This post shares the writer’s personal experience with pregnancy loss, fertility challenges, and thyroid treatment. It is not medical advice. Every person’s experience is different; please consult your healthcare provider about testing, treatment, or concerns specific to you.
I just had my rainbow baby after two miscarriages and what felt like forever. I want to share my story in the hope that it might help someone else going through the struggles of unexplained fertility issues or miscarriages. Looking back, I wish someone had told me about the link between thyroid function and pregnancy.
When couples are struggling to get pregnant, there are different tests that can check if everything is working in both the woman’s and man’s reproductive systems. One of these tests checks if your thyroid gland is working. A test measuring TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone), T3, and T4 levels can detect thyroid dysfunction. The thyroid is a gland that participates in the function of many of the body’s organs; it regulates metabolism, energy, and hormone production.
In my case, my TSH levels fluctuated for years. A few months after I gave birth to my first child I fainted so my GP checked my TSH levels and they were significantly low; she said that the thyroid can be dysregulated after pregnancy and go back to normal after a couple months and that’s what happened.
Almost two years after our first baby was born, we started trying to get pregnant again, and we did get pregnant, but I had my first miscarriage almost a week after getting a positive test. My obgyn said that early miscarriages were common; she didn’t explain more about possible causes and just said You are healthy; just keep trying. Now I wish I had asked for more tests and a timeline of when to get tested for fertility issues or directly try a fertility clinic.
Almost a year went by while we tried to conceive unsuccessfully, and I decided to call my doctor again, but nothing really came out of it. Because of that, we decided to make an appointment with a fertility doctor. We had the appointment, and after going through all the tests, I got pregnant naturally again. However, at the first ultrasound appointment, they couldn’t find a heartbeat, so I had to take medication to induce the miscarriage. It was extremely difficult, both emotionally and physically. My husband and I started thinking maybe a second child wasn’t going to be a possibility for us.
Further testing revealed my levels were nearly out of range, so I started taking a low dose of levothyroxine, a synthetic hormone used to treat hypothyroidism by replacing the missing T4 thyroid hormone the body needs. Thyroid disorders like hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism can affect ovulation, sperm quality, and pregnancy outcomes. Even subclinical hypothyroidism has been linked to recurrent miscarriages.
A couple of months later, we went through with an intrauterine insemination (IUI) and became pregnant. I was so excited, but I also felt very anxious throughout the pregnancy, hoping everything would be okay. It made the pregnancy very difficult emotionally. All the exciting milestones, cute photo ops, and other exciting aspects of pregnancy were met with dread instead of joy. My husband and I just felt relieved to make it to the next step.
Once I started seeing a new OB-GYN, I had to advocate for myself, ensuring my TSH levels were regularly monitored and securing medication refills, to be sure the baby’s thyroid and growth developed normally. Thyroid hormones are crucial for a baby’s brain and nervous system development, especially before their own thyroid begins functioning around 18 to 20 weeks.
Today, my family is complete, and I am incredibly grateful that my fertility doctor identified the issue. If you are struggling, please advocate for yourself and ask your doctor to test your thyroid. It could provide the answers and treatment you need to help you carry a pregnancy to term, as it happened to me.
