Just diagnosed with hypothyroidism...

[surf mama]

I just edited this post because I had heard I had hyperthyroidism but found out this morning it is actually hypothyroidism. Anyway I'd still welcome any advice. I am off to Health and Healing Forum to see what I can learn.

[renee37]

How does that effect your pregnancy or getting pregnant. Sorry, please educate.

[Tine]

Just popping in to say hi, surf mama. I remember you from the April '03 toddler thread! I have hypothyroidism, too. I'm no expert, but I can probably answer basic questions about it, so fire away!

[Pookietooth]

It can cause a failure to ovulate, and also is associated with PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome), which is often linked to infertility (I have PCOS). Some women just need the right thyroid hormone to conceive, others need fertility treatments.

[Kharen]

Hi, there!

You'll find that there are many, many other women on MDC who are hypo. If you do a search for hypothyroidism here, I'm sure you'll find a number of threads.

I was diagnosed with hypo about 8 years ago. I'm not TTC yet (but will be later this year), but I've done a great deal of research on hypo/fertility. Essentially, your thyroid is your metabolism's master gland, so when it's underactive, your hormone levels are affected. Some hypos may not ovulate; some may ovulate very late -- there's a good deal of variation. If you chart, you'll likely find your temps are lower than average.

The important thing is to understand that not only are your reproductive hormonal levels dependent on sufficient thyroid hormone, but when pregnant, your baby is dependent on your stores of thyroid hormone until they have formed their own (at about 12 weeks gestation, I think -- don't quote me on that. I don't have my books in front of me ).

You must be vigilant about making sure your health provider checks your thyroid levels throughout pregnancy -- especially your TSH and T4 levels.

I'd recommend checking out the following. Although hypothyroidism is very common, I've found that some docs are not as up-to-speed on current thyroid research and treatment.

* Mary Shomon's book "Living Well with Hypothyroidism" -- it's an excellent resource. She's also written "Thyroid Guide to Fertility, Pregnancy and Breastfeeding," which I plan on buying soon (It's available on the second Web site below.)
* http://thyroid.about.com/
* http://www.thyroid-info.com/

You'll do just fine. Just make sure your doc is aware of the most current research.

Best,
K

[mother culture]

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[homesteaderhoney]

I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism when I was 21. I've been taking medication since then, but I think the dose needs to be adjusted. I've read that if you take your meds religiously you can get to a perfectly normal level of thyroid hormone and eventually get pregnant. Of course, I've haven't gotten pregnant yet, so it probably differs form person to person...

[staceyshoe]

I am hypo- also. It can reduce fertility and increase risk of m/c and neurological defects. However, these problems are all resolved by proper treatment. I personally take Armour which has both T3 and T4. You'll be amazed at how great you feel when your hormones are balanced!