TTC, is there anything else I can try to do to conceive?

Question

Let me explain, I have PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) and Hasitmoto's thyroiditis and taking meds for both. I am told that trying to conceive is going to be difficult due to these diseases. Does anyone know of any other treatments or alternatives methods that I could try? Like I said, I am taking meds and have seen a few doctors but I just wondered if there were any other secrets out there anybody had.

Answer 1

To the person that said read Taking Charge of your Fertility, that book does not work that well with PCOS patients.....I should know as I bought the book (I have PCOS) & even my RE told me not to even go by that, cause most with PCOS don't ovulate on there own & have to have a injection to ovulate.

Now onto medications/treatments. First, if you are IR (Insulin Resistant) then you should be on Metformin & a diet plan (talk to your doctor on what will work best for you). The first medication they will probably have you take is Clomid. Clomid will help you ovulate & if you are ovulating & your eggs are big enough, you will get a injection of Norval (or whatever your doctor prescribes) to make you ovulate within 36 hours. I have had this done twice & it worked (even though i miscarried both times at 7 weeks). If that doesn't work, then they will move onto something else, either Gonadotropin ijections or Artifical Insenimation, etc. But go see a RE (Reproductive Endocronoligst) that specializes in PCOS & they will get you on the right track.

Answer 2

Giving birth to a new life is indeed a blessing which almost every woman would wish to have. How to get pregnant naturally https://tr.im/pregnancymiracle1
Enjoying the feeling of motherhood and raising a family would surely be a couple’s dream. Some get it naturally, while for some others things don’t seem to work as they desire. These reasons which stop a women from conceiving can be due to either physical reasons or truly physiological.

Answer 3

well there are ovualtion kits you can try im doing them now and they are great !!! you buy them at the drug store or any shop that sells pregnancy stuff... you buy an ovulation kit for 5 days it comes with 5 peeing cups and 5 tests you do one test a day for 5 days at the same time every day.... it sort of looks like a pregnancy test but for ovualtion.... it comes up positive when you are at your highest and that means you are going to ovulate in 24 - 36 hours so you have sex on the day you get a positive and the day after....its worked for alot of women thats just an easier thing to try so that when you know you are most fertile you can plan a romantic evening and just enjoy the night instead of worrying the WHOLE month about making sure that you and your husband had sex on certain days so goodluck and for the future CONGRATS

Answer 4

I have the same thyroid trouble, I got pregnant with both of mine very easy, no DR. said anything about having thyroid trouble would make it hard for my to conceive.... they would have to watch it during pregnancy but nothing else. now your other trouble I have no idea about, just wanted to let you know having thyroid trouble will have nothing to do with it.

Good luck!

Answer 5

Please read _Taking Charge of Your Fertility_ by Toni Weschler. It will help you determine if you are fertile, and how to maximize the chances of conceiving. Sometimes knowledge is all you need in order to get pregnant...

Answer 6

It is very possible to still concieve but very hard as well. Trying onece a night in a regular period should help

Answer 7

I really do not know honey, i would just recommend talking to a fertility specialist and see what they suggest, and look for God to guide you in the right direction. Good luck!!! God bless you!!!

Answer 8

Before one actually tries to conceive, it seems like it will happen immediately! Truth be told, many women take up to a whole year to conceive. After that year, doctors may intervene with medical help.

Perhaps a good place to start is to determine if you are ovulating. Most women ovulate 14 days after the first day of their last period. You can do ovulation tests around that time to determine when you are ovulating. If you do not get a positive result, a doctor may help you to ovulate by starting you on a medicine called clomid.

Some women slightly elevate their hips for 20 minutes after intercourse, to ensure that more of the sperm comes in contact with the cervix. 20 minutes is an adequate amount of time, because after that time, any sperm that did not enter, will be killed by the differing pH of the vagina. Some women however, choose to use 'instead' cups, which are more commonly used for one's period.

There is also something called 'Fertility Tea', or a similar name. Apparently, it will help you to conceive.

Some women have also tried half a tablespoon of cough syrup for a few days before ovulation, claiming that it helps to thin out the lining of the uterus, hence making it easier for the baby to implant itself into the uterine wall. I'm not sure if it's safe to try, or even if it works - but it's just another tidbit of information for you!

For the average couple, having sex once per day provides the best chance of getting pregnant.

The woman-on-top position isn't great for pregnancy, since ejaculate may flow out.


The basic principles of a 'fertility diet' are to eat a wide variety of wholegrain cereals to provide zinc, folate and B-group vitamins. You should also include fresh fruit and vegetables to boost anti-oxidants to help immunity, and cut down on alcohol, particularly three months before you want to conceive (that goes for ou are your partner!). Maintaining a healthy weight will also help increase your chances of falling pregnant.

Fertility Foods
Here's a list of some of the foods which can help improve your chances of conception:

Oysters: Rich in zinc, oysters have long been known to help boost live and healthy sperm, which is important for male fertility. Oysters are also reputedly an aphrodisiac, so may help to get you in the mood for a little procreation!

Soy and linseed bread and cereals: These are a great source of phytoestrogens, which help maintain healthy hormone balance. Wth a healthy dose of omega-3 and soluble fibre for slow release energy (they have what's known as a low glycemic index or GI), the long lasting energy helps to maintain a steady release of insulin. This may be important for women who have polycystic ovary syndrome to help optimise ovulation and conception.

Red meat: Lamb and beef are good sources of protein and iron. Protein plays an important role in the formation of semen and the functioning of the testes. Protein and iron also help women maintain healthy hormone levels.

Salmon: And other oily fish such as mullet, trout and herring are high in omega- 3 fatty acids, which are essential for the formation of prostaglandins (present in semen) and the functioning of sex glands.

Green leafy vegetables: These leafy vegies are a great source of folate which is known to reduce the risk of spina bifida and protect against other congenital abnormalities. Other sources of folate include wholegrain cereals, orange juice and broccoli. It's important to boost your folate intake three months before conception.

7 Day Fertility Meal Planner

Day 1:

Breakfast: One serve of oats with honey, made with low fat milk served with canned peaches

Lunch: Sourdough bread with light cream cheese, smoked salmon and rocket, followed by a mandarin or orange

Dinner: Grilled lamb fillet with spinach and tomato salad and olive/canola oil dressing. Stewed fruit with low fat ice cream.

Day 2:
Breakfast: Baked beans on two slices of wholegrain toast. Plus one piece of fresh fruit.

Lunch: Wholemeat toasted sandwich with reduced fat cheese and tomato. A cup of fresh strawberries.

Dinner: Baked salmon fillet served with jacket potato and lightly steamed broccoli. Fresh fruit salad

Day 3:
Breakfast: Banana smoothie made with low fat milk, honey and a teaspoon of LSA*. One slice of soy and linseed bread with vegemite.

Lunch: One small can of tuna with cos lettuce, olives, low fat fetta and salad dressing and one small bagel

Dinner: Stir fried Asian green vegetables with sesame oil and marinated tofu. Followed by canned peaches and a tub of low fat yoghurt.

Day 4:
Breakfast: Poached egg on two slices of grain bread with margarine and grilled tomato

Lunch: Wholegrain pita bread with hummus, green salad and roast beef slices. One piece of fresh fruit.

Dinner: Grilled skinless chicken breast served with tomato and basil sauce and egg noodles. Side dish of green salad.

Day 5:
Breakfast: One cup of whole grain breakfast cereal flakes, low fat milk and canned peaches.

Lunch: Lentil based soup with sourdough roll spread with margarine.

Dinner: Spaghetti Bolognese with one cup of cooked pasta and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. Side dish of a green salad.

Day 6:
Breakfast: Grilled low fat cheese and tomato and two grain based muffins. Fresh fruit juice.

Lunch: Pumpernickel bread or bagel lightly spread with cream cheese, canned salmon and baby spinach.

Dinner: 200g lean beef steak, grilled, served with large Greek salad. Fruit yoghurt.

Day 7:
Breakfast: Bircher musli (soaked overnight) of rolled oats, grated apple, silvered almonds, honey and low fat yoghurt. Serve with fresh berries.

Lunch: Homemade pizza with wholemeal pita bread, tomato pasta sauce or paste, mushrooms, low fat mozzarella and olives. Green side salad with olive/canola oil dressing.

Dinner: Lean lamb cutlets grilled with lemon juice, sprinkled with olive oil and fresh rosemary. Mashed sweet potato and steamed broccoli.

*LSA (Linseed, sunflower and almond meal) is avaiable from the refrigerated section of most healthfood stores.

Polycystic ovaries and infertility
A major cause of infertility in women is polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) affection around 25 percent of women. This is the cause of about 75 percent of ovulation problems. In PCOS, the ovaries are bigger than normal with an abnormally large number of small follicles, which are sacs of fluid that grow around the eggs.

The follicles don't mature which means that ovulation can't happen and eggs are rarely released for fertilisation. This has a profound effect on a woman's fertility. Women who suffer from PCOS have scanty periods or, in some cases, none at all. They may also suffer from obesity, bad skin and excess hair.

Becoming pregnant again
If tests show you're not ovulating, you may be offered drug treatment alone, ovarian stimulatio, ovarian diathermy or IVF, depending on several factors including your medical history, weight, age, length of your fertility problems and the method that proved successful for you last time.

If you're overweight, you may be asked to lose weight before you are offered treatment, as this is often all that's needed to cure PCOS and these treatments are more effective in women whose weight falls within normal limits. Treatments you may be offered inclue:

Drug treatment:
Clomiphene citrate is the drug most commonly used in women with PCOS and results in ovulation in around 80 percent of women, with a pregnancy rate of about 50 percent after six months of treatment. If this doesn't work for you, you may be offered injectible hormones to stimulate ovulation. You'll have blood tests and scans to check your ovaries aren't being over-stimulated.

Ovarian diathermy:
Also known as 'ovarian drilling', this is a surgical treatment that triggers ovulation in up to 80 percent of women with PCOS who have not responded to medication or weight loss. After treatment 60 to 80 percent of wommen go on to become pregnant within a year.

The chance of pregnancy is higher in women who have had fertility poblems for less than three years, as well as those with higher levels of luteinising hormone (LH). The operation is performed under a light general anaesthetic via a laparoscopy and an electric current or laser, which is used to 'drill' small holes into the ovaries. This can either restore ovulation or make the ovaries more sensitive to drugtreatment.

The main risk associated with the proedure is accidental damage to internal organs or blood vessels, and of course, the usual risks associated with general anaesthesia.

I'm going to include the link to a trying to conceive forum. There are other women who also have PCOS in the forum, and others who are taking fertility med's such as Clomid (there is a support group in the forum for that), and others undergoing IVF etc. I think you'll find it really useful.