Hypothyroidism in Pregnancy

Hi L.,

I have hypothyroidism (not Hashimoto's) and a surprise pregnancy. Its a very long story, but I didn't learn I was pregnant for several months and during that time, my thyroid was not monitored. My understanding is that so long as you continue to take your medicine and keep your thyroid levels in the normal range, the baby is no more at risk than any one else's baby. I think the websites are talking about women whose levels are really low. Good luck, C.

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I also have hypothyroidism. (VERY low thyroid) I had my blood checked every trimester with all of my pregnancies. Not once did I have to change my dosage of Synthroid. I had 3 healthy babies. I hope that gives you hope over the weekend.

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i think they mean when you go undiagnosed or do not stay on your synthroid. i am hypothyroid and was monitored very closely with two pregnancies. they didn't change my dose until the my levels dropped....for me personally it was at 9 weeks for one pregnancy and 15 weeks for the other. and i have two healthy babies now. just remember to take your prenatal vitamin at least two hours apart from your synthroid. :) congrats and good luck!!!

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Hi! I have Hashimoto's as well. I have 2 beautiful, healthy children. My second pregnancy was unplanned. I did have a few issues in the beg. w/ some bleeding--but everything turned out fine. One thing I did with both kids was to take progesterone supplements for the first 12 weeks. When you talk to your doctor, you can ask about this.This helped to put my mind at ease--even though their effectivness is not proven, they are not harmful.

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I am hypo too and yes pregnancy can cause your numbers to fluxtuate but if you are going to your every 4 week appointments you should be fine. I've been told there is a higher chance of miscarriage for those of us who have this issue but there's that chance for anyone. More than likely you'll need to go on a higher dose at some point in your pregnancy but don't stress yourself out, it will do more harm than good. When you call to make your initial appointment just tell them your concern, if my memory serves, they didn't feel it was necessary to check my levels until 8 weeks. Congratulations and take try not to worry yourself too much.

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I was on Synthroid for several years before I had my son. The only thing they did was to increase my medication a little just before we got pregnant (we did IVF). My son's perfectly healthy.

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I have hypothyroidism and delivered a happy healthy baby in June of 09. When I got pregnant I had not been taking my meds and had some of the same fears. I did talk to my OB and got back on them right away. It is important so you should take care of it as soon as you can. I never heard anything about brain problems, but what I researched was that it can mess with their hearing. The first trimester is very important for you to take your meds. b/c the baby cant make their own thyroid hormone until the second semester. I would tell you not freak your self out. That's not good for you or the baby, but definitely take care of it as soon possible. I don't believe a few days is going to make or break you. I also was on the same dose of meds. until the very last month. Hope this helps:)

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I think you are fine since you know your levels are in a good place. IMy daughter is perfectly normal and I have Hashimoto's as well. My OBGYN (I had never seen her before I got pregnant with my daughter) didn't monitor me too closely or anything during the pregnancy and only did a couple blood tests until the numbers got where she wanted them to and left it alone. Looking back now and planning our second child I plan to make sure I get my thyroid checked more often with our next one. I have read a few articles (maybe 2) about how an incorrectly treated thyroid condition could cause a low or no milk supply. I produced no milk at all and want to prevent that with our next one. I may be grasping at straws on that one, but I think it's still something to consider.
If you need to wait a little while to get the new insurance could you call your GP or whoever does you blood-work and just say you've been feeling sluggish and tired and would like to get it checked again? Not even mention the pregnancy at that point?

I almost forgot to add...congratulations!!!!!

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Hi, my friend found out she had a Hypothyroid at the same time she found out she was 6 weeks pregnant. Her STH level was 47! She was put on a high dosage of Synthroid and had it monitored every 4 weeks. sometimes she had to up her dosage or sometimes it went down slightly. She had a very healthy pregnancy and her VERY smart daughter is almost 6 yrs old. She had a healthy son 2 yrs ago too. Never had a miscarriage : )

Relax, it sounds like you are smart about your condition and will make a caring mother.

If your levels are good than you are starting from a perfect place and can be happy and feel like your baby is safe. Stay calm and know that with the help from your doctor everything is going to be great. The fact that you have done so much research shows what a caring and nurturing mother you will be. Plenty of babies born to mothers with hypothyroidism are born healthy and yours will to. Being educated on your condition and seeking the right help and support will keep your baby healthy and safe so I think you're doing an amazing job already.
If you'd like to hire a doula visit my website. We are three women trained heavily in relaxation techniques and would love to support you through your pregnancy and birth.
Congratulations on your pregnancy!

A. K.
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peninsuladoulacollective.com

I have had four daughters. I have had hypothyroidism while pregnant with at least three of them. The doctors periodically tested my Thyroid levels in pregnancy & after. There were no complications.

I'm Hypo as well, and was monitored throughout my pregnancy, but never had to change my Synthroid dose. As far as I understand, the baby is at risk if you're levels are extremely low, otherwise I believe it's not really any different than any other pregnancy. My daughter is almost 5 now and too smart for her own good :-), no brain development issues as far as I can tell.
Unfortunately most Moms wait and worry for about 9 months about all the what ifs. It sounds like you're on top of it all. Try and deal with the knowns not the what ifs. Good luck!

You should be fine as long as you are keeping levels somewhat normal. It sounds like you are pretty aware of what is going on with your condition and shouldn't worry too much about it. As far as Hashimoto's goes, your body down regulates the immune system when you are pregnant to make sure you don't reject the foreign object growing in your uterus so often antibody levels will decrease during pregnancy. Just keep on top of it (like you are doing) and you should be fine.

I have Hashimoto's, both my pregnancies were unplanned and I have 2 healthy children. For both, I was checked every trimester and I was always in the normal range. I kept taking my medication as usual. I had no problem producing milk; in fact, I had a problem with oversupply. If you've been pretty stable before your pregnancy, the chances are it'll stay that way, but make sure to get checked regularly.
Congratulations and enjoy!