Thyroid and fertility (part 2)

Okay, so now that we know your thyroid is essential to your cycle, trying to conceive, and sustaining a healthy pregnancy, (if you missed part 1 of this thyroid series, click here to go read it!) let’s chat about what it looks like when your thyroid isn’t functioning at its best.

Symptoms that suggest your thyroid may need some support

The following symptoms can clue you in that your thyroid needs some lovin’. They include:

- unexplained weight loss

- unexplained weight gain

- irregular cycles

- infertility

- pregnancy loss

- heavy periods

- low BBT (below 97.5)

- brain fog

- hair loss

- dry skin

- brittle nails

- cold extremities

- lack of quality sleep

- sleep interruptions

- anxiety

If you’re reading this list and checked off three or more of these symptoms, it may be time to get your thyroid levels checked. The best way to do that is via bloodwork.

What labs to ask for to check thyroid levels?

The most popular test for checking thyroid is TSH or thyroid-stimulating hormone. That’s the hormone that helps your brain communicate with your thyroid (telling it to make more or less thyroid hormone). But that’s only one aspect of thyroid health. And the range conventional doctors use to determine “normal function” is wider than it should be – meaning your thyroid could be sluggish but deemed “normal”. 

You want to ask for a full thyroid panel, which will include: TSH, total and free T4 (a major thyroid hormone), total and free T3 (the active form of thyroid hormone), thyroid antibodies (TPO and anti-Tg), and reverse T3 (the inactive form of thyroid hormone). This will give you a much more robust picture of how your thyroid is functioning.

What are some (maybe unintentional) things that could be sabotaging your thyroid?

- undereating

- overexercising

- skipping sleep

- skipping breakfast

- skipping carbs

What are some foundational ways to support your thyroid?

Some of the best ways to support your thyroid help to prevent unnecessary stress to the body and provide the thyroid with everything it needs (i.e. minerals!) to produce adequate thyroid hormone. They include:

- eat breakfast

- drink caffeine with breakfast

- adequate mineral intake

- don’t skip eating carbohydrates

What if you’ve had labs done and everything came back “normal” but you still have symptoms?

Conventionally speaking, thyroid levels may be deemed “normal” based on the current ranges provided. I like to see client’s thyroid functioning optimally, so the ranges I use are more conservative (i.e. smaller, more ideal numbers). So, you can have “normal” thyroid hormones on a conventional level but they may not on an optimal level.

Also, lab results are not end all be all. If you have normal labs but you’re still having symptoms, how you feel still matters (aka it’s not all in your head!) You can have normal thyroid function but since practically the entire body uses thyroid hormone, your cells may be struggling to effectively use that thyroid hormone. That comes down to your body’s stress response – emotionally, physically, mentally, illness, trauma, you name it, etc.

Okay, so that’s me. What should I do next?

You’ll want to find the root cause of your stress (again could be coming from a number of different reasons) and then figuring out how to alleviate that stress. Figuring that out is so individual. I would recommend working with a practitioner who is familiar and comfortable with thyroid issues and who also focuses on a whole body approach. Diet and lifestyle are huge players here so it requires a deep dive into food habits and routines and stress analysis and ultimately stress management techniques.

Thyroid issues can be tricky. If you suspect your thyroid may be interrupting your ability to get pregnant or even preventing you from feeling your best after having babies, apply to work with me here.