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Thyroid Dysfunction

© Lori Ramsey

If you have thyroid disease - whether it be hyper or hypo - conception can be a tricky thing. The main thing it does to the fertility cycle is anovulation - not ovulating and causes menstrual irregularities. It also shortens the luteal phase (the time from ovulation to menstruation) which cannot sustain a pregnancy.

Sometimes if you have not been diagnosed with thyroid disease yet you can discover you have it through charting. Possible hypothyroid is preovulation temperatures in the extreme low range especially in the first 5 days of your cycle. Though this is not always the case - some women will have low temperatures and their thyroid be normal. Possible hyperthyroid is preovulation temperatures above 98.0 F. Again, this is not always the case - but if you are concerned that your temperatures possibly indicate thyroid problems have your doctor run a thyroid test to be sure.

The good news is that if your doctor determines that you have a thyroid problem (a simple blood test will determine this) then it is treatable. However if the thyroid is left untreated and conception does occur, the chances of possible miscarriage are greater. Not only is miscarriage a possibility, the risks to you are not so good too. Thyroid dysfunction can affect the heart, causing high blood pressure. This certainly isn’t good if a pregnancy occurs.

It is extremely important to seek monitoring of your thyroid if you do conceive if you are taking thyroid medications already. With the hormones of pregnancy surging through the body, it does affect the thyroid and possible dosing changes are necessary. That’s why it’s important to make sure your thyroid is taken care of before conception occurs and follow your doctors orders concerning the medication and the further testing of your thyroid.

When conception does occur in a woman suffering thyroid dysfunction, it is just as important to continue taking the medications. Stopping them will bring on the symptoms of the dysfunction - thus possibly causing a miscarriage. Be sure to talk with your physician about your plans to conceive. They will certainly want to monitor you more closely to make sure that your thyroid function stays as close to normal as possible, especially when the pregnancy does occur.

Be sure to eat a proper diet if diagnosed with thyroid dysfunction. This is important because certain foods, such as soy products and high fiber can interfere with the absorption of the thyroid medication. To safeguard against this it’s best to take the medication on an empty stomach. Discuss this with your physician, come up with a diet plan that will best suit you and your health and to support a healthy pregnancy.

The copyright of the article Thyroid Dysfunction in Preconception is owned by Lori Ramsey. Permission to republish Thyroid Dysfunction in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.