Who has had Hypothyroidism/hyperthyroidism in pregnancy? Can you share your experiences.

• I developed hypothyroidism in pregnancy with my first. With my symptoms my gp assumed I had post natal depression but I didn’t agree and saw a female doctor in our surgery who ordered bloods. I was put on medication shortly after and was well until my second baby arrived. I’ve had meds changed and doses increased but don’t seem to be improving. I’m waiting to see a specialist at the moment. During pregnancy I do fine, it seems to be after baby arrives that my body struggles Melissa

• I was on thyroxin (sp?) for my 2nd pregnancy and had blood tests every other month to check the dosage was correct. I didn’t need it for my 1st and postnatally I don’t need it. As one Dr put it to me, ” pregnancy is a stress test for the body” (um, yeah!) … Also the recommended levels for thyroid function are different if you’re pregnant and do get revised so if you’re borderline and concerned perhaps get a second opinion? I found thyroxin didn’t effect me at all but I had a very low dose. Thyroid function effects “pretty much everything” according to my GP for both you and bub, so worth looking after. Good luck. Andrea

• I had hypothyroidism before i was pregnant and had my tsh kept quite low for optimal fertility. I had monthly blood tests while pregnant and didn’t need a dose adjustment but my levels did change while pregnant. I was told i would have to be induced because of the thyroid condition and they were right. Bubs had a blood test 5 days after birth and is fine. One thing i have learnt about the thyroid levels is that the normal ranges are not optimal for pregnancy or general health and not all medical professionals are aware of the changes in ideal ranges for thyroid function Tianne

• I had hypothyroidism before pregnancy on medication went hyper a start of pregnancy so off meds. Thyroid then normalised during rest of pregnancy until 2months post then went hyper again now is hypo and I’m back on medication Jaclyn

• I had hypothyroidism and just had to be put on some tablets (cant remember the name) for it that i had to take every morning all through my pregnancy but as soon as I had bub my doctors said I was allowed off the tablets to check to see if it was just my pregnancy that caused it. Which it turns out it was. I had no troubles with it otherwise. Just make sure if you have to have the meds that they don’t give you a too high of a dose because they did that to me originally and it messed with me more and made me throw up and feel super dizzy and made my morning sickness tens times worse. But once they switched me to a lower dose it was smooth sailing from there. Tia

• I have over active thyroid and Graves’ disease. I got it around November last year probably and it really struck me down after a very busy December at work plus my 3 kiddies etc so I was on medication from January and now I’m 7 weeks along and it’s already corrected itself (sometimes happens during pregnancy) and I don’t need medication, but have to be tested every month throughout the pregnancy and/or when I feel any drastic changes that lead me to believe that it’s to do with my thyroid. I am mainly at high risk after I give birth supposedly and have to get tested more often then. Emma

• I had thyroid issues and was on thyroxin for the duration of my pregnancy and for about 2 months after. Just required constant monitoring by my Obstetrician. Lauren

• I have had hashimoto before bubs. First pregnancy wasn’t so bad but they just did regular bloods each month to check the levels and make sure they were ok. I was induced and had bubs at 34 wks but that because if pre-eclampsia. Now im on pregnancy number 2. Im currently having issues with my levels not leveling out im in 3rd trimester and my body aint coping to well with the levels being out. If your worried definitely do something about it you know your body and when the levels are out bubba needs them right to develop properly etc. And you need to function on a daily basis to. Melissa

• I have Graves’ disease. My thyroid balanced itself out with my second baby. With my third it came back and I was really tired. All three of my bubs were smaller because of it. 6 pound babies Natalie

• I was overactive after my 1st bubs and throughout second pregnancy. Was closely monitored with regular blood test and ultrasounds of bubs to ensure no goiter was visible. Tina

• I have hashimotos (hypothyroid) abd am currently 21 weeks pregnant. My levels have been monitored and I had to increase my thyroxine dosage around the 8 week mark as my tsh was increasing. I’m super tired all the time but unsure if it’s just being pregnant or if it’s worse because of my thyroid. Melanie

• Have hypothyroidism and during pregnancy the levels remained steady with thyroxine. I just had to get a blood test to check levels every trimester and tell doctor if I had any concerns. Emma

• I begun medication for hypothyroidism before I fell pregnant and had to have regular blood tests throughout just for levels but no issues for bub and medication has returned to pre pregnancy level! Bub had monthly blood tests for 4 months just to ensure he ok Jess

• I’ve had a hypoactive (under active) thyroid since the beginning my 1st pregnancy 2.5 years ago which never went away so ill probably be on medication for the rest of my life. Through both my pregnancies I’ve had frequent blood tests to monitor the levels and my medication had to be increased but both of my girls are happy and healthy Samantha

• I have hypothyroidism post pregnancy with levels of over 150 when they shouldn’t be higher than 5.. Currently going through trials of medication levels, blood tests frequently and consulting with specialists to have my thyroid removed.. It’s not life or death though. I’m just exhausted early in the evening. The worst part is that I can’t physically wake up to my 6mo during the night.. Nothing I’ve done seems to help with that Sara

• I was diagnosed with an underactive thyroid about 5 weeks into my 2nd pregnancy. I was put on medication straight away as apparently it can be dangerous for bub if not medicated. I was only on 50 mg of oroxine and my levels were stable throughout my entire pregnancy. I also had it in my first pregnancy but it was never picked up by my Obs. I put on 30 kilos in my first pregnancy and held a lot of fluid. I went into labour at 36 weeks (not sure if it was caused by it or not) and thankfully had a healthy bub. With my 2nd pregnancy I was also diagnosed with gestational. I was told that GD and thyroid issues in pregnancy can sometimes be linked?? My baby is only 5 weeks old now and I have to have tests at my 6 weeks check up to see if everything has gone back to normal. Melissa

• I was diagnosed with Hashimotos (hypo) during pregnancy and had a healthy bub 7 days ago. I was put on medication and had my bloods tested every 4 weeks throughout the pregnancy. I will most likely have bloods tested again at my 6 week checkup to see if I need to continue medication (I’m assuming I will as I have a family history of hashi’s). The doctor said it may or may not stick around. I did a lot of research and changed my diet to try and help keep my levels stable (cut out soy products) and they stayed good – can’t say whether this was due to medication, diet changes, or both. But all was good and bub didn’t develop a goiter or anything like that. Renee

• I had hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) brought on by pregnancy hormones. They picked it up at about 6 weeks. I started to feeling terribly nauseated 24hrs a day, total loss of appetite, my partner had to force me to eat and drink and even then I couldn’t keep much down. You feel completely exhausted. I would sleep on average 18 hours a day and still feel exhausted. I also had terrible anxiety and heart palpitations. I had to take three months off work. I lost 8kgs in two weeks. Once my thyroid levels came back to normal at about 16 weeks it still took awhile to recover as I was so weak from being in bed for so long. The amazing thing is that bubs was perfectly fine, they take everything they need from you even when ur so sick. Just keep in mind that it will pass and you will feel normal again and you get a wonderful prize at the end. Caitlin

• I have had thyroid problems on and off for about 11 years but it was only in my last pregnancy (#5) that I was on medication for it during a pregnancy. It was underactive and I also had antibodies in my thyroid as well. I was actually put on medication about 2 months before I fell pregnant. I had quite a few blood tests during my pregnancy and also had to see an Endocrinologist at the hospital numerous times throughout as well. When I was about 34wks it was under control but I had to keep taking my tablets until the day I delivered. I was told to have a blood test to check it when my baby was 6 weeks old. It was out of control again so back on the medication I went. My daughter is now 11 months old and I’m still on the medication. I have had regular blood tests to check it in the past 11 years and prior to this I have only been on medication once before when it was overactive! Nicole

• I have hypothyroidism ( Hashimotos/ Graves disease. I had my thyroid levels checked alot through pregnancy and my medication was up’ed. They will make sure you have regular blood tests and ajust your levels accordingly Jenn

• currently on third pregnancy I have hyperthyroid ie over active I have found not a huge change other then very little weight gain, heart palpitations. I have had regular blood test to check levels throughout pregnancy and will also have it looked at after having baby. I see an endocrinologist who looks after my thyroid condition as of yet no medication. Going public hospital for birth so have been seen by both midwives and doctors during pregnancy to ensure no issues Amanda

• I have hypothyroidism and am currently in my last trimester with my first baby I have just had to have monthly bloods done and my medication monitored in first and last trimester. Have also had to have more scans so they can make sure bub doesnt grow a goiter but other than that I have had a perfect pregnancy Amber

• My thyroid was under active during my pregnancy. Even tho my Thyroid stimulating hormone (tsh) was within normal range, ranges differ in pregnancy. My obgyn said that in pregnancy tsh ideally should be less than 3. Didn’t really feel any different. My obgyn started me on thyroxine 100mcg daily. Once I had my initial blood test, I had to get 2 more blood tests during my pregnancy (one a couple of weeks after I started taking thyroxine, and another one around the 30-32 week mark). Now that I have bub, I need to get another blood test just to check my levels Maggie

• I have hypothyroidism (underactive, I think that’s hypo) which developed during my first pregnancy. No problems or change in dosage of medication required, although a blood test of my second child (daughter) showed a slight increase in TSH and T3 levels. Waiting on further advice from paeds about it but have been told it should correct itself soon. Nicole

• I was diagnosed with mild hypothyroidism when I found out I was pregnant. I was put on thyroxine…It may have already been there before. I had 6 weekly blood tests but to check levels but they were stable and i kept my dose the same. After I had my baby his levels were a bit high so he had some extra blood tests for a couple weeks but his levels came down to normal and he was fine. Mine also didn’t change and I’m still taking the same dose of thyroxine. My pregnancy was without a hitch and I gave birth naturally without being induced. Just trust your doctors and midwives Cassie