If you are trying to get pregnant and you are an excessive tester like I am, I have a deal you are going to love. I have a very limited number of pregnancy test strips for sale. These are the very same type of test strips I used to determine I was pregnant last year when I was only 10 days along.

I bought them for my store, but by the time they shipped it was too close to the expiration date. These are the test strip kind often sold as Early Pregnancy Tests. They expire December 24, 2009. However, I have some of this kind that I used effectively for many months after their expiration date.

These are 10 tests in a pack. They are 50 cents each and shipping is 50 cents. These usually sell for $1 each, so this is a great deal.

I only have 10 packages (of 10 strips each), so when they are gone, they are gone!

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I had to share this song. I was so lucky to be blessed with our little girl. Now that she is almost 1, we are trying in earnest for a second child. We’ve been trying since Eva was 2 months old, but now we feel it is time to really work for it. Any of you who have struggled with infertility should be able to relate to this song.

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A small, but important, new study shows that women with PCOS do have babies at almost the same rate as women without PCOS. The difference is that for many women with PCOS, they begin to ovulate regularly a bit later in life as their hormones settle out a bit. For women without PCOS, ovulation slows down as they move into their 30’s. For women with PCOS, as ovulation slows down, it allows for better ovulation and fewer cysts.

The study, published in the journal Human Reproduction, looked at the reproductive history of 91 women diagnosed with PCOS and 87 non-PCOS controls, all study participants were 35 or older. Participants in the study were asked about the number and timing of babies and results from women with PCOS and without PCOS were compared. Among women who had attempted to have children, 86.7% of PCOS patients and 91.6% of controls had given birth to at least one child. Among women with PCOS who had given birth, 73.6% had gotten pregnant on their own, without medical intervention.

As I have noted in other articles, women who have babies without help are rarely diagnosed with PCOS, even if they have all of the other symptoms. PCOS makes it harder to have a baby, but it does not rule it out.

While this study is pretty small, it fits with the answers I have gotten in surveys and anecdotal evidence from the many women who have shared their stories with me. Most women w

For many years now I have suspected a trend towards women with PCOS getting pregnant on their own a bit later in life. Over and over, women tell me that they tried for years, then were able to have babies without help.

You can read about the study in New Scientist magazine and I have also included a link directly to the study.

New Scientist Article

http://tinyurl.com/pcosinfertility

Link to Study

http://tinyurl.com/pcosstudy1

My advice? If you are ready to have a baby, try for one. If it doesn’t happen right away and you are in your early to mid 20’s, find something wonderful to do with your time while you wait. You’ll cherish that time when the babies do finally make their appearance.

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Mark Twain once said that we should be wary of medical books because one could die of a misprint. I can only imagine what Twain would have thought about some of the medical advice flying around the internet today.

Sometimes I see “advice” that shocks me, until I remember the cartoon I once saw that showed two dogs talking in front of a computer. One dog said, “On the internet, no one knows you are a dog.” When you see health advice offered, keep in mind that some of those offering advice have ulterior motives such as trying to promote products, some are simply ill-informed, and some are outright malicious.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the fact that the internet has made it so easy to find information about PCOS. When I was first diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome it was nearly impossible for me to find information about PCOS. Most books on women’s health did not mention it. There were not yet any books available about PCOS. The doctors I talked to seemed to know less than I did. The internet was still merely a way for super-techy people to move digital files around. Today, we are surrounded by sources of information and finding support and advice about PCOS is merely a click away. However, these internet sources are sometimes dangerously inaccurate.

I see so much misinformation out there about PCOS. People with no medical background are recommending dosages of medication, advising others to avoid recommended tests or medication, and even suggesting that PCOS sufferers simply refuse medical advice.

Please, please, take anything you see on the internet with a grain of salt – even my stuff. Do some serious research before you stake your life on any advice. While there is a lot of great information out there, there are also many completely ill-informed people out there offering themselves up as self-proclaimed experts. I have seen some really dangerous advice out there about taking or combining meds and herbs, for instance, as well as a lot of other bad advice.

Be careful out there, your health is too important to risk on “someone’s” advice.

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My baby girl is finally asleep beside me as I type, so I have to say I am pretty convinced that most women with PCOS can have a baby. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a leading cause of infertility. While I have not seen any studies detailing what percentage of women with PCOS become pregnant, I believe the overall percentage is quite high.

Some women with PCOS don’t know they have PCOS. These women are never counted in statistics because many of them get pregnant on their own, even if it takes time, and many doctors will not diagnose PCOS if the woman has ever had a child. So, some unknown percentage of women with PCOS get pregnant without any help or even without knowing they have PCOS.

Some women with PCOS have been diagnosed, but are untreated and eventually become pregnant, so they never seek treatment and are not counted in infertility statistics.

Then there is the group of women with PCOS who know they have a problem with infertility and they work hard to naturally improve their health and they also become pregnant and do not get counted. So, while we don’t know what percentage of women with PCOS have babies, we can assume that it is a significant number. Many times I have talked with women who show all the signs of PCOS but have never been diagnosed. I wish I had a nickel for every woman who has told me that she got pregnant slowly, but that she was never told she had PCOS.

Next, we have women with PCOS who are treated with metformin – studies show metformin is very effective in reducing symptoms and increasing fertility. About 50 percent of the women with PCOS who take metformin are able to become pregnant without further medical help.

Then we have the women who do not get pregnant with metformin alone, so they are given Clomid alone. Depending on the study, somewhere between 10-30 percent of these women become pregnant on Clomid alone, with a higher percentage becoming pregnant with a combination of metformin and Clomid.

Another large group of infertility sufferers are able to become pregnant through ovarian drilling, bigger fertility drugs, and other methods.

Yes, there are women with PCOS who are never able to get pregnant or who can not afford IVF, but common sense and research studies tell us that the majority of women with PCOS actually do have babies one way or another. When you are suffering from infertility it is easy to feel like you are alone and there is no hope. The truth is that the odds are on your side.

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Infertility treatments for PCOS usually start with metformin (Glucophage) or Clomid (clomiphene citrate). Metformin works very well for many women, though it did not change my symptoms at all. When that does not work, doctors usually recommend Clomid.

A small study published in the journal Human Reproduction shows a similar success rate with Clomid or ovarian drilling (basically they use a laser to burn off some of the cysts on your ovaries). The success rates for women in the study were 39 percent for Clomid alone and 25 percent for ovarian drilling alone, though success rates climbed as high as 63 percent when women in the study were allowed to try the opposite method if the first one did not work.

The background in the abstract on this study is great reading all on its own, with some good explanations of PCOS and the effectiveness of metformin as a first line infertility treatment.

Of course, in my personal experience none of these three methods actually helped me get pregnant. Clomid did make me ovulate some months, but I did not get pregnant while taking it. I also had ovarian drilling, but that did not restore ovulation for me. I was eventually able to find a natural approach that helped me reduce my symptoms and have a healthy baby girl.

The article abstract is posted on Medscape. Read about PCOS and infertility treatments here. You do need to register to read it, but Medscape is such an awesome resource it is very much worth registering. Registration is free.

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I am doing a quick survey to help improve this site and blog. Please take a moment to check it out. Your answers are confidential.

Thank you!

http://tinyurl.com/pcosblogsurvey

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Several studies have found that women with PCOS and/or infertility are often more likely to suffer from depression and anxiety. A January 2009 article in the medical journal Fertility and Sterility detailed a follow-up to an earlier study that found increased rates of depression in women with PCOS.

My experience over the years with women who have PCOS is that many suffer from anxiety and depression. Sure enough, the study found that more than half of PCOS sufferers were affected by at least one mental health disorder. Forty percent battled depression, 15 percent struggled with panic disorders, and binge-eating disorder was a problem for 23 percent.

The number and severity of mood disorders increased over time – though my experience has been that with appropriate PCOS treatment depression and anxiety decrease for most women experiencing PCOS.

Researchers recommended that doctors aggressively pursue diagnosis and treatment for acne and weight issues as it has been found that the hirsutism, acne and excess weight associated with PCOS contribute to emotional problems.

While these physical symptoms can increase depression and social anxiety, I suspect that many women also suffer from depression due to the fatigue, infertility issues and frustration that come along with PCOS. I have also seen great strides in lessening of depression and anxiety with Omega-3 EFA supplementation. The brain is made up largely of DHA, an essential fatty acid found in fish oil, and low levels can increase PCOS symptoms as well as mental health issues.

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Chaste tree berry or vitex agnus castus is a very popular herb for PCOS. I credit vitex with helping me to be healthy enough to have my daughter, and it is the main ingredient in many very expensive fertility herbal blends. You’ll be shocked to see how cheap vitex is when you see the prices of some of those blends.

I am often asked where to find vitex or chaste tree berry. While most health food stores carry some form of vitex, I am often frustrated by the fact that it often comes mixed with other herbs. This is fine if you find the perfect blend for PCOS, but as I explain in my book (Alternative PCOS Solutions) not all herb blends are right for PCOS.

It drives me crazy when I find a blend that has an herb that is not good for PCOS or that might make someone’s symptoms worse instead of better. One example I see a lot is licorice root mixed with vitex. Licorice is not good for you if you have high blood pressure (common for some women with PCOS) and it is also not great if you have elevated estrogen levels s it can mimic estrogen. I would far rather do my research and create my own blend of herbs based on my symptoms.

I found a great resource for organic chaste berry. They have both the whole berries and powder. You can use the whole berries to make a tea (I usually blend in some spearmint or cinnamon or something to improve the flavor). You can find herb recipe blends in my book as well or do your own research online. Cinnamon is a good choice for flavoring tea since it is also good for insulin resistance. You can use the powder to make your own blends and encapsulate it or just put it in capsules as is – just be sure to research dosage too! More is not always better.

Both forms of chaste berry are very reasonably priced, especially for organics. They also offer bulk discounts. Since many herbalists recommend using vitex for at least 3 months to see results, and they recommend taking it for up to 18 months if it is working for you, buying it by the pound is extremely cost effective.

Mountain Rose Herbs also has great deals on other bulk herbs, essential oils, herbal teas and other holistic goodies. Click here and scroll down for chaste tree berry.

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Saliva hormone testing is a pain-free way to measure hormone levels. Some health professionals say that it is actually a more accurate way to measure how much of each hormone is actually available for use in the body. Blood tests measure hormones that are found in blood serum, but most of those hormones are bound to proteins in the blood and are not availabel for use in the body. Blood tests can show how much hormone is being produced, but saliva hormone testing does a better job of showing how much is available for use.

The levels of hormones shown in a saliva hormone test are much lower than those found in blood tests, but since you are looking at the bioavailable hormones, it can give you a more accurate picture of how hormones make you feel. Saliva hormone testing is not a replacement for medical advice, but it can help you and your doctor see how hormone replacement therapy is working or offer a more complete picture of your hormonal levels for infertility testing or menopause.

Saliva hormone tests are available for home use, making them a cost-effective way to get baseline hormone levels for various purposes. Since saliva is stable for several days, you can test at home and inexpensively mail it to a lab for results. You and your doctor may use home saliva testing to check hormones over a period of time or to get a baseline level before beginning hormone replacement therapy. Saliva testing can also help determine what the lowest effective dose is for hormone treatment, as it better shows how much of the hormone is available for use.

You can buy saliva hormone tests for progesterone, estradiol (an estrogen), testosterone, thyroid and more. Learn more about saliva hormone testing at http://tinyurl.com/salivatesting.

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