I’ve known about having PCOS ever since I got my period at 13 years of age.
As many of you suffering from PCOS must know, it’s sounds like a pretty big deal, until you start to notice that many of your friends, family members, and online community friends have it as well.
Having PCOS is more common than you think.
Since at the moment I was only 13 and honestly, not very interested in taking care of my health, I just did what the doctor said and started taking birth control. Thinking back on it today, I have mixed feelings on that decision:
The pros of taking birth control for PCOS
On one part it was good because it helped me get regular periods (without the pills I would get maybe 1 period every 8 months), it definitely improved my acne, and I felt like my hormones were in balance (at least after the first 4 months It took me to get used to them). I did get secondary effects like major breast growth, cellulite, and a large appetite, but after I while I managed to control it and the effects got better with time.
The cons of taking birth control for PCOS
The part where my mixed feelings come through is when I think that it was kind of a “quick fix” instead of actually taking the time to figure out what was best for my body, and even trying natural remedies that many people believe are beneficial.
Since you cant do much about the past, ive accepted the fact that I took birth control for more than 8 years, and have started to deal with the real isssues not too long ago.
Anyone who knows me can tell that i’ve always wanted to be a mom, and after being married for almost 3 years, being able to get pregnant is definitely on my mind. My husband and I aren’t stressing out on the situation, nor are we desperate for it to happen, but it has definitely taken me to stop taking the pills in order to (hopefully!) get my periods back and be able to track cycles.
All of this takes me back to a year ago, when I first stopped taking the birth control pill. I was not expecting to get my period the first few months, just because i had taken them for so long, and I remembered how before the pill, i would never get a regular cycle. About 6 months later still no period came so I started to worry. I went to the doctor and she basically said what I already knew; I had PCOS and tend to not ovulate.
Instead of starting a fertility treatment that we still don’t want to provoke, I decided to dedicate at least a year to go the all-natural treatment way.
To those who can relate, these have been my experiences and obviously, they are focused on getting regular cycles, controlling PCOS (Since you can’t really cure this syndrome) and being able to track cycles in order to improve pregnancy chances in the near future. I’m aware that this is a journey and each body takes time to show changes, I HAVE NOT YET been able to reverse my PCOS or get my periods back, but I wanted to blog about it, being real from the beginning in order to help other women with PCOS that are looking for medication-free options.
- The First thing I learned is that PCOS symptoms vary depending on each person. Not every girl that suffers from this is obese, has a deep voice, and has an excess facial hair amount as the books say. Some of us are at a regular weight, eat healthy, and still suffer from it. If you are not sure if you have PCOS, make sure to get some bloodwork done, since I learned that if you have an LH/FSH ration of more than 2, this is a strict mark that tells if you suffer from PCOS, although not all PCOS patients have this condition. Also, check for insulin levels and obviously, an ultrasound that shows many underdeveloped cysts/ irregular periods can be a good tell. More about the LH/FSH ratio here.
- Second thing I learned is that there are 2 ways to approach this subject, the medical or the natural way. I’ll dedicate this post to the natural way because it’s what I decided to do for now, but if you want to learn in depth of the medical possibilities, which I have also investigated, click here.
Its important to say that If my husband and I were really focused on getting pregnant right now, we would probably choose the medication way however since we have no rush yet, we have decided on starting with a natural approach that takes more time.
These are 3 natural approaches that you can easily implement and will help with your PCOS
- GIVE UP SOY. I was eating 95% vegetarian for the past year. Ever since I stopped taking the pill, I would eat extremely healthy, but my protein sources were only XCORE protein powder, Seitan, and Tofu. I started noticing patterns; when I traveled and changed my diet (would eat chicken salads or turkey salads instead of vegetarian meats because it was easier to find in restaurants) my face would clear up from acne. Since I have still not gotten my period, I cant say if this is successful yet, but I can definitely say that over the past 2 weeks that I have been eating 0% soy and replaced it with turkey meat, and ive definitely seen an immediate difference on my face. Imagine what could be happening on the inside…. 🙂
- Limit lactose. I’ve read millions of blogs and seen a lot of youtubers speaking of this subject but everyone seems to have a mixed opinion on lactose. To be honest, i’m not sure if it’s good or bad, but all I know is that my face breaks out after cheese and wine nights, therefore, it’s another thing I’ve tried to limit in my diet. I’m not going to say I’ve completely cut lactose, because I haven’t. I still take 1 daily scoop of protein powder in my morning oatmeal, eat protein cheese a couple times a week for my salad goodies, and when I go out, I usually eat the delicious Spanish cheese varieties. What I don’t do is eat yoghurt, cow milk (almond instead) or have cheese every day! I’ve definitely noticed a big improvement in my face.
- INOSITOL. if I had to choose one, is probably one of the biggest factors that have helped me with PCOS symptoms. Those who know me know that i’m a big fan of supplementation (a complete list of what I take here), especially now that I’m trying to get my periods back, but if I had to choose only one for PCOS and women in general, without making this blog post too long, it would be this one. It’s sad to say, but I did notice a lot of facial hair growth after I stopped taking birth control, and I did have to wax more often. After only 1 week of taking this PCOS supplement, it immediately helped me with this issue. I also felt a lot better with anxiety, and according to many women, their periods come back in less than 6 months…. so i’m hoping I get that lucky.
UPDATE: 6 months later: I’m pregant!!! I wrote a newblog post on more details but i completely attribute it to the supplementation and these 3 things i wrote above. Also, i’ll link below the inositol i used because literally only 2 months after starting it, i ovulated for the first time in YEARS and got pregnant on the same cycle.
Here’s the complete blog post on the supplements i used
Or here are the direct links, i tried BOTH because i bought the first from UK and the second on a trip i did to the USA.
USA version:
UK version:
