Priscilla’s Maven Story: Navigating conception with PCOS

Priscilla, a senior industry account manager at Microsoft, always knew she wanted to be a mom. But after being diagnosed with PCOS, one of the most common causes of infertility in women, Priscilla knew that starting a family might be harder than she expected. When she began using Maven to learn more about her condition, Priscilla’s providers empowered her to take charge of her parenthood journey. 

Diagnosed with PCOS, Priscilla worried about her fertility

As a teenager, Priscilla was diagnosed with ovarian cysts, a condition affecting the ovaries that can cause complications with menstruation and fertility. Because of her condition, Priscilla needed to have an ovarian cyst removed. “That was a painful experience,” Priscilla remembered. “I thought if I ever wanted to have children, it might become an issue or just be a longer journey.” 

Several years later, Priscilla was also diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), when she and her husband, Cesar, attempted to conceive. PCOS is one of the most common causes of female infertility, affecting six to 12 percent of American women. “Fast forward years later, once I'm actually trying to become a mom, I was also diagnosed with PCOS. Between the ovarian cyst issue and the new diagnosis, I was overwhelmed.” During the months of trying, Cesar could see how her health issues—the uncertainty they made her feel—were taking a toll on Priscilla. 

Maven changed the course of Priscilla’s fertility journey

After she was diagnosed with PCOS, Priscilla joined the women’s employee resource group at Microsoft to learn more about her fertility benefits. During the meeting, a representative presented the fertility support Maven offers, from on-demand appointments with specialized providers to dedicated Care Advocates for each member. Recognizing the value, Priscilla immediately joined Maven—and she’s been using it ever since. “My fertility journey changed with Maven,” Priscilla explained. “I felt a lot more empowered and educated.”  She met with providers who helped her understand her diagnosis and feel comfortable with her options going forward.

Priscilla found the support she needed through Maven to better understand the process of getting pregnant with PCOS. During her conversations with a Fertility Awareness Educator, a nutritionist, and her Care Advocate, Priscilla learned about PCOS— how common it is, what the diagnosis meant for her, how to track her periods while trying to conceive, and how she could manage her PCOS through lifestyle and diet changes. 

“The difference between Maven and other practitioners that I had seen is the time spent,” Priscilla explained. “With Maven you’re able to sit one-on-one with someone and have anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour.” Priscilla was able to comfortably ask as many questions as she wanted, knowing that she would get a compassionate, thorough response from an expert.

End-to-end support from preconception to pregnancy

Before starting to use Maven, Priscilla and Cesar had been trying to conceive for several months. After two months of using Maven, and with support from a Maven nutritionist and fertility awareness educator, Priscilla became pregnant. Both Priscilla and Cesar were overjoyed: because of her PCOS diagnosis, they thought their journey would take years of trying.

After getting pregnant, the couple turned to Maven for maternity support and information on everything from breastfeeding classes to nutritional guidance. Priscilla and Cesar also took several virtual classes offered by Maven so they could feel as prepared as possible. 

One of the biggest advantages of working with Maven providers was that Priscilla could have more flexibility in scheduling appointments and taking classes outside of working hours. “I could [schedule with Maven] without interrupting my normal workday. It’s helpful that I can access Maven through an app, so I can easily log in and make a quick appointment without a huge interruption to my day.”

“I’d say that Maven is a game-changer.” 

The Maven difference 

With the support of Maven’s on-demand network of providers and experts, Priscilla felt confident she had the support she needed while trying to conceive and into her pregnancy. The biggest difference Maven made was empowering Priscilla to take charge of her journey with helpful, accurate, and timely information. “I'm super thankful that Microsoft offers us Maven, because it's been helpful and impactful,” Priscilla says. She now recommends Maven to co-workers, whether they’re pregnant or trying to start a family. Through the ups and downs of her pregnancy journey, Priscilla credits Maven as instrumental in helping her navigate her questions, fear, and concerns. “I'd say that Maven is a game-changer.”