes homemade rissoto as a treat and salads for our tea. Brekkie is either wheatabix or fruit and mid morning I have a nutrigrain - it's medium on the GI scale. Lunch is usually a cheese or egg sandwich on wholegrain. snacks or puddings are fruit - I'm not missing anything really but am thinking of going pescetarian once I get pg just for the protein - have been veggie for 17 years so that'll be wierd!!

hx

 

[hb1]

and I just wish they'd study more of this for pcos - at least understanding WHY would be handy!!

 

[chocolate]

Thanks for all the info. We are on a bit of a budget at the moment so I try not to buy too much fresh veg and fruit, but def. get my 5 a day.
I have also started sprinkling on cinnamon and also ground flax seed as I dont eat much fish, although Im trying to increase this.
I did get some low gi ginger biscuits from the health food shop today, so will try those this week instead of my usual cakes!!
I have to say, when I stick to low gi I def. feel much better than when I eat the chips and white carbs and chocolate!
I suppose I should really try to meal plan a bit better too, and maybe cut down on the amount of carbs a bit, so just make my meals smaller, but snack more on carrot sticks and hummus etc. The thing is though I haven't had my glucose levels tested so have no idea of my resistence!
In pregnancy I was tested and was borderline so just followed low gi just in case.
I am very lucky I am a slim PCOS sufferer but I do carry any extra round the waist and therefore have a high risk waist to hip ratio! Doesnt help that my hips are smaller than most!

I definatly need to be strict around the ovulation time and 2ww as thats where I slip and then thats the point my acne flares up!

 

[chocolate]

Thanks for all the info. We are on a bit of a budget at the moment so I try not to buy too much fresh veg and fruit, but def. get my 5 a day.
I have also started sprinkling on cinnamon and also ground flax seed as I dont eat much fish, although Im trying to increase this.
I did get some low gi ginger biscuits from the health food shop today, so will try those this week instead of my usual cakes!!
I have to say, when I stick to low gi I def. feel much better than when I eat the chips and white carbs and chocolate!
I suppose I should really try to meal plan a bit better too, and maybe cut down on the amount of carbs a bit, so just make my meals smaller, but snack more on carrot sticks and hummus etc. The thing is though I haven't had my glucose levels tested so have no idea of my resistence!
In pregnancy I was tested and was borderline so just followed low gi just in case.
I am very lucky I am a slim PCOS sufferer but I do carry any extra round the waist and therefore have a high risk waist to hip ratio! Doesnt help that my hips are smaller than most!

I definatly need to be strict around the ovulation time and 2ww as thats where I slip and then thats the point my acne flares up!

 

[hb1]

I think for us it is easier - as I am veggie the meat is the expensive thing so spending on the veg isn't a big thing when not buying meat. We've been doing the cooking from scratch thing for a couple of years now and this means we have to meal plan - that's kept the cost down too as there's much less waste!!

ps here's the link I got that info from:
https://www.inciid.org/faq.php?cat=infertility101&id=2#81

 

[hb1]

ps will have to look up the low gi ginger biscuits - fancy something yummy like that!!

 

[chocolate]

ooh, great link have saved that as I have no idea about hormone and glucose levels etc.

The ginger biscuits are Nairn's oat cakes I think, and it says low gi. I think I have had them before and they are ok, not really like a proper biscuit though! They do mixed fruit ones too I think but they are medium gi ... where as Id rather have a small piece of dark chocolate! They also do plain oat cakes which are great with hummus.

I look after 3 toddlers in the week, 1 being my own, so our food bills can go up so easily if Im not careful, I cant believe how much it all costs and I am so careful with what I buy. I have managed to get it down from about £80 to £65 this week but it was really pushing it!

 

[hb1]

blimey - no wonder it's hard - that's a lot of mouths!! if we all had time to shop around I bet we could eat for loads less but who has the time!! I'm getting on to the nairn's - have had the plain ones before but wasn't a fan - the sweet ones will be great!!