LGBT Parenting

New here...introduction

Hi everyone. My name is Sarah, my wife Kim and I are just starting to plan how we are going to start our family.

I am ashamed to admit, we don't really know where to start. I have PCOS which I was told could prevent me from getting pregnant and Kim doesn't want to be the one who will carry.

Where do we start? Do we go to a normal ob/gyn or a fertility specialist? Has anyone here had luck with getting pregnant with PCOS?

Do we go straight to IVF? What is a good sperm bank to use?

Sorry for all the questions, I just found this Board and I am just so excited to have people to ask these questions to!

Re: New here...introduction

  • Hi and welcome!

    I don't know specifically about pcos but I would guess you should start with your regular ob who would be able to start you in the right direction.  We used a midwife group and did unmedicated iui to concieve.  It took 3 tries so we were very lucky.  I know that if we had wanted they would have perscribed clomid for the next cycle but I don't know if I would have gone to an RE for any type of drug protocol.

    We used xytex for a sperm bank and we were very happy with them.  I think we are the only couple on this board to use them.  Many I think used Fairfax and California Cryo.  I think most are pretty much the same but the amount of info and cost can vary.

    Most couples don't go straight to ivf buat that would be some thing you would need to determine with your doctor. 

    What area are you in?

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  • Welcome! And congrats on starting this journey!

    I ditto the PP (previous post) about starting with your OB and going from there. We did 7 IUI's all medicated, with 2 on injectables, so our path was over a year and a 1/2. We used Fairfax sperm bank, which has lots of info on their donors online. We dont really have IVF as an option since it wasnt covered by E's insurance. There are lots of folks on the Bump boards with PCOS and trying to conceive or preg, so I think you'll find lots of support here.

    image Lilypie - Personal pictureLilypie Second Birthday tickers
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  • I am in the Louisville area of Kentucky.

    So is going to a midwife better than an ob/gyn? I don't really like my ob/gyn so I am willing to branch out to find someone better suited to help a same sex couple.

     

  • welcome to the board!

    I think it's totally up to you, but we went right to an RE without going through our OB (we didn't even have an OB until after my wife was pregnant, we just went to our family practitioner for our annuals). honestly I think if you're dealing with PCOS you may be better off starting with an RE right off the bat rather than going to a midwife, but if you're not happy with your OB I'd start the search for a new one regardless. once you're pregnant you're going to want--and need--one that you're happy with.

    also, some REs and midwives will only work with certain banks, so you may look into how you're going to approach that before deciding on a bank. most (if not all) will work with Fairfax and California Cryobank, but there are others to choose from. we didn't go with either of those although they are probably the most common.

    thiswillbe may have some more advice for you, they dealt with PCOS and now they have beautiful twins!

  • Hello and welcome to the board!

    Though I am not currently TTC I do have severe PCOS.  I would strongly suggest that you see an RE for help TTC.  RE's tend to be more adept at managing PCOS and the fertility issues that often come with it. You can always get basic bloodwork started at your OB/GYN but an RE will be able to do more. 

    Good luck and please keep us posted :-)

  • Because you already know your PCOS diagnosis, I think you should head straight to an RE.  I'd imagine that w/ that dx, your initial step would be clomid + IUI and whenever you start using fertility meds, its important to be closely monitored via ultrasound and bloodwork which an RE is best situated to do.

    So before anythign else, I'd suggest you start with:

    1) call your insurance company and find out your fertility benefits

    2) ask them if you need a referral to see an RE and/or for a list of in-network RE's in your area

    Aside from general browsing, i'd wait to settle on a donor until you have your doc in place because some clinics/RE's have a short list of banks they will work with. 

    good luck!

    There's a wealth of info on this board so feel free to ask any questions you have. 

  • Hello and welcome to the board!

    There are a few women on this board with PCOS and some have had great success!

    Though I am not currently TTC I do have severe PCOS.  I strongly suggest that you see an RE for help TTC.  RE's tend to be more adept at managing PCOS and the fertility issues that often come with it. You can always get basic bloodwork started at your OB/GYN but an RE will be able to do more.

    Good luck and please keep us posted :-)

  • Thank you all so much! I have my to-do-list for the evening ready to go.

    Your advice is greatly appreciated.

  • Hi, Sarah! I'm relatively new here also (and my lady's name is Kim, also), and will be TTC this fall with PCOS, using medicated IUIs. You do not have to go straight to IVF with PCOS. Big Smile

    I ended up at an RE after exhausting all OB possibilities (several years ago). I now feel like that was wasted time, so I recommend going straight to an RE. An RE will be able to give you a complete picture of *your particular PCOS, as well as what your options are for conceiving.

    Welcome, and good luck on this journey!

    --amy 

     

    Trying to Conceive Ticker
  •  Welcome!

     I was diagnosed with PCOS when I was 18. When we first started talking about TTC I brought it up to my regular OB/GYN (well the NP I see there) and she prescribed 1500 mg of metformin daily.  It was crappy at first but it helped even things out and I eventually got my cycle on my own (for the first time in years!). I made sure to chart it and also got the at home ovulation tester things. We tried for about four to five months before we got our BFP.  We used a known donor and tried at home insemination first.  Had that failed after 6 months we were going to discuss the next step with my OB, in fact I had called the week before I got a positive test to make an appointment for that reason!

    My OB also decided to keep me on metformin (1000 mg) during my first trimester as some studies say it lowers the risk of miscarriage in women with PCOS (which can be higher than normal). It took patience and a lot of tears but we made it and out little princess will be 2 months tomorrow!

    imageLilypie Third Birthday tickers
  • Welcome!  Ditto pps :-)
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  • Coming very late to the thread, but hello and welcome to the board!

    I have/had PCOS and I think it's a good idea to go directly to an RE. If you end up on meds, you need to be monitored, and REs typically watch you more closely than OBs/midwives do. I didn't ovulate on my own, so we started meds (Clomid & Ovidrel trigger) with the first cycle (I was already on Metformin). I got pregnant on our third try, after trying an increased dosage of Clomid twice (the cycle that worked I was on 150 mg). I was also kept on the Met (and on progesterone support) throughout the first tri to reduce the risk of miscarriage. I am too busy to keep it up much now, but my blog (link in sig) has old posts that give the details of each cycle, in case it is helpful at all.

    Feel free to ask any questions you may have-- this is a great bunch of knowledgeable people!

    married 03/08/08 -- ttc with PCOS (dx 2005) & DS
    IUI #3 gave us the best 2nd anniv. gift ever: 2 babies! (born 03/09/10)
    Peanut and Little Man are getting so big! 2 years old already!
    image
    finally blogging again at This Will Be: An Adventure
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