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A story of PCOS and shattered dreams

That title is how my life could’ve been evaluated for 3 long years back in London from 2006-2009.

PCOS. You have PCOS

The unsympathetic doctor told me on reading the scan and test results.

it’s unlikely you’ll conceive or maintain pregnancy combined with your endometriosis.

My career for almost 20 years had been Childcare. I’d worked as a nursery nurse, nursery teacher and nanny with children newborn to 16 years old. And now, here, in a doctors surgery I was being told it was unlikely I’d ever have children.

At the time of hearing this news, two of my friends announced their pregnancies.

A few weeks later another announced hers.

My face became a mask of smiles while behind I cried. I felt bitter jealousy that I never thought I could feel. I wanted a baby so badly I thought I would break from the want.

By the time a year had passed (and we were still trying) another 2 friends had announced their pregnancies and gone on to have their babies.

I was surrounded by new mothers and their babies.

Beautiful babies.

After what seemed an eternity waiting on the NHS list, we saw a fertility doctor who prescribed the fertility drug Clomid.

I’d read about this magical drug and despite my best efforts not to get hopeful my heart pounded as I took the first course.

Nothing.

Big fat negative.

I was destined to only care for other people’s babies.

Second round.

I felt dreadful. The drug took hold of my body.

Narky, grumpy, itchy, certainly not in the mood for hanky panky, but on fertility drugs you don’t have a choice if you want a baby. There’s a time slot. A dedicated time.

By Christmas Eve I’d had enough. We’d had enough. We ditched the ‘no alcohol, eat sensibly, specific position hanky panky’ and we got drunk.

Very drunk.

We had the best Christmas Eve.

Christmas came and went, a boozy time to drown our disappointments and a fantastic New Years party that took a few days to recover from.

I felt terrible. Too much alcohol over the festive season, too much bad food, I couldn’t shake the lethargic post Christmas feeling.

By mid January I was feeling pretty low and pretty rotten and then I realised I’d not had a period.

Five tests later we still didn’t believe it.

Nine months later we still didn’t believe it when she stared up at us with those beautiful eyes.

When Betsy was 11 weeks old we stared at disbelief at the positive pregnancy test.

Oscar was born the day before Betsys 1st birthday.

No fertility drugs.

We worked out he’d been conceived on Christmas Eve too.

The following Christmas we were very careful.

PCOS and endometriosis are horrid conditions. But I never once gave up hope.

So while often PCOS stories start out as shattered dreams. They often have happy endings.

 

13 Comments

  • Lisa Don

    My boy was 2 and some years in the making, which included a miscarriage. So after he was born, 5 months exactly we thought we will try again, we’ve not had any major issues but by no means did we expect to fall the night :-)

    I’m so happy to have them close together now.

  • Vanessa Jane Holburn

    Been there, done that. Three years of trying while couples I knew got pregnant at the drop of a hat, sometimes even accidently, and didn’t even seem that bothered to look after their kids. ‘Unexplained infertility’ they called it! 3 courses of IUI that cost heaps and brought nothing but tears, visits to hospitals where I could see pregnant mothers smoking, then one successful IVF round for my first beautiful daughter – and then – just to add to the general confusion – daughter number 2 was conceived naturally within about 3 months of trying. It’s really true that you never really know what someone else is coping with!

    • Fi

      That sounds tough. Really tough ~ but a happy ending.

      Have you forgotten those tough years now? I feel I’ve never really faced them because I’m just so thankful for two amazing little ones.

      The amount of baby showers I attended during those years, I got really good at smiling while crying inside!

      And nobody gets it unless they’ve been there themselves.

  • Laura Weight

    It goes to show you should never lose hope, I conceived quite quickly the first 3 times, which included losing my left tube and after Luke I assumed I’d fall easy but that wasn’t the case, I was told I had PCOS and with the one tube also we struggled and it took 20 months for this little boy to be conceived, we were so frustrated we nearly gave up but I’m so thankful we didn’t!

    Your miracles are beautiful and miracles do happen! Xx

    • Fi

      Oh Laura that’s a rocky ride – but another happy ending.

      I remember thinking it would never happen and well, we kind of did give up.

      People who were pregnant or had babies would make suggestions on relaxing more and to not think about it. It took all of my strength not to go crazy at them!

  • MrsShilts

    I’m in complete agreement that you should never give up hope. I was diagnosed with PCOS and an underactive thyroid back a few years back and was told to lose a lot of weight before the Gynae would consider giving me any help or medical intervention. Two and half years later, 5 stone lost and 6 months worth of Metformin taken, I fell pregnant with my son after a lovely, drunken day at my friends wedding. Dreams can come true! xx

  • Libby

    That’s a lovely happy ending. I had a similar experience and had a sulpinogram where the consultant said there were so many reasons why I wouldn’t be able to conceive naturally…….. I had a wierd feeling so bought a pregnancy test 2 weeks later and hey presto!!!!! All babies are miracles!

  • Ruth (geekmummy)

    Infertility sucks. I got to know a number of ladies with PCOS in my days on the TTC forums, and it’s always fantastic to hear of anyone who’s struggled but now has their child(ren) in their arms.

    • Fi

      Hi Ruth! Thanks for stopping by – me too! I spent many evenings in those forums mainly for comfort in the fact I wasn’t alone.

      People used to move from the TTC to the early pregnancy forum but pop back to see how we were.

      I’m happy to say the group of lovelies I used to chat with all moved into the pregnant threads. I wish I’d stayed in touch!

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