How To Get Ready For Pregnancy If You Have a Thyroid Problem
Posted: Monday, February 22, 2010
by Amina Razaq
ThyroidWeight
Getting pregnant isn't easy for most people and the later you try to conceive, the greater the number of hurdles you face. But add to this an thyroid problem and the hurdles just keep coming and coming.
But this doesn't mean you can't get pregnant and have a safe, healthy and enjoyable pregnancy.
The important thing is to start preparing your body early to make it easier for you to GET pregnant and to take great care of yourself so you have a healthy, fit and happy pregnancy.
1. Thyroid meds - go and see your doctor or endocrinologist and check your TSH and T4 numbers. Ideally, you are looking to have a TSH reading of below 2.5. Anything above this and there are added complications with the early stages of pregnancy and even before that with ovulation. Focus on getting this right before you embark on starting a family. it is worth it in the long run.
2. Monitor - start to track your ovulation dates and cycle for at least 3 months so you can start to see a pattern. try ovulation predictor kits to help you out or take your temperature everyday and keep accurate records. It is important that you are clear when your 2 days fall each month when you are ovulating and therefore at your most fertile.
3. Supplements - Start early with the supplements - don't wait till you get pregnant to start taking folic acid. Start with multivitamins on a daily basis from the moment you decide you want to start trying for a family. You can never start too early. Buy a good quality multivitamin geared at women trying to conceive - it's worth the money. You want the maximum levels of folic acid and iron that you can get.
4. Look at your diet - eat well and cut down on caffeine, alcohol and add plenty of water and fresh vegetables to your diet. You want to be in tip top shape to carry your baby and have the healthiest possible pregnancy so you can never start too early.
5. Extra help - if you are lucky enough to get pregnant, you want to focus on staying pregnant. If you can, get you OBGYN to check the thickness of your womb lining in a scan to ensure it is thick enough for your eggs to stay embedded. Early miscarriages are not unknown with a thyroid problem and there are options available to you such as daily suppositories of progesterone to help. If your doctor doesn't know you have a thyroid problem, tell them now so they can be aware of any extra tests that you may benefit from.
6. Stay fit - gentle exercise will help you to make your pregnancy fun and energetic. It will also mean that after the baby arrives, your body is better able to get back into shape. remember that all the work you do on your body whilst you are pregnant helps you to fast track after the baby is here. Being pregnant isn't a good time to slow down completely. Gentle exercise will do you the world of good unless you have been advised otherwise.
Good luck and remember, getting pregnant doesn't always happen when YOU want it to, be patient and try your hardest to relax about it. But the one thing you can control is how ready your body is for pregnancy - then you have no excuses. So start early and good luck.
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