When you’ve been diagnosed with thyroid disease, you should be regularly monitored throughout your entire pregnancy.

You’re at greater risk of having defects in the luteal phase of your menstrual cycle.

A shortluteal phasecan often be identified by charting yourbasal body temperature (BBT).

How thyroid disease can affect your cycle

Verywell / Emily Roberts

In these cases, supplemental progesterone has helped some go on to have a healthy pregnancy and baby.

You have a higher risk of hyperprolactinemiaelevated levels of prolactin, the hormone responsible for promoting milk production.

Hyperprolactinemia can have a number of effects on your fertility, including irregular ovulation and anovulatory cycles.

Thyroid disease can lead to an earlier onset of perimenopause and menopause.

BMI is a dated, flawed measure.

It does not take into account factors such asbody composition, ethnicity, sex, race, and age.

Thyroid Hormone Changes

Thyroid hormones are crucial to a developing baby’s neurological and brain development.

When you’re pregnant, the increased demand for thyroid hormones continues until your baby is born.

Chief among them is theTSH test, which measures the level of thyroid stimulating hormone in your blood.

Ideally, thyroid disease should be diagnosed and properly treated prior to conception.

You may actually need to increase your thyroid medication dosage by 40% to 50% during your pregnancy.

The higher your TSH level is,the more your risk of miscarriage increases.

For pregnant and non-pregnant people, treatment typically begins with taking antithyroid medications.

If you’re currently on MMI, a healthcare provider will likely switch you to PTU.

Thyroid Nodules

Thankfully, the vast majority of thyroid nodules aren’t cancerous.

When your thyroid nodule(s) is causing hyperthyroidism, you may need treatment with antithyroid medications.

In the case of anaplastic or medullary thyroid cancer, the ATA recommends that immediate surgery is seriously considered.

Pregnant individuals should get around 250 mcg of iodine every day.

The exception: If you’re taking levothyroxine for hypothyroidism, you don’t need iodine supplements.

In the ones that do, the iodine is usually from either kelp or potassium iodide.

Since the amount of iodine in kelp can vary so much, choose supplements made with potassium iodide.

In most cases, yes.

2015;42(1):135-151. doi:10.1016/j.ogc.2014.10.003.

Gold EB.The timing of the age at which natural menopause occurs.Obstet Gynecol Clin North Am.

2014;99(10):3895-3902. doi:10.1210/jc.2014-1954.

Marx H, Amin P, Lazarus JH.Hyperthyroidism and pregnancy.BMJ.

2008;89(2).

American Thyroid Association.Iodine Daily Serving now recommended in Multivitamin/Mineral Supplements for Pregnant and Lactating Women.

2015;8(4):227-233. doi:10.5539/gjhs.v8n4p227

Cleveland Clinic.Thyroid Disease.