Wife cannot concieve? PCOS?

Question

my wife and i have been married for 6 years and really want to start having kids. its the perfect time for us because im making alot of money and she has done alot in her education and career to the point where she is ready to stay home for a while. after trying for a long time she went to the doctor and found out because of her PCOS[poly cystic ovarian syndrome] that she got from her mom, she would not be able to have kids. well one month later, we found out she was pregnant and it was like a miracle for us because she was having such a hard time. but soon afterwards, she lost the baby. its taking her and i a long time to move past it. but mostly hurting her ALOT. her heart is completely broken because thats all she wants, is to be a mother. by the way this happened almost 2 months ago.

Answer 1

I'm sorry to hear about you and your wife's miscarriage.  There's great news, though.  PCOS will not prevent her from getting pregnant as long as she finds a new doctor who knows about PCOS and the medications used to treat it (metformin in a dose of at least 1500mg per day and possible clomid....there are others as well if that combo doesn't work).

The most likely cause of your wife's miscarriage is the fact that she has PCOS, which causes too much sugar to be in her system and it messes with the baby's ability to grow and thrive.  The hormonal imbalance also plays a part. There have been many studies done on the use of metformin during pregnancy and one particular study from 2001 shows that infertile women with PCOS who got pregnant after taking metformin and stayed on it until their first trimester was finished had a much lower rate than those who stopped taking the medication as soon as they found out they were pregnant.  Those who stayed on metformin had a m/c rate of 12% (the average miscarriage rate even for those without endocrine disorders) while those who went off of the medication had a m/c rate of 64%.  I've also read in another study that those with PCOS have a much higher m/c rate than their unaffected counterparts.  

So basically, if your wife would have been taking metformin through her first trimester she would have had a much better chance of delivering a healthy baby.  Make sure she starts taking the metformin asap so that when she does (and she will) get pregnant again she can avoid another m/c.

Here's the article (putting it here incase it disappears from the web. It's quite long, but very informative...

Miscarriage Rate in PCOS Falls to 12% With Metformin.

Author/s: Mary Ann Moon

Issue: April 15, 2001

Extend use throughout entire pregnancy.

ARLINGTON, VA. -- Metformin, a drug that allows women with polycystic ovary syndrome to ovulate normally and conceive, should be continued throughout their pregnancies because it also prevents miscarriage, Dr. Charles J. Glueck reported at the Clinical Research 2001 meeting.

Interim results of the ongoing study of 156 women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) who have received metformin throughout pregnancy showed 54 normal live births, 19 first trimester miscarriages, 2 tubal pregnancies, and 81 women with ongoing pregnancies that appear normal on sonography at 13 weeks or more of gestation.

"So 87% have had a favorable outcome to date, and the rate of first-trimester miscarriage has been cut to 12%--which is about the national average in 'normal' women who have no endocrine disorders," said Dr. Glueck of the cholesterol center at Jewish Hospital, Cincinnati.

In fact, in a series of 183 pregnancies at his institution in which women with PCOS were not treated with metformin, the first-trimester miscarriage rate was a striking 64%, and the live birth rate was only 35%, he said at the meeting, sponsored by the American Federation for Medical Research.

Dr. Glueck speculated that the high miscarriage rate in PCOS is probably due to high levels of plasminogen activator inhibitor, which are markedly reduced by metformin therapy.

Dr. Glueck has also done "long-distance follow-up" on a separate group of 135 pregnancies in which the women were treated with metformin at his hospital to conceive, then returned to their distant homes and their regular physicians for pregnancy management.

Physicians for 29 of these women stopped the metformin therapy as soon as pregnancy was confirmed, and 6 of them (21%) had first-trimester miscarriages. In contrast, of the 106 women whose physicians continued metformin therapy throughout pregnancy, only 13 (12%) have had a first-trimester miscarriage.

The drug has not produced any adverse effects on either the mother or fetus. "The overwhelming majority of the live births have occurred at 37 weeks or later," and the infants' weight and height distribution matches the national average almost exactly he noted.

Once metformin, an insulin-sensitizing agent, was found to induce normal menses and facilitate pregnancy in women with PCOS, attention turned to the out come of those pregnancies.

In the question-and-answer session following his presentation, Dr. Glueck noted that metformin also may be preventing the development of gestational diabetes in these patients.

The average weight in the cohort of 156 women with PCOS was 226 pounds at conception, and most of the women were extremely insulin resistant. Yet the rate of gestational diabetes was only 4%. "Com pare that with a rate of 58% seen in untreated women with PCOS, and it's clear that metformin drastically reduces gestational diabetes," he said.

The average weight gain in treated women was 11 pounds, and "many ended pregnancy thinner than when they started. In this patient population, that is a good thing," Dr. Glueck said.

COPYRIGHT 2001 International Medical News Group

COPYRIGHT 2001 Gale Group

Keep your heads up...your day will come when it's the right time:)

P.S. More recent studies show that women should stay on metformin throughout their entire pregnancy.

Answer 2

Just because you have PCOS doens't mean you won't concieve. It can be harder, but you can still do it. My Grandmother had it and she had 3 healthy children, my mother has it and she had me and I have it as well although I haven't tried for any children yet. You are at a little higher risk of miscarriage with PCOS but just because you have one doesn't mean that you'll have one again. There are plenty of things that can be done to help your wife get pregnant. There are hormones she can take, fertility treatments etc. Honestly I think your wife should see a different doctor , because I have never met with a doctor who told me that you couldn't get pregnant with PCOS. They said that it could be more difficult yes but that it's still very possible. Also, is your wife overweight at all? Because that can make it harder to get pregnant especially when you have PCOS. My mother was overweight with PCOS and she lost 100 pound and then got pregnant with me immediately.Of course my Grandmother was stick thin and still had PCOS but had no problem getting pregnant with any of her 3 kids . Anyway there are just so many factors that have to be considered and I really think your wife should find a new doctor who knows what they are talking about and is willing to help. Good Luck!

Answer 3

OK, first of all, read what you wrote: she got PCOS from her mom...but PCOS didn't prevent her mom from conceiving...hmmmm....that should give you both some hope.

Secondly, there are many advances in infertility treatment today. It is well worth the effort for you to get into the specialist as a couple. Yes, it is scary, but like I said, it is worth it. They will run some tests on you both to see what plan of action would work best. (Probably some metiformin or femera would help her with ovulation) Any questions you have a good specialist will take time to answer.

Another quick note: I have read that a low carb diet helps women with pcos. You may want to look further into this. I've included some links, but certainly there are more than this.

Basically, don't give up hope for having a family together. It is ok to greive the loss of the baby you hoped for. But keep your focus on doing what you need to do to have the family you desire. Get as healthy as possible. It'll happen, it will be a blessing.

By the way: I too had a miscarriage. It was devestating to me. I didn't understand why, and I still had such a desire to have children. My husband and I adopted a son, and ended up pregnant and delivered our first born 2 months after adoption. IT TOOK ME 2 YEARS to conceive my son....but we did it. Now, we are blessed with 2 little boys, and I just got pregnant again ( after ttc one cycle!) So do keep in mind that while this may be a struggle now, it may not always be one.

Like I said, keep your eyes fixed on the prize.

Blessings to you.

Answer 4

I have had 4 miscarriages. There is a wonderful Book called " Our Stories of Miscarriage" and its complied by a women and it really 1st makes you feel like your not alone and its not your fault. It was very comforting.  

It will take time to get over it, I still get upset when I think about it and my last one was 6 years ago. THere is a support group called Resolve that could offer support.

Get to a GOOD doctor. You NEED to see a Reproductive Endocrinologist. Its the most important thing you can do. DO NOT go to a regular OBGYN. Of the years they spend in school only 10% of the time is spend on infertility. You need to find out how far advanced the PCOS is and what your options are. I know LOTS of people, LOTS, who have PCOS and have children. PLEASE see an RE. One of the first tests they will do is a sperm count. Just because she has PCOS doesnt mean the problem couldnt be on both sides, don't take it personally, its the cheapest and easiest test.

Good Luck to you!

Answer 5

First of all I'm very sorry about your wife's miscarriage. I also have pcos, and I had a miscarriage the first time also. My husband and I tried for almost 3 years before I was diagnosed with it. After being diagnosed I was put on provera to induce my period, then I was on b/c pills for 3 months to regulate my cycle as I didn't have a cycle for over a year, and I was on metformin 2000 mg a day for 3 months. After the 3 months of b/c pills Dr Dr. told me to stop them and continue the metformin and the first month coming off b/c pills I conceived and had a healthy pregnancy and a beautiful baby boy. We are currently trying for # 2 and I have started the same meds as last time. I totally understand how your wife is hurting. All I wanted was to be a mother and it is so hard when everyone around you seems to be having babies, and everywhere you go you see happy mothers with beautiful babies. It is hard to understand why, but know that God always has a purpose and he knows what best for our lifes!No matter what you say or do she needs time and space to grieve the loss of her baby. Just let her know your there for her and you love her. I don't understand why the Dr, told her she will not be able to bear children, b/c people with pcos have children every day, however it may be a little more difficult and require medication. I strongly recommend she go to an endocrinologist and consult him about her desire to conceive. I know from experience it is possible and the right Dr. can help her conceive. I wish you all the best and pray the God will richly bless your home with a precious baby! Please don't give up, it is very very possible!

Answer 6

There are tons of kids out there looking for a family. Would adoption be a possibility for your family? If you are making a lot of money then I'm guessing you could afford something like that?

As far as helping your wife move past it. Just be supportive of her and be a good listener. I don't think there is much else you could do.

EDIT:

I understand what you are saying about wanting one of her own. You could still adopt and if she gets pregnant at some point "Hurray!" Since if she does get pregnant again, it could be a while.