Hypothyroidism During Pregnancy – 5 Most Important Tips You Should Never Miss Out

Pregnancy Woman

Hypothyroidism occurs if your thyroid, a gland located at the front of you neck, is producing too little thyroid hormone which does not meet the demands of your body. The presence of hypothyroidism complicates pregnancy, wherein the risk of miscarriage increases by four times. With hypothyroidism during pregnancy, especially if it is uncontrolled, you may be in danger of developing high blood pressure and premature delivery. You’ll need to take steps as early as possible in the disease to avoid the complications. Here are 5 important tips to manage hypothyroidism during pregnancy:

# 1. Seek guidance from your doctor. You’ll need regular check-ups once you know you’re pregnant or you’re diagnosed with hypothyroidism, whichever comes first. If you have this condition even before pregnancy, you will have to continue your treatment with the advice of your doctor. If hypothyroidism is just discovered, then you’ll need to start treatment as early as possible.

# 2. Make the right choices in selecting your diet particularly by increasing your iodine intake. The WHO (World Health Organization) recommends that women at child-bearing age increase their iodine intake, and this requirement increases in pregnant women. It is not a secret that pregnant women need to take a lot of nutrients to sustain the pregnancy and the growth and development of the baby growing inside.

# 3. Take prenatal vitamins as prescribed. Since you’re taking thyroid hormone replacement, you’ll need to take your prenatal vitamins 3-4 hours after taking your thyroid hormone pill for both to be absorbed well. Prenatal vitamins contain calcium and iron which can interfere with the absorption of the hormone.

# 4. Pregnancy exercises should be done regularly. You may likely be fatigued as a result of hypothyroidism, but you’ll need to continue on doing the exercises prescribed for pregnancy. This will result to proper blood circulation and will help you avoid gaining excess weight which can complicate your pregnancy.

# 5. Regular monitoring of your thyroid hormone levels should be done, which should be at least once in every trimester. This will determine the amount of your thyroid hormone dosage which will likely to increase every trimester.

Hypothyroidism during pregnancy can harm both the mother and the fetus. It may also have lasting effects on the child after birth. With the 5 tips mentioned above, they’ll help you control hypothyroidism during pregnancy.