Navigating Pregnancy With Hashimoto's

This topic could be a can of worms, so I’m going to do my very best to stay focused as I write out some of my thoughts on how pregnancy should be approached when you have Hashimoto’s.

First and foremost, I want to acknowledge the desperate struggle that Hashimoto’s can cause when TTC. I hope and pray that all of you here are on your way to holding your precious baby in your arms!

If I were to get pregnant today, here are some things I’d do to best support my body and a growing baby:

• Get my progesterone checked ASAP after my first positive test. Progesterone can be low in women with thyroid problems, and it’s a hormone that is necessary for your baby to implant and thrive! If your progesterone is below 15, you need to have a convo with your doc about progesterone supplementation during your first trimester. When I was miscarrying in 2020, my progesterone was 12. Because it was still “in range” they didn’t even bring it up. When they checked it again, it had dipped to 7 - by that point it was too late to treat. With my rainbow baby, I asked for the lab result (praise God, it was in the 20’s), but you need to ask.

• Make sure to eat. Remember progesterone? Yeah, that bad boy is supported with nourishment. I mean meals that are full of protein, fiber, and carbs - this is your time to EAT. If you want to know what that can look like, read the book “Real Food for Pregnancy” - glean from it what you can!

• Find the right OB. In the beginning, it’s fine to just get in somewhere to get your progesterone checked, but when it comes to your actual care for the next 9 months…take your time. Heck, hire and fire if you have to (guilty LOL). The right OB will be testing your thyroid every 4 weeks and if they won’t, girl RUN! Your thyroid will change up and down throughout the duration of your pregnancy and it needs to be closely monitored for the health of your baby! And if you go the midwife route (been there too), the same rule stands. My midwife did my labs in her office without any issue.

• Avoid folic acid (if I could insert a barf emoji here, I would!). You need methylated folate to ensure proper absorption for that precious babe.

• Get on a high quality fish oil. I’m not gonna lie, even when we were broke as a joke, I budgeted about $100/month on my prenatal vitamin stack and it was worth it. Nordic Naturals is my fav for this one!

• Use this time to optimize your metabolism! Go on walks, stay active, nourish well, and reap the benefits when you’re postpartum!

We help several clients that are pregnant (usually they come to us TTC and then get pregnant) - so getting 1:1 help during this season is still feasible! And if you are TTC, I’d love to help you optimize your hormones! You can apply for 1:1 coaching here