Did you know that an undiagnosed thyroid problem can affect the ability to conceive?
A thyroid that functions properly is absolutely vital for both conception and having a healthy pregnancy. Difficulties with fertility and getting pregnant are not uncommon.
Columbia University Medical Center has noted the following regarding fertility and pregnancy: “overactive or underactive thyroid function is more common in women and can occur during pregnancy, after pregnancy (often resulting in postpartum depression), or may be the cause of infertility, fetal abnormalities, stillbirth, and premature labor.”
Millions of American women suffer from an under-functioning thyroid (a condition known as hypothyroidism). A thorough thyroid evaluation is an important first step in identifying possible causes of infertility. Should you get your thyroid checked? The Canary Club Comprehensive Iodine Panel is easy, affordable home testing and is recommended for any woman trying to get pregnant if she:
• has an irregular menstrual cycle
• has had more than two miscarriages
• has a family history of thyroid problems
• has not been able to conceive for more than six months
Once you have your results to review with your practitioner you can be examined for signs of hypothyroidism, such as:
• puffiness in the eyes
• a slow Achilles reflex
• an enlarged neck (goiter)
• hair loss on the outer edge of eyebrows
• changes in the texture of skin and hair
Left untreated, hypothyroidism can affect fertility by preventing an egg from being released (known as anovulation). It can also cause a shortened luteal phase, which is the time from ovulation to menstruation, causing an egg to fail to implant securely and be flushed from the body (a very early miscarriage).
Hypothyroidism can cause hormonal imbalances that negatively affect reproduction, such as progesterone deficiency, decreased sex hormone binding globulin, and estrogen dominance. You may also want to test your reproductive hormones at the same time with our Advanced Saliva Profile or your FSH levels.
Ideally, the thyroid should be checked before getting pregnant. Done early and often, thyroid testing will help the doctor make any adjustments needed to encourage conception and to sustain a healthy pregnancy.
RECOMMENDED TESTS
ZRT AdvancedPlus Profile
This innovative combination, recommended by Dr. Richard Shames, MD, Dr. Richard Shames, MD, is a specialist in endocrinology hormones. Practices as a Consulting Physician and Personal Health Coach, focusing on thyroid and adrenal disorders and their many related conditions, offers a more cost-effective assessment of the major hormones produced by the thyroid, adrenal, and gonad glands, along with an evaluation of Vitamin D levels. This consolidated approach streamlines the testing process offering greater value
- Sex steroid hormones (in saliva): Estradiol (E2), Progesterone (Pg), and Testosterone (T)
- Adrenal Hormones (in saliva): DHEA-S (DS), Diurnal Cortisol (sampled 4x to show your full daily cortisol cycle)
- Thyroid hormones (in blood spot): TSH, fT3, fT4, TPOab
- Vitamin D (in blood spot): 25-OH, Total (D2, D3)
Menstrual Cycle Mapping - This new test is ideal for women who want to know their key sex hormone levels throughout a complete monthly cycle.
