Thyroid Problems and Infertility
As you probably well know, there are tons of things that can interfere with you becoming pregnant. Start with the fact that around half of all fertility problems are due to the male partner. Some things are just beyond your control.
Still, there are other things you can control. Being overweight, for example, can cause fertility problems. So can being underweight. There are certain foods that are better for becoming pregnant than others, too. There are all sorts of changes you can make to your lifestyle before you ever talk to a doctor about fertility issues that may be able to solve the problem.
Unfortunately, it’s not all as easy as that. For some women, the problem runs deeper. It could be a problem like PCOS, or some other problem involving the reproductive system.
Some women have a thyroid problem that may interfere with becoming pregnant. If you’re concerned that you may have a thyroid problem, talk to your health care provider. Identifying such a problem is relatively easy and quick.
Your health care provider is likely to order a test for TSH – thyroid stimulating hormone. In addition, she’ll want to do a full panel to test your thyroid levels, including Thyroid Antibodies, Free Thyroxine (also known as Free T4) and Free T3.
You can ask your health care provider to tell you what the actual TSH level was. The “normal” range for TSH is considered 0.5 to 5.5. However, some experts suggest that, especially in regard to fertility, a level of 0.3 to 3.0 is the most desirable. Some endocrinologists will tell you that a woman with a TSH level above 2.0 will have some serious difficulty becoming pregnant, and have a much higher risk of miscarriage if she does become pregnant.
If your TSH is at the high range, your doctor may be willing and able to treat you. If you’re at the high range of normal, however, she may not. In that case, you’ll want to seek out a qualified fertility doctor who has experience working with women who have infertility issues due to thyroid problems.
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