I thought I would experience the road to pregnancy like everything else I went after: I decided I wanted to have a baby, I’d do all the “right things” and then I’d meet my goal and get pregnant. Spoiler alert… it didn’t turn out that way.
I am your classic type A personality. I worked in a high powered corporate role for 20 years, I value hard work & healthy competition, I’m methodically organized, goal oriented and not to mention I thrive under pressure. Never in my life did I attribute my career goals to have an impact on my health. I worked in wellness, exercised and thought I lived a healthy life.
When I had my first miscarriage I was devastated. This wasn’t in my plan. I became information obsessed and kept searching for answers. My OBGYN gave me nothing to work with and told me to keep trying and that “it just happens.” Fast forward to a week later at my best friend's house as I greeted her new baby, I told her about my miscarriage. We started talking about who we knew that had gone through this and what they had tried to do differently…and then she asked me, “Have you ever checked your thyroid?” To be fair, at the time I didn't even know what my thyroid is or what it does. I was in tears when she told me this, feeling I had done something wrong and the miscarriage was all my fault. Side note, so grateful to Ronit who is not only my bestie, but also feels like she is my doctor on most days.
I immediately booked with an endocrinologist, desperate to find answers about my miscarriage. Waiting a week for the appointment felt like a year. When I got my blood test results back, I was diagnosed with Hoshimotos. It turns out the 20 years in a stressful job did take a toll on both my health and fertility.
My Hashimoto's Diagnosis
Hashimoto's disease is an autoimmune disorder where the immune system creates antibodies that attack thyroid cells. I was shocked, terrified and so stressed by my diagnosis. This was not something that I could quickly fix…and that was a hard pill for me to swallow. As I learned more about it, I realized I had TONS of the symptoms associated with Hashimotos but ignored them for years: fatigue, dry skin, sensitivity to the cold, and even hair loss. Moreover, I learned the thyroid is crucial for regulating key parts of your body including our hormone responses… which could have been a huge component of my miscarriage.
Hashimoto’s can impact fertility by interfering with ovulation, menstrual regularity, and the ability to maintain a pregnancy. Additionally, thyroid hormone imbalances may affect the production and regulation of other reproductive hormones, further complicating fertility issues.
Some of the most common warning signs and symptoms of Hashimoto’s disease include:
- -Fatigue
- -Depression and anxiety
- -Weight gain
- -Feeling cold easily, including when others do not
- -Digestive issues like constipation and bloating
- -Stiffness and swelling in the joints
- -Hair loss, changes in hair’s texture or hair thinning
- -Rough, cracked skin
- -Frequent urination and excessive thirst
- -Low sex drive or sexual dysfunction
- -Changes in the menstrual cycle, including absent or irregular periods and problems with infertility
Here are a few ways to naturally manage Hashimoto's disease:
1. Dietary modifications:
- -Gluten-free diet: Some studies suggest that a gluten-free diet may help reduce antibody levels and improve symptoms in some patients with Hashimoto's.
- -Selenium-rich foods: Selenium may help reduce antibody levels and improve thyroid function.
- -Reduce consumption of processed foods and sugar
2. Stress management:
Techniques like meditation, yoga, or deep breathing exercises may help reduce stress, which can exacerbate autoimmune conditions.
- -Practice regular meditation or mindfulness
- -Ensure adequate sleep (7-9 hours per night)
3. Nutritional supplements:
- -Consider selenium supplementation
- -Optimize vitamin D levels- Vitamin D deficiency is common in Hashimoto's patients and supplementation may help improve symptoms.
- -Supporting gut health with probiotics may help reduce inflammation and improve overall immune function.
4. Regular exercise:
Moderate exercise can help improve overall health and may positively impact thyroid function.
- -Engage in moderate, low-impact activities
- -Include strength training to support metabolism
5. Environmental toxin reduction:
- -Use natural cleaning products
- -Filter drinking water
- -Avoid plastics containing BPA
These natural approaches can complement conventional medical treatment. However, it's important to note that they should not replace prescribed medications or medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before making significant changes to your treatment plan.
My diagnosis took time for me to process (especially dealing with feelings of being out of control) and then eventually I went into action mode. I got on thyroid medicine and I also booked an appointment with a functional medicine doctor. I wanted to do more than just take medicine and she encouraged me to look deeper at lifestyle changes that can impact Hoshimotos. I changed my diet immediately to be gluten and dairy free. I tried to remove inflammatory & highly processed foods, added sugars and refined grains from my daily routine. I also learned about the triggers to Hashimoto’s and tried to avoid them in order to decrease the chances of flare-ups (stress, poor sleep, and toxic exposures). After about 6 months of modifying my diet and lifestyle, I got pregnant with my daughter Dalia and had another daughter Davina.
Looking back if I could give one piece of advice to my stubborn self or anyone else... It would be to listen to your body. I had signs and symptoms that society likes to tell us is “normal” so that we keep normalizing the amount of stress we are under or the subpar food we are putting in our bodies. Symptoms are signals and we need to listen. The sooner we understand the root cause of our symptoms, the more we can do to change them.
