Want a healthy pregnancy? Doctor says aim for healthy thyroid first
When you get married, your next personal goal would, understandably, be to become a mom.
And it’s just right, because it’s easier and healthier for a young bride to get pregnant and have a baby than doing so at an older age. And when you do get pregnant, prenatal care should be an important part of the experience because monitoring the development of your unborn baby as well as your own health and wellbeing by a doctor helps avert potential health issues early. Regular prenatal care means that you will become a healthy mom to a healthy baby when it’s time for you to give birth.
But Makati Medical Center (MakatiMed) believes that preparing for motherhood should not begin with prenatal care. It should begin with preconception healthcare as soon as you begin to start thinking of having a baby.
“Preconception healthcare makes you aware of how your health condition and risk factors could affect your unborn baby, should you decide to get pregnant. It also means knowing what food, medications, lifestyle habits, and preexisting health problems you have can pose potential health risks and cause harm to your baby,” explained Maria Theresa Lopez, MD, an Obstetrics and Gynecology Specialist of MakatiMed.
For instance, if you are diabetic or have uncontrolled high blood sugar around the time you conceive, you increase your baby’s risks for preterm birth, stillbirth, and birth defects. Then there is chronic hypertension, which may develop into preeclampsia 20 weeks into your pregnancy, causing less blood flow to the placenta, slow or decreased fetal growth, and premature delivery, among other complications. So it is important to know your preexisting health conditions and have a doctor help you manage these conditions before you actually get pregnant and during pregnancy, as well.
You should also make sure that your thyroid gland is functioning well because a healthy thyroid is essential to a healthy pregnancy that, in the end, will reward you with a healthy baby.
Shaped like a butterfly and located at the base of the neck, the thyroid is a gland responsible for the hormones that allow the body to perform crucial tasks.
“It plays a major role in the growth and development of our body and how well our body metabolizes or processes what we eat and drink into energy depends on thyroid hormones,” said Dr. Lopez.
Instead of a normal amount of hormones, the thyroid sometimes produces too little amount of hormones (hypothyroidism) or too much hormones (hyperthyroidism). Both conditions are considered abnormal and can affect your pregnancy and the development of your unborn baby.
“With an abnormal thyroid function, your baby could have low birth weight problems, with the growth and development of the brain and nervous system being affected,” Dr. Lopez further explained.
So, how do you know that you have a thyroid problem?
According to Dr. Lopez, signs and symptoms of a thyroid problem include goiter or a swollen thyroid, unusually slow or fast heart rate, raised itchy rash, weight loss or weight gain, fatigue, and sensitivity to cold or heat. If you display any or a combination of such signs and symptoms, the best recourse is to see a doctor and undergo a physical exam and blood tests to check the levels of your thyroid hormones to confirm if you have hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism.
What’s good with this condition is that medications can help restore the levels of your thyroid hormones. Such medications, thankfully, are safe to take during pregnancy and may only need adjustments in dosage.
“Let your doctor know if you’re taking medicine for a preexisting thyroid condition. And don’t hesitate to tell your health practitioner if you suspect you could have a thyroid issue. Once your thyroid function is under control, you can have a smooth pregnancy journey,” Dr. Lopez advised.
Now, this best exemplifies why preconception healthcare is important. This way, you can address your health problem and nurse yourself back to perfect health before you even get pregnant and save yourself and your baby from having to go through any complications that may put any of your lives at risk.
A healthy thyroid means a healthy pregnancy. You can never overemphasize that.
