Why Didn’t I See a Fertility Specialist Sooner?

I have a love/hate relationship with doctors. I love my current team of physicians but I don’t like needing them! In fact, I’ve been known to put off seeing my doctor, even when I know I should. I have a tendency, like many women, to put my own health and needs below those of everyone else in my family. Last week I had an eye opening reminder of why I need to take care of myself in the same way I do everyone else.

Last week, my reproductive endocrinologist phoned me about the results of my blood tests. Surprisingly, my TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) level was too high, indicating an underactive thyroid. This was surprising because my primary care physician has tested my thyroid every year for the last few years and found it to be within the normal range. My RE, however, indicated that my TSH level, while technically in the “normal” range is still too high to get or maintain a healthy pregnancy.

Wow.

Did you know that it’s also Thyroid Awareness Month? I didn’t either until I started reading about the effect the thyroid has on fertility. An under or overactive thyroid can keep you from getting pregnant and it can contribute to recurrent miscarriages, something I have a little experience with myself.

I’m now on medication for my thyroid, with a possible side effect of helping me lose weight. Bonus! But seriously, my blood test results were a good reminder to me that it’s important to seek medical help sooner rather than later. In fact, I’m kicking myself for not doing this sooner. You see, my husband and I waited more than a year to see a fertility specialist even though I know that after 35 you should seek treatment after 6 months. I know that.

Even though we desperately want to have a baby, we saw it as going down a road that would end in spending a lot of money and getting emotionally invested in a process (IVF) that might not have a happy ending. This is where I start kicking myself. Because seeing a fertility specialist doesn’t necessarily end with spending a fortune on IVF. Seeing a specialist is about finding out what’s wrong and fixing it if possible.

What if fixing my thyroid means I can get pregnant and stay pregnant? My RE ran the same blood tests my OB/Gyn and primary care physician have run in the past. But her experience and knowledge in the fertility field allowed her to see something they didn’t in the results.

So the moral of this story? If you’ve been trying to conceive for more than 6 months and you’re over 35, or more than a year and you’re under 35, get thee to a fertility specialist pronto! The longer you wait, particularly if you’re over 35, the harder it will be to eventually get pregnant.