Thyroid function can directly influence menstrual cycles and fertility. Thyroid Stimulating Hormone or TSH is produced by the pituitary gland and directs the thyroid whether to make more or less thyroid hormone. Counterintuitive to what you may think, a low TSH level in the blood means your thyroid is hyperactive and a high TSH level in the blood means your thyroid is hypoactive or sluggish and low functioning. Either situation can cause a negative impact on fertility outcomes. The TSH in the blood of 1.0 is an optimal range to shoot for when regulating your thyroid and trying to get pregnant. There are natural ways to balance thyroid function including: Chinese herbs, acupuncture, Western herbs, nutrients, such as iodine in addition to thyroid medications depending on what you and your doctor decide is the best for you. It’s essential to have normal thyroid function to improve fertility. This includes monitoring thyroid function once you’re pregnant to make sure that an abnormal thyroid function does not put you at risk for miscarriage. In addition, thyroid antibodies including Microsomal TPO Antibodies (TPO Ab), Thyroglobulin Antibodies (TG Ab) and Thyroid Stimulating Immunoglobulin (TSI) may need to be tested if thyroid autoimmune activity is suspected. I find that optimizing thyroid function can greatly improve the chance of conception. Don’t overlook thyroid function when it comes to fertility success.