Absent or heavy periods can be a symptom of PCOS and an indication of a failure to release an egg regularly. Ovulation Induction, which involves medication to stimulate the ovaries and trigger the release of a mature egg can help you get pregnant. For Tasha and husband Ryan OI and good timing was what they needed for a natural pregnancy
I had a year with no periods
Tasha, who lives in King’s Lynn, has Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), a common cause of infertility which interferes with egg production, and she is sharing her story in support of PCOS Awareness Month.
“When I came off the pill in my twenties to try for a baby, I knew it might take a while for my body to re-adjust but then I went a whole year without having a period. I thought ‘this is a bit odd.’
“It got to the stage where I thought I would never be a mum which was really upsetting,” she says.
“A lot of my friends had fallen pregnant really easily, literally after trying for a month, and so I had found it really tough when it just wasn’t happening for us.”
PCOS diagnosis needs a scan of the ovaries
PCOS is difficult to diagnose, but is can be identified at a fertility clinic with ultrasound scanning and the Anti-Müllerian Hormone (AMH) blood test.
Thanos Papathanasiou is the Medical Director at Bourn Hall Clinic, which provides NHS fertility testing in Norfolk, and he explains: “If an ovary in a scan looks like a bunch of grapes with lots and lots of little tiny follicles, but the patient has no other symptoms – facial hair, acne, irregular periods – then we would say that there is an ‘appearance’ of polycystic ovaries,” he says.
“These women may have regular cycles and can often have slightly longer cycles of perhaps every 35 to 45 days, but they don’t necessarily have the ‘syndrome’ itself.
“A diagnosis of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is when the person has other symptoms, which may include infrequent heavy periods. This is because the eggs are trapped in the follicles – the bumps on the ovary – and one is not being released each month. The lining of the womb still thickens each month, which causes the period, but there is no ovulation.
“PCOS is difficult to diagnose as it affects women in different ways, but a proper diagnosis does provide options, for example achieving a healthy BMI of between 19-30 can restart ovulation naturally in many women. This is why PCOS Awareness Month is so important as there are things you can do.”
Diagnosis of PCOS a relief
Tasha says: “Once I got my diagnosis of PCOS everything made sense. In addition to my lack of periods I was suffering from bad acne, thinning hair on my head whilst gaining hair on my face, fatigue, trouble sleeping and my anxiety and depression got worse.
“I had experienced really heavy periods as a teenager as well as acne and facial hair which made me self-conscious. At the time I was put on the pill to alleviate my symptoms but that of course masked my PCOS until I came off it to try for a baby.”
Tasha went to see her GP, who referred her to Bourn Hall Clinic for testing. “The whole thing was really quick,” she says.
At the Bourn Hall clinic in Kings Lynn, Tasha had NHS-funded Ovulation Induction (OI) treatment. Lead nurse Kathryn Rayner explains: “Ovulation Induction, where the ovaries are stimulated and carefully monitored, is an option for women with PCOS. Natural intercourse can then be timed to coincide with the release of one mature egg, which increases the chance of conception. It has a good success rate where there are no other factors.”
OI overcomes PCOS infertility
At the Bourn Hall clinic in Kings Lynn, Tasha had NHS-funded Ovulation Induction (OI) treatment. The fertility nurses closely monitored Tasha at Bourn Hall with regular ultrasound scans and blood tests to check that all was going to plan.
Lead nurse Kathryn Rayner explains: “Ovulation Induction, where the ovaries are stimulated and carefully monitored, is an option for women with PCOS. Natural intercourse can then be timed to coincide with the release of one mature egg, which increases the chance of conception. It has a good success rate where there are no other factors.”
“The whole process at Bourn Hall was very efficient, brilliant,” says Tasha.
“I found out in October 2020 that I was pregnant, and it was an amazing feeling; I just cried!”
Lyla Elizabeth was born on 2 June 2021 at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn and she was invited to plant a tree for the Queen’s Green Canopy.
“The treatment meant the world to us. And everyone at Bourn Hall was so nice – they were always there for us and were really helpful and offered us so much support. Being able to have all our treatment so close to home was really convenient too.
“Ryan has been my rock throughout our fertility journey, has supported me throughout and is the most amazing Dad to Lyla.”