Mildly Abnormal Thyroid and Prenancy

I was diagnosed when I was pregnant and still have to take medication. Please do as your Dr. says so complications do not set in.
It took me 6 years to conceive and have had no other children since and we have been married 25 years. We are OK with only having our son because like everyone tells us there is no others like your son. As his Pastor tells us his heart is as big as his size 13 feet. So we were blessed one time but as I said that's OK but If you are worried have your doctor refer you to a specialist that deals with the thyroid. An endocrinologist.

S.

Much of this may not apply to you as each body is so different, but here is my story.

While trying to conceive with our first, I stopped getting my period. I waited 3 months, kept testing and it was not positive for pregnancy. A trip to my primary doctory indicated hypothyroidism. We medicated w/Synthroid to bring my levels into the normal range. I also had some ovarian cysts due to not completing my cycle for 3 months, so they induced a period to clean things out. (I was also referred to an OB/GYN that tried to diagnose my cysts as PCOS when I had no other indications of that condition, a second opinion agreed with me).

Even after starting the Synthroid and inducing a period, I still was not completing a cycle. I ended up doing 3 rounds of Clomid. On the 3rd round, with ovary monitoring by ultrasound and a boost of hcg to release an egg, we conceived and carried a healthy baby to term. We conceived a second and third baby with no extra "help" (besides ovulation detection kits). Baby number 2 arrived healthy and full term and I'm 31 weeks along with baby number 3. My OB checks my thyroid every trimester to ensure that my levels are normal. During pregnancy number 2, we had to increase my dose for a bit, then reduced it later, after delivery.

Bottom line: it is possible to maintain a pregnancy (assuming no other issues) and have a healthy baby as long as your hypothroidism is being treated properly. My levels are kept in the 2.5-3 range. I never saw an endocrinologist, but I'm sure it would not hurt, they are the experts.

A side note (and sorry for all the TMI, just trying to be helpful) do you know if/when you're ovulating? I bought some inexpensive test strips through http://www.early-pregnancy-tests.com/ I have no affiliation with this company. I bought a whole bunch of tests and counted myself lucky if I ended up giving them away to a friend if I didn't need them all. I ovulate late (day 18) so if you may have to go through an entire cycle of testing before you find your approximate day.

Best wishes!

I had a TSH of 4.2 with my first pregnancy. I unfortunately lost that one at 10 weeks. Studies indicate slightly elevated risk of miscarriage and problems conceiving with even slightly elevated TSH. BUT I want to mention I had other bigger problems along with the thyroid. In any case I was put on Synthroid 50mcg (the lowest dose) and have lowered my TSH to 2. Over the past two years I went through multiple infertility cycles and in the end conceived on an off cycle on my own. I continue with my synthroid and am now 6 months pregnant. I highly recommend seeking advice from and endocrinologist. It won't hurt at all to take synthroid and it can only help, so I say treatment is worth it.
Also just to mention, during my first pregnancy Northwestern memorial hospital was doing a study for women who had higher then normal TSH levels in pregnancy. They were going to treat half the women and not treat the other half, then track the baby's intellectual development for 5 years. I had signed up for the study. The hypothesis was the babies of the untreated mothers did not develop as quickly as those who were treated. This was only 2 years ago, so the study is ongoing and new, but just one more reason that medication wouldn't hurt.

Hi NK,

I have had two successful pregnancies (and hopefully getting ready for another one) while having thyroid disease. You do need your doctor to be completely on top of it. My OB/GYN checked my levels every three months while I was pregnant. Both pregnancies they had to adjust my thyroid supplement medication, but I was just fine. I did, however, have a really hard time conceiving and had to go the IVF route both times. There is a greater risk of miscarriage, I believe, with untreated (not under control) thyroid disease. Depending on what the problems is (hyperactive or hypoactive thyroid) the doctor may just need to give you some medication (which is safe during pregnancy). Your doctor may also refer you to an endocrinologist to help get any problem under control. While I was pregnant I was considered "high-risk" and saw a perinatologist twice during the pregnancy. Have faith, I had two very comfortable pregnancies and two (thank God) very healthy babies. Best of luck to you!

With a level that high you should definitely ask the doctor to place you on a low dose of Synthroid. I mean, your level is not super high but high enough that you could have trouble conceiving. And higher levels could cause a miscarriage. They say that the thyroid level should ideally be between 1-2 when trying to conceive. When I started trying, my TSH was around 3.5, so my doctor put me on .50mcg of Synthroid and brought my level down between 1-2.

You should get your thyroid "fixed" before trying to conceive. The reason for this is that hypothyroidism will likely interfere with your ability to get pregnant and to maintain a healthy pregnancy. If you are trying w/o success but you have dealt with the thyroid issue you will have narrowed down the possible obstacles to conception. My understanding is that while a TSH under 4.0 is considered by many doctors to be "normal" many endocrinologists believe that number is too high and most people need to have a TSH under 2.0 to feel good and function properly. GOod luck.

Hi NK,
I have had three pregnancies...during second pregnancy I had feedback that my thyroid level was "abnormal" It later turned out that I was hyperthyroid and I ended up taking pills for this condition.
Endocronologist is a good person to consult about your thyroid level and how to manage your thyroid.
I continue to have T4 and TSH monitored by blood tests.
The question I asked during my work physical was "what do you expect my T4 and TSH to be during pregnancy" and the doctor at my work couldn't answer this question.
I believe acupuncture can be used but is not a substitute for also meeting with endocronologist.
All three of my kids are older now...my oldest daughter (second pregnancy) is hypothyroid and regularly sees endocronologist.

C.
mom of three
yoga teacher

Please make sure you see an endocrinologist before trying to conceive. As Amy mentioned, the baby depends on you for thyroid hormone for the first 12 weeks, until it can produce it's own. If you are not producing enough for yourself, there won't be any surplus for your baby.

I am hypothyroid. I just switched from taking Synthroid to Armour Thyroid. I'm hoping to get my TSH under control so we can begin trying for #2. My endo asked me to call her the minute I know I am pregnant so she can bump up my medication so there's enough for both of us. I plan on waiting until things are under control before trying.

Good luck to you,
T.

Barefoot Books Ambassador
www.ReadandGrow.com

Hi NK:

I did go through this....let me give you the condensed version:)

I am hypothyroid and according to my endocrinologist the normal level of TSH is below 4 BUT he has told me that when I want to conceive again he would like it to be BELOW 2.

You will want to see an endocrinologist before trying to conceive because having your TSH at the right level a) will make it easier to get pregnant b)it will decrease your risk of miscarrying and c) it will reduce risks to the fetus. The baby is dependent on your thyroid for at least the first trimester and a poorly functioning thyroid in the mom can lead to developmental problems for the baby.

Most likely your doctor will just prescribe a low dosage of sythroid that you will take everyday.

Good luck and all the best to you,
A.

I had two miscarriages and my doctor referred me to Dr. Mary Wood-Molo, a reproductive endocrinologist at Rush. ( She is awesome!) After a series of tests, she determined that I had hypothyroidism and I was put on synthroid. After about 6 months of being on the medication I conceived naturally and have a very healthy and active 22 month-old little boy.

I don't really have any idea what my levels are but I would try and get them as normal as possible prior to getting pregnant. I also began to feel so much better once the levels were under control. I went on line as soon as I found out about the diagnosis and there are some significant risks to the fetus if your thyroid is abnormal. Good luck & I hope this helps.

N K:

I cannot speak from experience, but a good friend of mine had this same problem. She was able to get pregnant and her baby is just fine. Her daughter had to be on the medication for some time after she was born as she had the same type of levels. I believe my friend has hypothyroidism. The one that causes weight gain. Anyhow, just thought to let you know of a success story. Good luck. I'm sure everything will be fine.