Hypothyroidism and Fertility

As a companion to Monique’s episode, Mary dives into Hypothyroidism and how it affects fertility. Hypothyroidism is a leading cause of difficulty in achieving and maintaining pregnancy. Low thyroid function has a negative impact on reproductive health and is more common than most women realize. When your thyroid gland isn’t making enough thyroid hormone, it can have a serious effect on every organ in your body — including your reproductive system. This means hypothyroidism may make it difficult to conceive if you’re planning on having children. A study published in August 2015 in the Journal of Pregnancy found that women with hypothyroidism were less likely to become pregnant — and more likely to take longer to become pregnant — than women without the condition. That’s because women with hypothyroidism may not ovulate or ovulate with any regularity, and you have to ovulate to get pregnant. Hypothyroidism can affect fertility in men as well, according to the Thyroid Foundation of Canada. Although hypothyroidism is less common in men, those who do have an underactive thyroid may have low libido and low sperm count, according to a review of research published in November 2013 in Frontiers in Endocrinology in November 2013. If you’re experiencing symptoms of hypothyroidism — fatigue, increased sensitivity to cold, constipation, dry skin, weight gain, muscle weakness, and heavier than normal or irregular menstrual periods in women, among others — you should get tested for the condition. A simple blood test can reveal whether your thyroid gland is functioning normally. The test measures the amount of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) in your bloodstream, and high levels suggest hypothyroidism, according to the American Thyroid Association. Hypothyroidism is one of the many common conditions that your doctor can test for as part of a pre-pregnancy health check, according to the American Pregnancy Association, noting that it’s better to identify and treat health issues before conception. A conversation about pre-pregnancy testing is especially warranted if thyroid health problems run in your family, the British Thyroid Foundation says. Women who have difficulty getting pregnant or who have had miscarriages previously should be tested When hypothyroidism is the reason for infertility, taking thyroid medication will enable most women to conceive, from as soon as six weeks after treatment, according to a study published in February 2015 in the IOSR Journal of Dental and Medical Sciences. The study also pointed out that many women who have a problem conceiving may have no apparent symptoms of hypothyroidism and only slightly elevated TSH levels, making it all the more important to have a TSH blood test if you’re having a hard time getting pregnant and don’t know why. Another study found that treating hypothyroidism with medication not only improved conception rates, but also reduced miscarriages early in pregnancy, which can happen as a result of untreated severe hypothyroidism. Those results were published in January 2015 in The Obstetrician & Gynaecologist. It is best to see your doctor if you think that you may have hypothyroidism and further blood work can be done to investigate. This episode was brought to you by Fertility Fundamentals. Fertility fundamentals is a naturopath led collective of women supporting each other in their fertility journey. Join the collective for free at www.facebook.com/groups/fundamentalfertility and come join your tribe! If you enjoyed today’s episode, subscribe to the Fertility Stories podcast and leave a review.