Having lived with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) for most of her adult life, Courtney knew it would affect her chances of getting pregnant. But that fact didn | t become real until her mid-30s, when she married and wanted to start a family.
PCOS is one of the most common causes of infertility. Courtney and her husband quickly became immersed in the world of fertility treatments. It took its toll – but just when they were ready to take a break, the treatments worked. The couple welcomed daughter Caroline in summer .
In this edited interview, Courtney shares her journey – and a message for other women facing similar struggles.
ACOG: How were you diagnosed with PCOS?
Courtney: From when I was a teenager, my period never followed any real pattern – it would show up whenever it wanted to. I once went more than 2 years between periods.
I was finally diagnosed when I moved to Chicago in my mid-20s. My new ob-gyn suspected PCOS based on my history and other symptoms, including excessive hair growth, fatigue, pelvic pain, and vaginal dryness. They confirmed it with an ultrasound. My ovaries were covered in cysts.
We tried hormonal birth control to get my body on a schedule. It did help regulate my periods, but it came with extreme side effects for me, like anxiety and weight fluctuations. I finally quit taking the pills, thinking “I don | t need to put up with this.”
For years, PCOS was something I just lived with. After all, there isn | t a cure.
ACOG: How did PCOS affect your plans to get pregnant?
Courtney: When I was first diagnosed, the doctor did mention I might not be able to have my own children. That news shocked me, but it also didn | t really stick because I wasn | t yet married or ready. It was a long time before I fully realized that PCOS would impact my fertility so significantly.
My husband, Craig, and I started planning for a baby right after we got married, because we knew it was going to be a process. With the PCOS diagnosis, we could bypass the whole “try for a year” stage. We got to walk right into a fertility specialist | s office and get started with a fertility evaluation and treatment – and, thankfully, insurance covered it.
ACOG: What were your fertility treatments like?
Courtney: It was a fast-paced treadmill of appointments, medications, injections, blood draws, and transvaginal ultrasounds. We were in that clinic up to three times a week, often at 6 am so I could still get to work on time. Between appointments, we were communicating back and forth with the doctors and nurses.
Everything needed to be done in a very particular manner. The first step was to take oral medication that would stimulate ovulation. I did several cycles with different medications.
After they determined a follicle was ready to produce an egg, I would also get an injection that would stimulate ovulation. Then we had to have sex multiple times within the next 24 to 48 hours. We | d wait to see what would happen … and start all over again.
I | ll be honest, it took a toll on us. Sex became a requirement – there was no fun in it anymore. My hormones were all over the place, I was overly emotional about everything, and we were so tired from all the logistics.
Give yourself space to acknowledge that this is hard.
Courtney, 38 | Chicago, Illinois
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