Sooner or later many of us begin to think about starting a family – it’s a special time but often full of uncertainty. Will we be able to get pregnant? Everyone wonders that – but you might be worrying more because you or your partner has hypopara. Hypopara doesn’t prevent you from getting pregnant but there may be issues you need to think about.
Fertility
Like everyone else it’s a good idea to get as fit and healthy as you can before you start the fun part. In particular, check your vitamin D levels. Low vitamin D levels in both men and women can sometimes cause low fertility and make getting pregnant more difficult. If your blood test result shows low levels you will need to take supplements and delay trying for a baby until they are back to normal.
We were referred for IVF with the knowledge I had hypoparathyroidism but the fertility consultants did not investigate my calcium levels. Three failed cycles later we discovered some literature linking calcium with fertility and three months after my levels normalised we fell pregnant.
Genetic conditions
If you or your partner have a genetic or familial form of hypopara you will have a lot of thinking to do because there may be a chance that you pass the gene on to your child. This doesn’t mean that you can’t have children but it’s a very good idea to ask your GP to refer you to a genetic counsellor. They will be able to explain about genetic testing and help you to understand the results and make informed decisions.
A patient information leaflet on Starting a Family will be coming soon….