Hi everyone, I dont post very often but have always found various message boards on this site full of great advice and support.

Me and my partner are about to start trying to conceive, I have recently been diagnosed with PCOS but suspect I have had it for quite a while. What I want to know is, if AF is present each month (between about 30-33 days cycle) does that mean that the PCOS is not affecting my fertility? Does PCOS affect fertility directly, or indirectly due to the absence of AF?

I suppose I'm just unsure of how you can be infertile with PCOS... With a monthly period does that mean I can still conceive or will there be other factors? (I already have one child, he is 6, so I know that I was at least fertile back then). I just want to get the facts straight really.

Sorry that this is a bit mumbled, I wasnt sure how to put it

Thanks

Kelly x

hi kelly

welcome to the baord!

i have only known for around 5/6months that i have PCOS! i was going through recurrent miscarriage investigations as i haver suffered 4 miscarriages! they did an internal scan and saw straight away that i had loads of cysts around my ovaries!

anyways, i have, since then, done ALOT of searching on the interent regarding PCOS and have seen two sides to the PCO's: one is that you have all the symptoms, irregular periods, facial hair growth, acne and weight gain and it then affects there fertility AND the second side is: no symptoms except the cysts on the ovaries but go through life no evan knowing it as it doesnt affect there fertility!

from what i understand, the cysts affect your hormones wich inturn affect ovulation so you battle to get preggies! i have a 10yr old son and believe that i might have had these PCO's for a number of years but only got worse and affected my fertility in last 5yrs .....

have a read of this:

http://www.babyhopes.com/articles/fertilitypolycystic.html

hope it helps

Hiya Kazz, thanks so much for your reply :)

I read that article and wondered about this bit..

''Some will have regular periods, but may not ovulate every month, or at all.''

Does that mean, I can (and do) have a period each month but it doesnt necessarily mean I ovulate each time? I always thought that ovulation had to occur in order for us to have periods. Sorry, im confused lol.

Kelly x

hi kelly

it took me a while to get my head around it all, infact i still dont know most of it!

im affraid that with PCOS you can have a period every month but not be ovulating!!! the best thing to do is go and see your gp and ask him to do a CD21 blood test which tests your progesterone! the results will tell your gp if your ovulating!

sometimes your body can gear up to ovulate but not actually manage to ovulate! but kelly, remember, you could one of those ladies that ovualtes every month evan with PCOS!!! i do hope you are one of the lucky ones

omg, i didnt know that was even possible! i'll definitely get that blood test done. if it shows that im not ovulating there are several treatments arent there?

thanks for clearing that up for me kazz :) just gonna keep my fingers crossed that im one of the lucky ones now

xx