MyOva myo-plus only came to my attention last summer when I was chatting to a PCOS nutritionist about what supplements were readily available to women with PCOS. I contacted Leila Martyn, the founder, and we decided it would be great to share her story on the blog. Between my “day job” and Leila having the exciting experience of having a baby and settling in to being a mum, it has taken this long to reach the blog. I hope what she shares will be inspiring and help you in your own journey with PCOS.
Leila, welcome to PCOS Matters and congratulations on the birth of Louie! Can you begin by telling us about your journey so far with PCOS? How did you know you had it and what was your initial response?
I found out I had PCOS when I was about 19 years old. I was having periods every two weeks, then every six weeks, so I went to the doctor who did some blood tests and discovered I had PCOS. They didn’t really offer any advice, explanation, or medication at the time (it was over 20 years ago!). The only thing my doctor did say to me was that I might find it difficult to have a baby. At the time I remember feeling completely devastated at this news, however at 19 years old, having a baby was the last thing on my mind.
Looking back, I did suffer a whole host of classic PCOS symptoms such as bouts of bad skin and difficulty losing weight, I never attributed it to PCOS mainly because I was unaware of what the symptoms were. By the time I reached my 20’s and 30’s my periods were fairly regular, so I naively thought I didn’t suffer from the condition anymore.
What changed and how did these experiences lead you to developing MyOva?
After a very long and challenging time trying to conceive and suffering several miscarriages I was becoming increasingly desperate to have a baby. I can’t even remember how many doctors I met who told me my miscarriages were just bad luck and at least I could fall pregnant. Every recurrent miscarriage test result came back normal which sounds like good news, but I thought at least if there was something wrong it could be fixed. None of the NHS doctors took my PCOS as a potential problem as to why I was struggling to conceive but then miscarrying when I did finally manage to fall pregnant. I ovulated late in my cycle and became convinced my egg quality was the reason I was having problems.
I started reading the book ‘It Starts with an Egg’ by Rebecca Fett, which gave me my light bulb moment. In the book, there was a whole section on PCOS and how to improve egg quality. This is where I learned about myo-inositol and how it has been medically proven to improve the symptoms of PCOS. One in ten women in the US and one in five in the UK suffer from PCOS and I thought I’m not the only one struggling with this. There is no cure, but there is something you can do to improve and manage your symptoms without taking pharmaceutical drugs that can have unwanted side effects. I was blown over by the medical research and that’s when I decided to launch MyOva.
What kind of support did you have around you? Did you eventually find a doctor who wanted to dig deeper?
Despite having that diagnosis at 19 years old, because I was having regular periods I thought everything was fine and never envisaged that I would have such a difficult time trying to conceive. The chances in the UK of having more than 5 miscarriages is something like 1%. Luckily, I am not the type of person who takes no for an answer and despite the doctors telling me my test results were normal and to just keep trying, I knew that there must be an underlying reason as to why I found it so difficult to conceive and why I was losing each pregnancy.
To be honest, nothing can prepare you for the rollercoaster of trying for a baby if you are having difficulties, but my family and fiancé picked me up when I was on the floor. I almost gave up. It took everything out of me but, we finally found a doctor who specialised in recurrent miscarriages and had a slightly unorthodox approach. Not only was my PCOS an issue but I also suffered from high natural killer cells which was treated with an inexpensive dose of steroids and I finally fell pregnant with my son who was born in August 2017.
What can others do to prepare their bodies to overcome the challenges PCOS presents for fertility?
Since launching MyOva I have been contacted by so many women who are worried about a variety of PCOS symptoms. Many women want a regular period and to ovulate because they are trying for a baby. I’m very proud to say we have already had lots of very positive feedback and a number of women who have fallen pregnant since taking MyOva which is wonderful news!
The main advice I would give is to ensure you have a healthy diet which excludes or reduces carbs and sugar. However, from my own personal experience sometimes this isn’t enough, and you need some extra help. Ultimately, PCOS is a hormonal condition which is heavily affected by insulin levels and until you get this in balance, managing your weight can seem like a never-ending battle. Taking any food supplement is not going to be a miracle cure. It’s about living a healthy lifestyle and working to balance your body.
Let’s talk about the ingredients in MyOva and why they were chosen:
Myo-inositol first (and how does this vary from other forms of inositol)?
There are actually nine different types of inositol but it is the ‘Myo’ version that has been shown to be effective for PCOS by controlling blood glucose levels and lowering insulin levels.
Myo-inostiol is a B vitamin and can be found naturally in foods such as fruits, beans, grains, and nuts and many studies have shown that it is very safe with few or no side effects. It is particularly helpful to women who are suffering from PCOS by restoring ovulation, mensturation, improving egg quality and even preventing gestational diabetes in pregnancy. It also has been shown to improve symptoms such as hirsutism and unwanted hair growth, acne and skin issues in women with PCOS.
MyOva’s myo-plus offers 2g of myo-inositol per serving in an easy to take tablet taken twice a day.
Folate is a familiar word for all women who are TTC (trying to conceive) – why is that?
It’s very important to take the vitamin B9 if you are TTC to protect your baby from neural tube defects. Both folate and folic acid are B9 vitamins, however there is an important difference between the two. Folic acid is a synthetic form of vitamin B9, whereas folate is the naturally-occurring version. Before entering the bloodstream, the digestive system converts folate into the biologically active form of vitamin B9, 5-MTHF and we wanted to offer the most effective and superior version of B9 in MyOva’s myo-plus.
Finally, chromium is a supplement that we hear recommended for women with insulin resistance. How does it work?
A key issue for women who suffer from PCOS is a chromium deficiency. Chromium has been shown to normalize blood sugar levels and decrease insulin requirements in women with glucose intolerance and insulin resistance. Chromium works by encouraging the formation of glucose tolerance factor which is a substance released by the liver and is needed by the body to make insulin more efficient.
Any final words of encouragement or advice you would like to offer?
I think my main advice to women who are suffering classic signs of PCOS such as acne, hair loss, weight issues and infrequent or absent periods is to make sure that you go to the doctors and get properly diagnosed. Over 50% of women who suffer from PCOS go undiagnosed. It is also hereditary, so if your mum or auntie suffer from it, it’s likely that you will suffer from it too. Once you are diagnosed then there are both medical and natural ways to manage the condition.
Metformin in probably the most widely known pharmaceutical drug used to treat PCOS, but it comes with some nasty side effects such as nausea and diarrhoea, then of course there are natural alternative options like MyOva myo-plus. There is no cure for PCOS but if you take steps to manage your insulin levels with a healthy diet and potentially either metformin or a natural alternative, most women will start seeing positive results after a few months.
My thanks to Leila for sharing her story and research with us. She has also generously offered one PCOS Matters follower a 3 month supply of MyOva myo-plus. If you would like the chance to win this, keep an eye on the blog or our social media (Twitter / Facebook / Instagram) next week – I’ll be announcing the details soon.
MyOva myo-plus is available online for worldwide shipping from the MyOvaCare shop. If you’re in the US, you can save on shipping costs by purchasing MyOva myo-plus via Amazon Prime.
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