Overcoming PCOS: Lexi's Twin Miracle with OU Health Fertility Services

For women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), the journey to motherhood can be a challenging and emotional journey. Alexis (Lexy) Burnett, an Edmond native, faced that exact struggle after learning she had PCOS.

For years, she struggled with PCOS, a term she had never even heard of before. While under the compassionate care of Fertility Services and Reproductive Medicine specialists at OU Health, she unfortunately experienced the agony of a miscarriage. However, with patience and the right treatment, Lexy and her husband were surprised with not just one baby, but twins.

What is PCOS?

"PCOS is the most common endocrine disorder in reproductive-age women," said OU Health reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist Dr. Michael “Blake” Evans, D.O., assistant professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine. "It is essentially a disconnect or a hormonal imbalance that affects the normal menstrual cycle and ovulation."

Women with PCOS often experience irregular menstrual cycles, elevated testosterone levels, excess hair growth, acne, and most critically for those trying to conceive, ovulation disorders. PCOS is a chronic condition that can't be cured, but symptoms can be improved with lifestyle changes, medications and fertility treatments. Early diagnosis and treatment can reduce the risk of complications like diabetes and heart disease, which can also affect a woman’s quality of life and health.

"It's not common that patients with PCOS have normal ovulatory cycles," said Dr. Evans. "They don't have normal follicular development in the ovary, and so the egg is not oftentimes released in a normal expected manner."

PCOS is also a leading cause of infertility in women and is responsible for more than 75% of cases of anovulatory infertility - when a woman's ovaries don't release an egg during a menstrual cycle.

Lexy's Journey Begins

After getting married in July 2017, Lexy and her husband decided to start a family. However, when she stopped taking birth control, she noticed her cycles becoming increasingly irregular.

"I had no idea I had PCOS," Lexy said. "I didn't even know what it was until I came off birth control."

As her cycles lengthened to around 40 days with no signs of ovulation, Lexy reached out to her OB-GYN. Initial tests confirmed that Lexy wasn't ovulating, leading to a PCOS diagnosis.

"I kind of panicked at first," Lexy said. “When you Google search it, it talks about people having trouble conceiving children and things like that."

Lexy said she started to worry that her dream of starting a family was being taken away. She wasn’t ready to give up without a fight, though.

The Road to Treatment

After medications and other therapy failed to help Lexy conceive, she was referred to the Fertility Services and Reproductive Medicine team at OU Health in early 2021. She met with Dr. Evans who conducted a thorough evaluation, including an ultrasound that confirmed her PCOS diagnosis.

"A normal person has only 10 or something eggs show up at the beginning of your cycle, and I have like, 20, and that's not normal. So polycystic. That's where that polycystic comes from," Lexy said.

Dr. Evans started Lexy on a monitored cycle using Letrozole (Femara), a medication that helps induce ovulation. After several monitored cycles and a heartbreaking early miscarriage in August 2021, Dr. Evans suggested moving on to Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) in January 2022.

IUI is a fertility treatment where sperm is placed directly into the uterus during ovulation, increasing the chances of fertilization. Lexy and her husband decided to give it a try, despite knowing the success rates were relatively low.

Their first two IUI attempts were unsuccessful. The third attempt in March also failed, leading Dr. Evans to suggest considering IVF, a fertility treatment that involves fertilizing an egg with sperm in a laboratory and then placing the resulting embryo in the uterus.

However, with a bit of time before they could start IVF, the Burnett’s decided to try one more IUI cycle.

A Surprising Turn of Events

"Neither one of us had high expectations of anything happening since the first three did not work," Lexy said. "But sometimes, life has a way of surprising us when we least expect it."

During their ultrasound appointment, Dr. Evans discovered not just one, but two healthy heartbeats. Lexy's reaction was one of shock and joy, and Dr. Evans shared in the excitement of such moments.

"It's awesome. It's definitely one of the big perks of my job, experiencing that with a couple who had years and years of struggling," he said. "Finally having that moment, whether you have a heartbeat or heartbeats in her situation, is a very rewarding experience for myself."

In December 2022, Lexy gave birth to twin girls, Avery and Hope.

"They're fraternal, so they're very opposite of each other. It's funny to watch them," Lexy said. "They're tiny for their age, but they're definitely fine. They each have a full personality."

Lexy's journey from PCOS diagnosis to motherhood of twins is a testament to the advancements in reproductive medicine and the expertise of specialists like Dr. Evans at OU Health. She offered words of hope and encouragement to other women facing similar challenges with PCOS.

"You're not alone," Lexy said. "It's actually more common than you think. Whenever I tell people I have PCOS, I end up finding several people in my friend group who have it too."

Dr. Evans emphasizes the importance of seeking help and to talk with specialists to address not just PCOS, but other infertility concerns as well.

"If you are a patient struggling with irregular menstrual cycles or concerned that you might have PCOS, I would really encourage you talk with your OB-GYN, or even get an appointment with an REI [Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility specialist], such as myself," Dr. Evans said.

The dedicated, compassionate fertility services team at OU Health offers expert reproductive health care based on the latest research and advances in clinical trials. The board-certified reproductive endocrinology and infertility (REI) physicians, physician assistants, laboratory specialists, women’s health providers and specially trained nurses focus on helping Oklahomans start their families.

As Lexy said, with the right support and perseverance, the dream of parenthood can become a reality, even in the face of PCOS.

Learn more about Fertility Services and Reproductive Medicine at OU Health or speak with one of our experts about PCOS and fertility at (405) 271-1616.