How does Thyroid dysfunction impact one’s fertility?

The thyroid gland is a very important organ of the body. It is critical for several autoimmune functions and even a slight disturbance in these functions can cause turbulence in the body.

Given the fact that this gland is so vital for the body, it’s malfunctioning or dysfunction can cause trouble for one’s reproductive health too. Expert IVF doctors from Jaipur and the best fertility clinics in India claim that it is highly important to maintain a healthy thyroid gland and prevent its negative impact on one’s fertility.  Some of the issues faced by women with thyroid dysfunction include:-

• Hypothyroidism: Hypothyroidism occurs when the thyroid gland produces low amounts (hypo) of thyroid in the body. This low production is mostly caused by the lack of the Iodine, the nutrient necessary for the functioning of thyroid. A Thyroid Simulating Hormone or TSH test can easily catch the lack or excess of thyroid in the body. This causes disruption in the menstrual cycle, egg quality and egg maturation.
• The immunologic functions of the body are adversely affected when the thyroid gland produces low amounts of thyroid hormones. Immunologic functions are necessary for the occurrence of implantation, fetal development, fertilization and other functions related to the embryo and consequent pregnancy.
• Thyroid gland dysfunction causes a woman’s chances of conceiving to plummet considerably hence causing infertility.

Patients must be informed

Experienced IVF doctors from the top fertility centers in Jaipur enunciate that it is vital for infertile patients to be well aware of what they are suffering from. However, it is sad that there are many patients who have no idea about what is going on with them and why they are unable to have children. Specialists from reputed surrogacy centers claim that not only patients, but doctors too can be ignorant towards their patients. Some reasons behind the failure of IVF treatments include:-

• Illiteracy – Unfortunately, there is still a large chunk of the population that is not even basically educated. They cannot access the internet, they cannot read from magazines and they find it difficult to understand a lot of the things explained to them about their health. In addition, most of such illiterate people belong to backward and reclusive communities where even talking about anything related to fertility is considered taboo. Hence, such patients remain bereft of the miracle that an IVF treatment can be.
• Ignorance of the doctors – When a misinformed patient comes to a doctor, it is their duty to put in some efforts to teach them and inform them well about their condition. Additionally, an informed patient is helpful for the doctor as they would not have to taught about their health problems hence, saving a lot of time.
• Ignorance of the patients – Patients must try and gather as much information regarding their health issues as they can to not only prepare themselves prior to seeing a doctor but to also make themselves capable of actively participating in their treatment.  

How to manage weight during a twin pregnancy?

According to several top IVF doctors, amongst the top ten frequently asked questions is – “How to maintain weight during pregnancy?”. Experts emphasize that a healthy weight must be maintained during pregnancy, especially if a woman is pregnant with multiple babies. This does not mean that one must diet or reduce their intake of food. Such acute and sudden change in one’s diet can cause severe harm to the baby and may even cause termination of pregnancy or miscarriage. The best kind of diet to help maintain one’s weight would be one that consists of the right nutrients and adequate calories that do not hamper the development of the babies.

Furthermore, the changes that are to made in one’s diet and lifestyle should be done under the expert surveillance of a dietician or nutritionist. The best method to maintain a healthy and adequate weight is to maintain the precise BMI or Body Mass Index. BMI is calculated by using the height and weight of a person. The theory behind BMI is that a person is required to maintain healthy weight according to their height. For example, if a woman is 5 feet 5 inches tall, her ideal weight range is 55 to 70 kgs. Similarly for a pregnant woman with twins, the average range for a normal BMI is 18.5 to 24.9. However, if the BMI is 25 and above, the patient is considered to be overweight and needs to lose weight while a BMI under 18 indicates being underweight and requires weight gain through proper nutrition.  

How necessary is continuous monitoring in IVF?

The moment an IVF patient is informed about the successful creation of their embryos, they feel happiness that is unparalleled. Once the embryo transfer is done, half of their struggles with infertility get vanished. Hence, undoubtedly, these patients prepare themselves to do the best that they can to ensure that their embryo implants and they are able to conceive.  

Such anxiety to do whatever they can to safeguard their baby leads to unnecessary and unintentional stress, tension and worry. But what one should keep in mind is that worry and anxiety can never take them forward. Instead such negative feelings trap the concerned person in the situation that they are in and let them marinate in all the stress and fear thus causing further discomfort. The worst is that such strongly negative emotions can have adverse effects on the body which would eventually disturb the embryo’s implantation.

The best way out of this is to relax, take a deep breath and focus on what is and what can be done. IVF patients must make it a point to be vocal about their doubts with their trustworthy doctor and clear them out. Moreover, they can gather adequate information regarding post-transfer care through information sources and experienced IVF patients to be prepared and take the best possible care of themselves. Avoiding the below mentioned activities can help a patient get a grip at their health and also, the fate of their embryo:-

• Too much bed rest - Stay away from excessive bed rest. This can mess with the blood flow in the body while smooth blood circulation is necessary for implantation.
• Excessive physical activity – Although, completely giving up any form of physical activity or exercise is not recommended, yet the patient should not indulge in an activity that exerts them more than what is normal or increases the temperature of their body as, again, this disrupts the normal and smooth blood circulation in the body.
• Negativity – As mentioned above, negative thinking harms the body in several ways. Therefore, patients must try to be positive and happy. The patients can spend time with children, go through family albums, read good books or listen to great music that uplifts their mod. Similarly, it is equally important to avoid negative people. Their negative vibes and thinking can rub off on anyone that spends time with them.  
• Drastic diet change - It is not recommended to make a sudden and big change in one’s diet. An acute change can disturb the body and confuse it. This can harm the embryo immensely.