Thyroid Problems During Pregnancy

Symptoms of Hypothyroidism During Pregnancy

• Hypothyroidism is a thyroid disorder that occurs when the thyroid's production slows down and levels of certain hormones in the body drop too low. The symptoms are joint pain, muscle weakness, weight gain, exhaustion, trouble sleeping, bloating and water retention. Many of these are common in pregnancy, especially weight gain and water retention. A woman should ask to have her thyroid tested if she is gaining weight too fast or if her aches and pains stop her from getting through normal daily activities.

Symptoms of Hyperthyroidism During Pregnancy

• When a woman has hyperthyroidism, it means that her thyroid is over active, making too many hormones. This leads to weight loss, exhaustion, muscle weakness and intolerance of heat. Exhaustion, muscle weakness and intolerance to heat are fairly common in pregnancy, but if a woman is losing weight during pregnancy, she needs to have her thyroid tested. Losing weight is not healthy for the baby.

Thyroid Problems and Extreme Morning Sickness

• Women with both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism can suffer from extreme morning sickness, called hyperemeis gravida. The hormones sent by the brain to the the thyroid (called TSH) to make it work are very similar in molecular make up to pregnancy hormones. In hyperthyroidism, too much TSH is sent to a properly working thyroid, sending it into overdrive. In hypothyroidism, often the brain sends an overload of TSH, in an attempt to get it working properly. In both cases, the body has too much TSH being made. When the woman who is already dealing with this becomes pregnant, her body must also sustain the very similar pregnancy hormones. Trying to handle all of this can throw the body off and cause the woman to become very ill. Some doctors now believe that most cases of morning sickness can be explained by the overload of hormones in the woman's body and a thyroid problem only exaggerates this situation.

Risks of Thyroid Problems During Pregnancy

• Untreated thyroid disorders can lead to problems in the pregnancy. Miscarriage is common in both hypo- and hyperthyroidism. In addition, women who suffer from hypothyroidism during pregnancy are more likely to preterm labor and hypertension. Women who suffer from hyperthyroidism are at a higher risk of still birth and preeclampsia as well as giving birth to babies with low birth weight. Woman who are being treated for thyroid problems while pregnant, however, can almost always go on to have a healthy baby.

Treating Thyroid Problems During Pregnancy

• There are many medications that women must stop taking during pregnancy because they can harm the baby. Thyroid disorders are different because thyroid medications are either natural or synthetic hormones that the body needs to function. Thyroid medications are necessary throughout the pregnancy in order to keep the baby safe and healthy. A woman should have her thyroid hormone levels checked regularly during pregnancy. This includes the moment she knows she is pregnant and then at the beginning of each trimester. The doctor will need to watch the fluctuating levels and adjust her medication regularly. The woman should also be tested within the week after giving birth for another adjustment.