Questions about thyroid, nutrition and bladder

[CarolineSinclair]

I have Hashimoto's thyroid disease and I read that beef, eggs and dairy are inflammatory foods to people with autoimmune disease, which HT is, so I have been afraid to consume those lately. Will it affect my ability to get pregnant if I don't eat them?

Also, I have had frequent urination for years, since at least 2007. Everyone thought it was because I drink a lot of water. I went to a urologist in 2012 and all he told me was to take some cranberry pills he manufactures. A friend told me over the counter work just as well as prescription and are less expensive. I tried them but I can't say I noticed much if any difference.

It's getting worse as I'm getting older, I have to get up a bunch of times before I can fall asleep because of the urge, and there is usually a good amount of urine every time I go, so it's not just in my mind.

But what really scares me is I've had incontinence lately. A little leaks out many times after I urinate, and a couple of times when I've sneezed some leaked.

Do you think this will affect my ability to conceive? I'm scared it will, yet I don't want to go on medication when trying to get and be pregnant. It's so weird because this usually happens to women who are pregnant or already had children, which I have not, and I'm not in menopause because my recent bloodwork was okay.

[atomic sagebrush]

People get pregnant all the time eating this food or that food or NOT this food or that food. If you're nervous about eating those things, then DON'T! Just do be sure you're getting SOME fat from somewhere, preferably saturated (coconut oil may be good for this.)

The way the urination sitch was explained to me by a medical specialist is that gravity takes a toll and as we walk around upright on all fours for 30+ years we ALL start to have issues whether we've had kids or not, it's a gravity thing not a childbirth thing. It may happen a little quicker with childbirth but by the time we're 50 every gal starts to have the same thing even if she never had any kids at all. I can assure ya after 5 kids and at 45, I also have the same thing going on when sneezing and it's just one of those things we can all get together as women and have a good giggle about because it's happening to every one of us. You don't need to be scared about it, it is what it is. Not scary, just a little annoying sometimes.

The only thing you should be on the lookout for is fibroids which can press on the bladder and may lower chances of conceiving. If they've checked you for that and didn't find anything, you prob. just have a very active bladder and drinking less water before bed may help. I have also found that being nervous about having to go to the bathroom actually makes me have to go sometimes. Like before a plane trip or in a concert or whatever, I feel like I have to go every 10 minutes but it's because I'm scared I won't be able to go later, if that makes sense. So once you took note of it, I wonder if you lay down to go to bed and start thinking about it and then you have to get up a bunch of times.

[maidentomother]

You can often strengthen your pelvic floor muscles to help with incontinence of any degree. There's tons of helpful devices for it these days. It affects virtually everyone as atomic said.

[CarolineSinclair]

Thanks for the replies!

I feel better knowing that this is not uncommon for other women.

I had an ultrasound in September or August, I don't know if that would tell if I have a fibroid. My sister had one when she was 41, I wonder if they run in families. Her symptoms were massive bleeding, she had to press on her bladder to urinate, and her stomach was big and hard to the touch. My stomach isn't little anymore, with aging and thyroid issues it has expanded, but it is not hard (pretty much flabby, lol, I need to work out).

[atomic sagebrush]

To some extent they do but the thing of it is, 50-70% of women will have them by the time we hit menopause. It's actually kind of a normal thing and most of the time they don't cause symptoms like your sister's did - sounds like hers was very large. The little ones don't matter, i'ts only the great big ones that may make a difference. I think they'd have seen anything troublesome on the ultrasound as they grow very slow and would have been there.

[CarolineSinclair]

Okay, good to know that info on fibroids. Yes, my sister's was very big, they had to operate to remove it, they did a hysterectomy. She had already had a child so she didn't mind.

Btw, I wanted to say an extra thanks for this forum, it's so nice and helpful. I'm glad I found this place.

[atomic sagebrush]

Thanks! I really enjoy being able to help people.