PCOS diet?

[Anonymous]

I don't think the thing about breast milk is true. I think that it's something like 1/3 may tend to under produce, 1/3 regular, and 1/3 over produce. I am really not sure how anyone would quantify that or be able to figure that out, since the amount of breastmilk a baby needs is so varied. I have PCOS and I was a massive over producer.

[Anonymous]

PP here, I was also successful in getting pregnant with metformin and cutting carbs.

[Anonymous]

I got pregnant on clomid (makes you ovulate) and breastfed for a year with an oversupply! No other PCOS symptoms other than no ovulation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also be prepared that Pcos girls generally have very low breast milk output. Don't let that discourage you just be aware that it's also a side effect of pcos (that most don't know about).

I've never heard that, and never had trouble producing milk (in fact I had excess) for my two kids. I have several friends with kids with PCOS and no one has ever mentioned that. I'd take it with a grain of salt. Where's the research on that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also be prepared that Pcos girls generally have very low breast milk output. Don't let that discourage you just be aware that it's also a side effect of pcos (that most don't know about).

I've never heard that, and never had trouble producing milk (in fact I had excess) for my two kids. I have several friends with kids with PCOS and no one has ever mentioned that. I'd take it with a grain of salt. Where's the research on that?

I've heard this before and indeed was unable to BF my daughter. It happens.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also be prepared that Pcos girls generally have very low breast milk output. Don't let that discourage you just be aware that it's also a side effect of pcos (that most don't know about).

I've never heard that, and never had trouble producing milk (in fact I had excess) for my two kids. I have several friends with kids with PCOS and no one has ever mentioned that. I'd take it with a grain of salt. Where's the research on that?

I've heard this before and indeed was unable to BF my daughter. It happens.

Here are some links to articles: http://kellymom.com/bf/concerns/mother/pcos/

It can, but doesn't always, happen. I produced very little milk myself & I really wish if known ahead of time that might happen.

Anyway, yes to lower carb diet helping. This may be just me, but cutting BPA exposure seemed to help (foods that are canned or in plastic bottles).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't think the thing about breast milk is true. I think that it's something like 1/3 may tend to under produce, 1/3 regular, and 1/3 over produce. I am really not sure how anyone would quantify that or be able to figure that out, since the amount of breastmilk a baby needs is so varied. I have PCOS and I was a massive over producer.

I've had doctors suggest I might have PCOS, but no definitive diagnosis and I, too am overproducer.

[Anonymous]

More anecdotal evidence. I have PCOS - needed shots and the trigger shot to get pregnant two times. My breast milk supply was fine, if not a bit heavy.

[Anonymous]

Low carb diet has helped like nothing else. I also mini-fast to make sure my blood glucose stays low - essentially by skipping breakfast.

Also I use the clearblue easy fertility monitor to track ovulation.

[Anonymous]

Low GI diet definitely helps if you have the hormonal issues. Not sure it would do anything if you don't.

Amenorrhea by itself is not PCOS. I think the diagnostic criteria is 2 out of 3 main symptoms. I have polycystic ovaries and oligoovulation but NOT other symptoms (hirsutism, excess androgens, amenorrhea, overweight, etc). So I guess that means I am PCOS. However, I got pregnant easily both times I tried and have an oversupply of milk (and very low blood sugar -- like normal levels even not for pregnant women). I'm guessing this is because I don't have the hormonal issues but just have messed up ovaries.

My sister has PCOS, too, but has every symptom EXCEPT polycystic ovaries (go figure!) and she has to do low GI diet and take metformin to menstruate regularly (or be on BC pills, but of course that doesn't help when attempting to get pregnant).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Low GI diet definitely helps if you have the hormonal issues. Not sure it would do anything if you don't.

Amenorrhea by itself is not PCOS. I think the diagnostic criteria is 2 out of 3 main symptoms. I have polycystic ovaries and oligoovulation but NOT other symptoms (hirsutism, excess androgens, amenorrhea, overweight, etc). So I guess that means I am PCOS. However, I got pregnant easily both times I tried and have an oversupply of milk (and very low blood sugar -- like normal levels even not for pregnant women). I'm guessing this is because I don't have the hormonal issues but just have messed up ovaries.

My sister has PCOS, too, but has every symptom EXCEPT polycystic ovaries (go figure!) and she has to do low GI diet and take metformin to menstruate regularly (or be on BC pills, but of course that doesn't help when attempting to get pregnant).

PP, as I posted above, our case was an ultrasound negative for polycystic ovaries, but the cysts showed up on an MRI. Not recommending your sister do an MRI (not needed for her to get treatment), but there is a chance she in fact has them and it would show on an MRI but not an ultrasound.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Low carb diet has helped like nothing else. I also mini-fast to make sure my blood glucose stays low - essentially by skipping breakfast.

Also I use the clearblue easy fertility monitor to track ovulation.

I have tried and tried and tried to go low-carb because I feel so much better and worse when I do it, but it is so hard to get enough food when I do. I find myself too low on fat or protein or veggies. Did you go cold turkey, so to speak, or did you slowly reduce carbs?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Low GI diet definitely helps if you have the hormonal issues. Not sure it would do anything if you don't.

Amenorrhea by itself is not PCOS. I think the diagnostic criteria is 2 out of 3 main symptoms. I have polycystic ovaries and oligoovulation but NOT other symptoms (hirsutism, excess androgens, amenorrhea, overweight, etc). So I guess that means I am PCOS. However, I got pregnant easily both times I tried and have an oversupply of milk (and very low blood sugar -- like normal levels even not for pregnant women). I'm guessing this is because I don't have the hormonal issues but just have messed up ovaries.

My sister has PCOS, too, but has every symptom EXCEPT polycystic ovaries (go figure!) and she has to do low GI diet and take metformin to menstruate regularly (or be on BC pills, but of course that doesn't help when attempting to get pregnant).

PP, as I posted above, our case was an ultrasound negative for polycystic ovaries, but the cysts showed up on an MRI. Not recommending your sister do an MRI (not needed for her to get treatment), but there is a chance she in fact has them and it would show on an MRI but not an ultrasound.

She had an internal u/s and no evidence of cysts. When I had my u/s my cysts were instantly recognizable and large (they weren't visible on regular u/s, only the internal). Since she's clearly PCOS as per her other symptoms I think an MRI might be overkill

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Low carb diet has helped like nothing else. I also mini-fast to make sure my blood glucose stays low - essentially by skipping breakfast.

Also I use the clearblue easy fertility monitor to track ovulation.

I have tried and tried and tried to go low-carb because I feel so much better and worse when I do it, but it is so hard to get enough food when I do. I find myself too low on fat or protein or veggies. Did you go cold turkey, so to speak, or did you slowly reduce carbs?

Avocados, fatty fish (salmon, tuna, etc), eggs, non-lean meats, cheeses for fat. Always have a salad AND cooked veggies as a side -- look for recipes on vegetarian sites for ideas. Make a huge batch of veggies (bean soup, roasted brussels sprouts and bacon, caprese salad, etc) and have it on hand for snacks and quick meals.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Low GI diet definitely helps if you have the hormonal issues. Not sure it would do anything if you don't.

Amenorrhea by itself is not PCOS. I think the diagnostic criteria is 2 out of 3 main symptoms. I have polycystic ovaries and oligoovulation but NOT other symptoms (hirsutism, excess androgens, amenorrhea, overweight, etc). So I guess that means I am PCOS. However, I got pregnant easily both times I tried and have an oversupply of milk (and very low blood sugar -- like normal levels even not for pregnant women). I'm guessing this is because I don't have the hormonal issues but just have messed up ovaries.

My sister has PCOS, too, but has every symptom EXCEPT polycystic ovaries (go figure!) and she has to do low GI diet and take metformin to menstruate regularly (or be on BC pills, but of course that doesn't help when attempting to get pregnant).

PP, as I posted above, our case was an ultrasound negative for polycystic ovaries, but the cysts showed up on an MRI. Not recommending your sister do an MRI (not needed for her to get treatment), but there is a chance she in fact has them and it would show on an MRI but not an ultrasound.

She had an internal u/s and no evidence of cysts. When I had my u/s my cysts were instantly recognizable and large (they weren't visible on regular u/s, only the internal). Since she's clearly PCOS as per her other symptoms I think an MRI might be overkill

Just to be clear--I agree an MRI would be overkill. The MRI my daughter had was for other reasons and an incidental finding was 30 cysts on each ovary that didn't show up on the i/u ultrasound. I found this interesting--they've said polycysts are no longer a criterion for a PCOS dx, probably because so many people who are clearly PCOS were not testing positives for cysts on untrasound. If MRIs were cheap, I am betting many more PCOS patients would show evidence of polycysts.