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Hashimoto and Trying To Concieve

How to Prepare Your Hormones for Pregnancy

 

The journey toward having a baby is both beautiful and exciting — but if you've been diagnosed with Hashimoto's, it's completely natural to feel a bit uncertain.
In this article, we'll walk through how to prepare your body, your hormones, and your thyroid for conception.

Why is thyroid health especially important before trying to conceive?

Thyroid hormones are like the body's master switches. They play a key role in:

  • menstrual cycle regulation
  • ovulation
  • progesterone production
  • implantation
  • and supporting early pregnancy

In Hashimoto's, the immune system produces autoantibodies (such as anti-TPO), which can unfortunately reduce the embryo's chances of survival — even when "everything else looks normal."

This is why conscious preparation is essential.

1. First step: Get your thyroid labs optimized

Before trying to conceive, you absolutely need an updated thyroid panel:

  • TSH
  • FT4
  • anti-TPO
  • anti-Tg
  • optionally: FT3

Optimal values before conception

Current clinical guidelines suggest that TSH is ideal for conception if:

👉 TSH < 2.5 mIU/L
(Preferably between 1–2.)

This matters even if your Hashimoto is "silent," meaning you don't have strong symptoms. Fine-tuning TSH greatly influences implantation success.

2. Focus on micronutrients (your thyroid depends on them!)

With Hashimoto's, hormone replacement alone is often not enough — thyroid and immune function rely heavily on specific nutrients.

Key nutrients:

✓ Selenium

Helps lower anti-TPO levels and supports hormone production.
Recommended form: selenium methionine.

✓ Vitamin D

One of the most important immune modulators.
Target level: 75–100 ng/ml.

✓ Zinc

Important for ovulation and thyroid hormone conversion.

✓ Iron / Ferritin

If ferritin is below 40, ovulation and thyroid hormone action may be impaired.

✓ Vitamin B12

Supports the hormonal and nervous systems — often low in women with Hashimoto's.

✓ Folate (not folic acid!)

Especially important when trying to conceive — the active form of folate is better absorbed.

3. A balanced menstrual cycle = easier conception

Thyroid issues often disrupt:

  • cycle length
  • ovulation quality
  • the luteal phase (progesterone production)

Before trying to conceive, pay attention to:

  • whether you truly ovulate (not only with LH strips — track temperatures or use cycle charting)
  • the length of your luteal phase
  • how strong your PMS symptoms are

If the cycle is not balanced, conception becomes more difficult — and optimizing thyroid function often corrects these issues naturally.

4. Anti-inflammatory diet: supports your hormones and immune system

Hashimoto's is fundamentally an autoimmune inflammation — and anything that reduces inflammation improves fertility.

Core principles:

  • more vegetables, fruits, fiber
  • quality proteins
  • omega-3 fatty acids
  • less sugar and refined carbs
  • cautious gluten intake
  • avoid trans fats

You do not need a strict AIP diet, but many women see improvements in labs and cycle regularity after 1–2 months of lowering inflammation.

5. Stress management — Hashimoto affects your body differently

Chronic stress:

  • increases inflammation
  • raises TSH
  • suppresses ovulation
  • reduces implantation success

Stress is not just an emotional factor — in Hashimoto's it has direct immunological effects on the thyroid.

Just 10–15 minutes a day of nervous system relaxation can make a noticeable difference:
gentle yoga, breathing exercises, walking, mindfulness, or anything that truly calms you.

6. When should you seek medical support?

  • when TSH does not decrease below 2.5
  • when anti-TPO remains very high
  • when the menstrual cycle is irregular
  • when conception does not occur within 6–12 months
  • or after a previous miscarriage

With Hashimoto's, many women benefit from slight hormonal adjustments or early thyroid hormone supplementation before conception.

7. The most important message: You can have a smooth, healthy pregnancy with Hashimoto's

Hashimoto's is not an obstacle — it simply means you need a more intentional preparation process before trying to conceive.

Your body will thank you for preparing it — and so will your future baby.

The good news: the vast majority of women who stabilize their thyroid, support their hormones, and replenish essential nutrients conceive successfully and enjoy a healthy pregnancy.

If you'd like, I can continue with the next blog post:
2. Hashimoto During Pregnancy — What to Watch for in Each Trimester

Don't stay alone!

You don't need to eat perfectly. There's no single "right" diet. But your body responds every day to what you nourish it with. If you dream of having a baby, think of your food choices as a loving preparation for what's ahead.

Change isn't always easy – but you don't have to do it alone.
If you need help creating a hormone-friendly, fertility-supportive nutrition plan, I'm here to support you.

Reach out to me with confidence – I'm Edit Milisits, a gluten-sensitive mom of two through IVF and a conscious eater.As a nutrition consultant, I help you uncover the root cause of problmes and find the right solution together.