Hashimoto's & fertility - what you need to know
If you’ve been diagnosed with Hashimoto’s, you might have heard that fertility issues often go hand in hand with your condition. While it’s true that thyroid issues can make it more difficult to fall pregnant, there are steps we can take to support your thyroid health and fertility.
What you need to know about Hashimoto’s & fertility
It’s best to get your thyroid under control before conception
If at all possible, you don’t want to look at sorting out your thyroid while you’re pregnant! We want it to be calm and balanced before conceiving to reduce the risk of miscarriage and other side effects.
The risk is two-fold - antibodies and low thyroid hormone levels. Studies show that elevated thyroid antibodies in pregnancy triples the risk of miscarriage and doubles the risk of pre-term birth, even if thyroid hormone levels are considered ‘normal’.
Low thyroid hormones during pregnancy can drop your body temperature, which can stop your baby’s growth. This puts you at an increased risk of miscarriage and pre-term birth. There is also a greater risk of low birth weight, deformities, and underdevelopment of the thyroid and sex organs of your baby.
If you have Hashimoto’s and want to fall pregnant, I would look at a minimum of 3-6 months of preconception work. This allows you to not only prepare your body for pregnancy, but also steady your thyroid function.
You want optimal levels of thyroid nutrients
Pregnancy is an incredibly taxing process in terms of nutrient stores. If you go into your pregnancy with average or low levels of your thyroid nutrients, your thyroid function will suffer as a result.
We want to ensure that you have excellent levels of:
Iodine
Zinc
Selenium
Iron
Vitamin B12
Vitamin D
All of these nutrients not only play a role in your thyroid, but also in a healthy pregnancy.
Iodine should be tested before and during pregnancy
Iodine deficiency is more common than many people realise. But iodine deficiency during pregnancy can lead to significant risks of miscarriage, pre-term birth, hypothyroidism in the infant and stunted physical and mental growth. Once you add on the risk of low thyroid hormones thanks to Hashimoto’s, it becomes critical to know what your iodine levels are.
I recommend testing your iodine levels before falling pregnant so you know whether you need to correct a deficiency first. It’s also best to test during pregnancy to ensure you’re getting enough for your thyroid’s requirements.
The basics go a long way for conception, pregnancy and thyroid health!
There might be plenty of specific supplements, nutrients, herbs and other interventions that can help. But honestly, the best medicine that covers preconception, pregnancy and supporting your thyroid health is:
Eating a nutrient-rich diet with plenty of wholefoods, fibre and colourful fruit and veg
Managing your stress levels
Prioritising good sleep
Moving your body in a way that feels good for you
Getting some support and accountability with all of the above!
Many women with Hashimoto’s fear they may never be able to have children. This is often compounded by the fact that a lot of women discover they have Hashimoto’s due to infertility or multiple miscarriages.
But the good news is that if you address these areas of your health before conception, it is possible to have a healthy pregnancy and baby.