Lowcarbezine!

Just a quick note: I was told nearly 20 years ago that I couldn't become pregnant without fertility drugs due to hormone problems (I have Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome). Last year, I went on the Atkins diet. Today I have a beautiful 4 month old daughter. Coincidence? Maybe, but I doubt it. It's not likely that I became pregnant due to losing weight either. I was a size 5 for many of those childless years.

almost having an IUI but we had to stop the injectible drugs as I was at risk of ovarian hyperstimulation. I didn't go back to the clinic after that as I felt like a lab rat and it was costly and stressful.

When I turned 40 I had a serious talk with my husband and we decided to give up trying to have a baby. I started doing some research on my own into PCOS and discovered that low-carbing was supposed to help women with PCOS maintain or regain their health. Someone at work lost a whole bunch of weight by low-carbing too and she had a 3 page photocopy of a woman's magazine article that she was following. It looked too good to be true - I mean who had ever been on a diet where you could have butter? I love butter and meat, so I thought the diet didn't look too bad. I bought Dr. Atkin's New Diet Revolution, read it, and decided that I liked what he had to say and would give low-carbing a try.

I swear, withing 36 hours I felt less bloated in my abdomen and had more energy. I added more exercise and some supplements to my life. I really craved sweet stuff at first and found myself downing lots of diet jello and diet pop - and I never drank much pop before, but I managed to kick that habit too. I lost 7 pounds on induction and for the next few months I stayed at about 60 carbs a day. I lost about 15 pounds and could have lost a few more, but I think I was afraid of the sucess that I was having and didn't want to push my luck! I did have the occasional beer, so when I gained a pound or two I'd just cut back on the carbs again until I lost them.

It was amazing. I wasn't hungry and I wasn't thinking about food all the time and 7 months after I started I had 2 periods in 2 months after years of having 3-4 every 12 months. Low-carbing was getting my endocrine system back on track. Then it was winter and I started to feel sick and tired and bloated again and I craved carbs like mad. I thought maybe I had SAD on top of a big cold and then I figured it was menopause or (on bad days) ovarian cancer.

I finally went to the doctor, told her my symptoms, got a strange look from her and was told to undo my pants and get up on the examining table. She took one look at me and told me I was pregnant - probably 4-5 months. She pulled out her Doppler, rubbed some gel on my tummy and we heard a heartbeat. Twenty weeks later I had a healthy baby girl. I did get gestational diabetes, and the diet I was put on had way more carbs than I was used to eating, but the dietician I saw stressed healthy unrefined carbs and said I didn't have to eat the highest number of servings. (The GD diet doesn't take into account low-glycemic foods and is really designed for the average North American who eats too much junk food, so I suppose they don't want to make things too complicated and scary - though I wish they'd have different levels so people who are concerned about something could get more help.)

My daughter only breastfed for 4 months as I didn't have much milk and had to supplement with formula. She decided that the bottle was much easier. I was disappointed, but started low-carbing that day. A month later I had a period. A month after that I was pregnant again. So now I am 42 and 31 weeks pregnant with my second child. I've had GD from the start, and I'm really watching my carb intake, so the baby is gaining weight, but I'm not huge and I'm certainly not in ketosis. I wish I had known the connection between low-carbing and PCOS years ago, but I'm glad I finally made the connection myself. If this baby is a boy we are naming him Robert in honor of Dr. Atkins.

Sorry this is long, but low-carbing gave me 2 pregnancies after 12+ years of infertility, so it's a topic close to my heart.

I know you are busy, but I had to respond to the article about fertility and low carb eating. My husband and I had trouble conceiving for the first 17 years of our marriage, and the two children that we had were "with help"...HSGs, a laparoscopy, some fertility shots, AI, etc...After

I was on low carb for a year (and lost 70 pounds) I turned up pregnant...just out of the blue...not even trying. What a neat surprise!

Love your books and the ezine,