Copyright © 2007 • All Rights reserved
Written by Rachel Holbert
Aislinn's story
I suppose I should go back to when I first got my period - I was in grade 8, so I suppose I was about 13 years old. After I got it that first time, I didn't get it again until I was 16 years old. Then again at about 18, when I finally went on the pill.
So the irregular cycles triggered my mom to bring me to the gynaecologist around the time I was 17 (to get the pill prescription). I had many of the typical symptoms - the first being amenorrhea, anovulation and hirtuism (I had undergone about 3 years of electrolysis). I also had some trouble loosing weight, but I never topped 128lbs (and I am only 5'3") so it wasn't bad. Finally, I had blood sugar problems - not the typical diabetes, but rather, the opposite: low blood sugar that caused me to faint in the most inappropriate places! So I was on the GI diet for a while which helped both my weight and my blood sugar.
Anyway, at my first gynaecologist appointment, she gave me my pill prescription, diagnosed me just by hearing my symptoms and handed me a pamphlet on PCOS and told me I likely would never be able to have kids. I was 17'ish so this was in the 1990's.
My mom, having had similar symptoms to me, also had issues conceiving but ended up being pregnant 6 times (one time with twins) so she gave me some hope that all was not lost!
My two sisters, who are younger, did not have any issues with their cycles, which I found odd given my mom and I. They were like clockwork.
I went away to University when I was 19 and I had a long term boyfriend who I had ever intent of marrying. We dated for 6 years (until I was done my degree) and he knew of my infertility. We never really spoke of it but I had always tol dhim I wanted to start trying soon after we got married (once done our degrees) b/c it may take a while. This ultimately led to our demise b/c he didn't want to get married so young.
Anyway, I really lived like there was nothing wrong for the longest time b/c I was on the pill and was just casually dating people.
By the time i Met Keith, I was about 26 years old and I had just finished my nursing degree, so I was new in the workforce and ready to settle down. He was SO amazing about my infertility, which I laid out on the table as soon as I was sure we were serious (which was quite early on!). His response was "If we can't have kids of our own we will adopt!". He was just so understanding.
Anyway, after dating for a little over a year we got engaged and were married a year later. We knew we would need to go to a fertility clinic so as soon as we were married, I went off the pill and we didn't use protection. I got a period the first cycle off the pill but never again on my own. During the next year, I would take Provera to trigger a period every 3 months. After 16 months we went to a fertility clinic. After many painful and long tests (took us 3 months to complete them all) my doctor diagnosed me properly with PCOS. She gave us our treatment protocol which started with Clomid.
After our first cycle we conceived Noah - who originally may have been a twin - but we never really found out.
After a long and difficult pregnancy (I had massive bleeds and was on bedrest for the second trimester), Noah was born - but not without his own health issues. He has many heart defects which we didn't know about until he went into respiratory distress at 10 days of age. He was surgically repaired at 2 weeks of age, but needs more surgery. Anyway, we also found out he is a 47XXY male - which means he has an extra X chromosome - and therefore he will have very low levels of testosterone and thus, he is 100% infertile. This broke our hearts more than anything else - especially given that we know what it is like to be infertile, but for us we had options - and he doesn't (other than donor sperm).
After Noah, we went back to not using protection (unless you can call having a baby birth control!) - Keith said if we ever miraculously conceived on our own, it would truly be a miracle, given my anovulation.
After my maternity leave was over when Noah turned 1, I went back to work and therefore Noah weaned his breastfeeeding down to only 2 feeds a day. After a week or so of this, he weaned down to bedtime only feeds. This sudden drop in the hormones must have triggered a cascade effect that caused me to ovulate (on my own!!!) because we conceived Layla that cycle.
Her pregnancy and health have been wonderful thus far but a part of me worries already about her having PCOS as well. Since it seems to be genetic in my family! I also struggle with the thoughts of having two infertile children. That breaks me up a lot inside - all people want in life for their kids is to have a wonderful life and children of their own. And I realize that this path will be harder for then than for most. Of course, their infertility will not mean they have to live childless - but it does make their journey more difficult. I worry that Noah will have a hard time finding a woman who will accept his infertility. I worry that Layla will have to deal with weight issues and hirtuism as I did - which leads to teasing in school.
So for now, we are not sure what we will use as birth control! Our "method" has only "failed" us once - but we were so blessed for that fluke ovulation! So we shall see if there are more kiddies in the stars for us!
I suppose I should go back to when I first got my period - I was in grade 8, so I suppose I was about 13 years old. After I got it that first time, I didn't get it again until I was 16 years old. Then again at about 18, when I finally went on the pill.
So the irregular cycles triggered my mom to bring me to the gynaecologist around the time I was 17 (to get the pill prescription). I had many of the typical symptoms - the first being amenorrhea, anovulation and hirtuism (I had undergone about 3 years of electrolysis). I also had some trouble loosing weight, but I never topped 128lbs (and I am only 5'3") so it wasn't bad. Finally, I had blood sugar problems - not the typical diabetes, but rather, the opposite: low blood sugar that caused me to faint in the most inappropriate places! So I was on the GI diet for a while which helped both my weight and my blood sugar.
Anyway, at my first gynaecologist appointment, she gave me my pill prescription, diagnosed me just by hearing my symptoms and handed me a pamphlet on PCOS and told me I likely would never be able to have kids. I was 17'ish so this was in the 1990's.
My mom, having had similar symptoms to me, also had issues conceiving but ended up being pregnant 6 times (one time with twins) so she gave me some hope that all was not lost!
My two sisters, who are younger, did not have any issues with their cycles, which I found odd given my mom and I. They were like clockwork.
I went away to University when I was 19 and I had a long term boyfriend who I had ever intent of marrying. We dated for 6 years (until I was done my degree) and he knew of my infertility. We never really spoke of it but I had always tol dhim I wanted to start trying soon after we got married (once done our degrees) b/c it may take a while. This ultimately led to our demise b/c he didn't want to get married so young.
Anyway, I really lived like there was nothing wrong for the longest time b/c I was on the pill and was just casually dating people.
By the time i Met Keith, I was about 26 years old and I had just finished my nursing degree, so I was new in the workforce and ready to settle down. He was SO amazing about my infertility, which I laid out on the table as soon as I was sure we were serious (which was quite early on!). His response was "If we can't have kids of our own we will adopt!". He was just so understanding.
Anyway, after dating for a little over a year we got engaged and were married a year later. We knew we would need to go to a fertility clinic so as soon as we were married, I went off the pill and we didn't use protection. I got a period the first cycle off the pill but never again on my own. During the next year, I would take Provera to trigger a period every 3 months. After 16 months we went to a fertility clinic. After many painful and long tests (took us 3 months to complete them all) my doctor diagnosed me properly with PCOS. She gave us our treatment protocol which started with Clomid.
After our first cycle we conceived Noah - who originally may have been a twin - but we never really found out.
After a long and difficult pregnancy (I had massive bleeds and was on bedrest for the second trimester), Noah was born - but not without his own health issues. He has many heart defects which we didn't know about until he went into respiratory distress at 10 days of age. He was surgically repaired at 2 weeks of age, but needs more surgery. Anyway, we also found out he is a 47XXY male - which means he has an extra X chromosome - and therefore he will have very low levels of testosterone and thus, he is 100% infertile. This broke our hearts more than anything else - especially given that we know what it is like to be infertile, but for us we had options - and he doesn't (other than donor sperm).
After Noah, we went back to not using protection (unless you can call having a baby birth control!) - Keith said if we ever miraculously conceived on our own, it would truly be a miracle, given my anovulation.
After my maternity leave was over when Noah turned 1, I went back to work and therefore Noah weaned his breastfeeeding down to only 2 feeds a day. After a week or so of this, he weaned down to bedtime only feeds. This sudden drop in the hormones must have triggered a cascade effect that caused me to ovulate (on my own!!!) because we conceived Layla that cycle.
Her pregnancy and health have been wonderful thus far but a part of me worries already about her having PCOS as well. Since it seems to be genetic in my family! I also struggle with the thoughts of having two infertile children. That breaks me up a lot inside - all people want in life for their kids is to have a wonderful life and children of their own. And I realize that this path will be harder for then than for most. Of course, their infertility will not mean they have to live childless - but it does make their journey more difficult. I worry that Noah will have a hard time finding a woman who will accept his infertility. I worry that Layla will have to deal with weight issues and hirtuism as I did - which leads to teasing in school.
So for now, we are not sure what we will use as birth control! Our "method" has only "failed" us once - but we were so blessed for that fluke ovulation! So we shall see if there are more kiddies in the stars for us!
