Women living with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) share their stories; from struggling to lose weight, trying to have a baby, managing acne and excess hair or losing their hair.
If you are a woman with PCOS and you would like to share your story, please get in touch by emailing media@verity-pcos.org.uk
PCOS stories
"Low GI is now helping me to lose the pregnancy weight"
Sunday, 20th June 2010
Emma shares her story
I wanted to share the birth of my gorgeous son with fellow PCOS sufferers.
I was diagnosed with PCOS when I was about 18 and am now 33. At the time I was told by my Doctor to talk to him again when I wanted to get pregnant because I would probably need medication to help me. Just over a year ago, I started to do a lot of reading and realised that PCOS could make me more susceptible to diabetes or heart disease and decided that I should lose some weight to help to protect myself. I started to introduce elements of the GI diet into my normal eating regime slowly and little by little my weight reduced.
My progress was halted by the amazing and very welcome news that I was pregnant. My partner and I had decided just three months beforehand that we would try for a baby and had stopped using contraception, even though we fully expected to have to work hard for our baby we fell pregnant very quickly and without any drugs at all. I had noticed that since eating more low GI foods my period had returned on a regular basis and that I had more energy and a more positive outlook. I am sure that it was the few small changes that I made to the way that I eat that led to my falling pregnant so easily. Some of my favourites are Soya and linseed bread (makes lovely toast), brown basmati rice and using oats instead of white flour to thicken stews and sauces. I was very surprised and pleased to find that Nutella was low GI.
Fortunately I got pregnant so quickly and hadn't been eating healthily for long enough to lose a significant amount of weight and I did find that having a high BMI became a barrier to the type of pregnancy and birth I wanted via the NHS. In the end scare mongering made me very stressed and I decided to employ an independent midwife - she was excellent and well worth dipping into our savings for. Thankfully, my pregnancy was very normal and I didn't have any complications usually associated with a high BMI, such as high blood pressure or gestational diabetes.
Like many first babies, my baby was two weeks late and my independent midwife suggested that I return to the GI diet for the last two weeks to make sure that he didn't put on too much weight, which could cause complications with the birth (often an issue for obese women like me). Baby Michael Harry was born on 17 March this year at a healthy 8lb 12 oz. I did have a caesarean rather than the home birth I had wanted, but this was because the birth was artificially induced and had nothing to do with my PCOS.
Low GI foods are now helping me to lose the pregnancy weight and to have the energy to cope with sleepless nights and breastfeeding.
I hope that my experience might prompt other PCOS sufferers considering getting pregnant to try a low GI diet to help them conceive and to prepare their bodies for pregnancy, childbirth and parenting.