BIG NEWS! I’m Expecting!
Yeeehaaaw! I’m pregnant!
Let the adventure begin!!
The Bump: 18 Weeks
I’m VERY pleased to announce that Derek and I are expecting! Baby Matthew will arrive early April 2016, and we couldn’t be more thrilled!
I’m currently 4 and a half months pregnant, technically 19 weeks as of tomorrow, so almost half way there! The baby is healthy and ‘dancing around’ according to my midwife and all the ultrasound technicians LOL. Which means he’s definitely going to take after his mom and dad! Yes, I said HE : )
I thought I’d take a moment to tell you a little about my journey to conceive, it wasn’t as easy as we anticipated. Then in a few days I’ll post about how the pregnancy journey has been going so far : )
The Long Road To Baby ~ The not so lovely world of PCOS
I’ll be honest, getting pregnant was no stroll in the park for Derek and I. You see, I have this little condition called PCOS, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. This means that my lovely little ovaries have many half developed follicles hanging out, and look more like a bunch of grapes instead of a nice peeled kiwi. It is weird to compare my ovaries to food?? sorry! But the bottom line is that my ovaries can’t ovulate because I don’t make enough hormones to stimulate the follicles to develop into eggs. In fact, I might ovulate on my own just a couple of times PER YEAR. Not the best situation for trying to get pregnant.
Luckily, I had a suspicion that PCOS was the issue because my periods were so infrequent, so I got in to see a doctor and was referred to a fertility clinic right away. They properly diagnosed me and started me on a regiment of hormones to stimulate ovulation. A couple of months later, we were pregnant!
OK, I sugar coated that….
It actually took 8 months, several painful procedures, many depressing fertility clinic trips, countless blood tests and a pretty serious emotional roller coaster before all was said and done. But I’m just so happy to actually be pregnant, that the whole experience is stored away in my brain and I’d rather not access that file right now, I’m sure you can understand. But there is a reason I’m telling you all this…
Sounds like PCOS is not big deal right? Well, keep reading….
If you have PCOS and don’t do anything to treat it, you can end up suffering from obesity, resistant to insulin and potentially diabetic, and the cysts can get so bad that they rupture and could cause permanent damage to your ovaries. So, a diet and lifestyle that treats PCOS is extremely important even, if you are not trying to conceive.
The reason that I’m sharing all of this with you is because post-delivery and breastfeeding, I’m planning to go on a strict diet, supplement and exercise program to see if I can kick this little issue in the butt. I’ll share my journey on the blog so that other women dealing with PCOS can get access to information, and know that they are not alone in their struggle.
And yes, PCOS can be caused by genetics. However, just because you’re genetically predisposed to a condition doesn’t always mean you will develop the condition, and in many cases the proper diet can prevent or reverse conditions such as PCOS. 1 in 5 women have PCOS in the US which to me points to our environment (including diet and lifestyle) being a major contributing factor. Unfortunately, I’ve had symptoms of PCOS since I was 15 so it’s going to be an uphill battle for me, but I’m going to try and see what I can accomplish to at least manage the condition. And by diet, I don’t just mean eating more greens. The PCOS diet is very high fat and low carb, so I’ll only be able to take it on after I’m finished breast feeding.
Soooo, why didn’t I do the PCOS diet before I tried to get pregnant?
Derek and I were already trying to conceive for a year when I was diagnosed. Being 35 years old and told you are infertile is extremely stressful. Yes, I knew that this could be overcome with a year or two of intense nutritional therapy, but heck, time was ticking and we freaking wanted a baby!!! Derek was extremely supportive and would have supported me regardless of whether I decided to go the medical or natural route. And in the end we decided as a family that the medical route was the best option for us at the time, especially since we’re only planning on one baby. BUT if we do decide to have another child, my goal will be to have baby #2 totally naturally without the need for medical intervention to conceive. But please, mom, don’t hold me to that promise of a second baby! ; )
So that’s the Coles notes of our journey to conceive, hopefully other fertility clinic moms will find some comfort in knowing that someone else has gone through a similar experience.
So stay tuned for my much more entertaining story about the first 4 and a half months of pregnancy coming to the blog this weekend! : )
Xo,
Kate & Baby Matthew