Many women with hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism who are pregnant wonder whether it’s safe to follow a natural thyroid treatment protocol. If you are already pregnant and would prefer to stop taking antithyroid drugs or thyroid hormone, then you might be a little bit disappointed with what you’re about to read. I’m not suggesting that pregnant women are unable to follow a natural treatment protocol. However, there definitely are precautions that pregnant women need to take when following such a protocol.
First of all, someone who is pregnant and taking antithyroid drugs for hyperthyroidism, or thyroid hormone for hypothyroidism, should continue to take their medication. I definitely don’t advise any pregnant women to abruptly stop taking their thyroid medication upon starting a natural treatment protocol. After a few months it might be a different story, although one still needs to be very cautious. Thyroid hormone is very important for the proper development of the baby, so even after a few months of following a natural treatment protocol it can be risky to abruptly stop taking thyroid hormone. On the other hand, working with both a holistic doctor and medical doctor and slowly weaning off based on your thyroid blood tests is a safer bet.
For example, if someone has hypothyroidism or Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis and wants to follow a natural treatment protocol, in my opinion they shouldn’t just stop taking thyroid hormone and begin the natural treatment protocol. What I would do is have them start the natural treatment protocol while continuing to take their thyroid hormone, and then have their thyroid blood tests monitored on a regular basis. If the natural treatment protocol is successful in helping to regulate the thyroid hormone levels, then under the guidance of a medical doctor the person can have the dosage of their medication reduced.
For a pregnant woman with hyperthyroidism or Graves’ Disease, I also wouldn’t tell her to abruptly stop taking antithyroid drugs upon beginning a natural treatment protocol. The process would be similar as described above, as I would have her begin both the natural treatment protocol and have her continue taking the antithyroid medication. Then after one or two months we could have her obtain a follow up thyroid blood test. If everything looks fine she can slowly reduced the dosage of her antithyroid medication, and this once again should take place under the supervision of a medical doctor.
Restrictions With Nutritional Supplements & Herbs
With regards to giving a pregnant woman certain nutritional supplements and herbs, there will be some restrictions. For example, while someone with hyperthyroidism or Graves’ Disease can take most of the whole food nutritional supplements I recommend, there are certain herbs which are contraindicated for pregnant women. For example, Bugleweed is a great herb for hyperthyroid symptoms, but is contraindicated for pregnant women. There are other herbs that are contraindicated as well, and the same thing applies to people who have a hypothyroid condition. Usually there isn’t a problem with taking whole food supplements (although there are a few exceptions), but there are some herbs pregnant women shouldn’t take.
This may admittedly make it more challenging for someone to restore their health back to normal using natural treatment methods. Many of these herbs really do work wonders, and can greatly accelerate the recovery process. However, there are many other factors important to one’s recovery, so most pregnant women can still have their health restored, although it might take longer to accomplish this.
Is It Best To Wait Until After Pregnancy To Begin A Natural Treatment Protocol?
As for whether pregnant women should wait until after they’re pregnant before beginning a natural treatment protocol, this obviously is something that only they can decide to do. If they plan on breastfeeding after giving birth, then they still may not be able to take certain herbs. On the other hand, if they don’t plan on breastfeeding then it might be a good idea to begin such a protocol immediately after giving birth.
The best approach is to begin a natural treatment protocol before becoming pregnant. Obviously this doesn’t apply to someone who is already pregnant. But for any woman with hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism who isn’t pregnant and would like to restore their health through natural treatment methods, it’s a good idea to begin such a protocol before conception takes place. This also will help to create a healthier environment for the baby.
In summary, pregnant women are able to follow a natural treatment protocol, but there most likely will be certain restrictions regarding supplements and/or herbs they can take. In addition, it’s unwise for a pregnant woman (or anyone else for that matter) to abruptly stop taking their thyroid medication. If you’re pregnant, have hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism, and are looking to restore your health back to normal naturally, then your best bet is to consult with a competent natural endocrine doctor to help you with this. Trying to self-treat your condition is definitely unwise, and might affect the health of your baby.
