Pregnancy Success with PCOS: a Journey of Courage & Triumph
Posted by Christina Pistotnik
A lot of my patients that have PCOS see this diagnosis as a battle, and in a sense it is. Menstrual cycles are typically irregular and weight, hair growth, and acne can be an issue. You know, all the fun stuff a woman has to deal with, but on an exponentially elevated level. Where do we go from here?
Sometimes there isn’t a whole lot of support to manage this type diagnosis. All we truly know is that our body isn’t functioning quite right and when we are trying to conceive, this just adds to the frustration. Fortunately, with the right tools, a strong willpower to make some lifestyle changes, and finding support and guidance with the right people in our corner, we can manage this confusing and frustrating diagnosis.
I am honoured to share one of my patient’s personal journeys with PCOS that she is so courageously willing to share…
Kay’s journey with PCOS:
“I was officially diagnosed with PCOS about 9 years ago. Even if this was when I was officially diagnosed, I had known for a long time that something wasn’t right.
My biggest warning signs were that I had excessive body hair, irregular periods and despite trying everything to lose weight, I couldn’t.
When I was diagnosed, I was told it would be very hard to conceive and that there was not much I could do to help the symptoms. This was a shock to my 21 year-old self.
Busy with a new job in a new province, I didn’t think to question or look into ways to help myself. Fast forward a few years, I’m married and we are wanting to have a baby. I still have all of the symptoms but they have all gotten worse. Trying to conceive while not knowing if my cycle will be 20 days or 96 days is a challenge.
So we tried for over two years and got into the fertility clinic where we did all the testing, followed protocols and were told that we would have a slim chance of success. We took the chance, did a round of medicated IUI and were blessed with our now 1.5 year-old baby boy.
Then the time came that we wanted to try again. However in the year after the birth of our son, I had only had one period. (I wasn’t breastfeeding.) Knowing that the odds were against us and we would need to wait until the fertility clinic had room for us, I mentally prepared myself for another long road.
While talking to a friend who has her own fertility issues, we decided to try a different approach. That’s when a simple internet search lead me to Whole Family Health and Christina.
At the end of February 2019, I took the chance and attended my first ever acupuncture treatment with the attitude that I have nothing to waste because I need to wait for the fertility clinic to get me in anyways. Well that February day, my life completely changed. I found someone who understood PCOS and how a female body works and genuinely wanted to help me conceive.
We started a regular acupuncture program; by the end of the 3rd month I had my first period in over a year with a positive ovulation. So we continued treatments and the next couple of months produced the same results, until a few weeks ago when the period never arrived but a positive pregnancy test did.
As I am so early in my pregnancy I’m not sure what the future holds, however I do know that I will be continuing acupuncture for probably the rest of my life. My PCOS is responding so positively and my mood and all around health has improved so much in the last 6 months. I truly believe that the natural approach and Christina’s knowledge and dedication has forever changed the way I will battle my PCOS.”
If you are a woman suffering with PCOS, you don’t have to battle this alone, the amazing qualified practitioners at Whole Family Health are happy to support you through your journey with Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine!
