Low Thyroid in First Trimester

My thyroid went crazy with my first pregnancy and I had to go to an endocrinologist every month and have bloodwork done. It didn't require meds, only monitoring until it went back to normal within a year of giving birth.

With my second preg. I could feel the changes happening again. I got monitored again, but it was less dramatic, so less monitoring.

Thyroid problems can cause you (and possibly the baby) serious long term effects, it is not something that you should ignore.

Meds or no meds, you still need to be monitored. And when your pregnant, they have to test your blood differently than if you are not. I would see a specialist until the problem corrects itself.

Hi S.,
I became hypothyroid due to Hashimotos (autoimmune disease that effects the thyroid--I've reversed the antibodies by doing all kinds of alternative things--that's a whole other story). Anyway, I am not into taking meds, but thryroid meds are really one of the few things that won't hurt and will help your baby. I take Armour thyroid, which is a natural thyroid med, not synthetic (has been around 100 years)--it gives you all of the thyroid hormones (T1, T2 T3 T4) unlike Synthroid which only give you T4 which if you aren't converting to T3 you won't feel good. I've done a lot of research and even though many endrocronoligists won't prescribe it (drug companies push synthroid and other synthetic meds and Armour is harder to titrate), it works very well. I had a strapping, healthy baby boy 15 months ago while on the Armour throughout my pregnancy. Good luck!

Hi there. I was diagnosed with low thyroid hormone levels(hypothyroidism) a few years ago and will be taking synthroid for the rest of my life. I took this medication during my first pregnancy and my daughter was born healthy and I am currently pregnant with my son. I heard that inadequate hormone levels can lead to miscarriage or other issues. Talk to your doctor and see if he/she is concerned about this. My medication had to be adjusted due to my prenancy the second time around. It is possible that your hormone level may go back to normal. Good luck!

My suggestion to you would be to discuss this with your doctor. I had a thyroid problem as soon as I became pregnant and I had to go to an endocrinologist and go on medication that was safe during the pregnancy. if you ignore it it could be very dangerous for the baby. The baby needs lots of your thyroid during pregnancy and it could really harm the baby if you don't take care of it. I am not a doctor and I realize you don't want to take any meds but if it's a necessity and it's safe then why not? I urge you to speak with your OB/GYN.

Talk to your doctor about this, but low thyroid can cause birth defects and miscarriage. I'm hypothyroid all the time, I take medication for it everyday. If your doctor recommends the meds, I'd take them. An article: http://www.thyroid-info.com/articles/pregnancy.htm

PLease go see an Endocrinologist right away! I had problems with my thyroid and lost a baby due to it. Thyroid levels control A LOT of other things in your body and can change rapidly. I am now 34 weeks pregnant and have been on thyroid meds the whole time. I am healthy and baby is healthy but my last pregnancy didn't make it due to my thyroid. I don't like meds of any kind either but sometimes the benefits out weigh the risks and is well worth it. Please don't delay and don't let ANYONE tell you that "your levels are a little off it doesn't matter" IT DOES!!!!!! A.

Are you eating anything that suppresses thyroid function? Soy is the first thing that comes to mind, along with broccoli and cabbage. You might want to google a list of these foods and make sure that you're not eating too much of them. You could also check out www.westonprice.org. I think they have a list of thyroid-promoting foods.

You should start taking thyroid hormone ASAP. If you don't, it may affect your child's brain development (i.e. intelligence). It is important to start taking in the 1st trimester if you can help it. It is safe in pregnancy. Do not worry. I am a nurse-midwife & the same thing happened to me. I prefer the "natural" approach to most things as well, but there is no alternative. The MD will monitor your throid hormone levels each trimester & adjust the medication accordingly. Your MD should also check to see if you have thyroid antibodies, if he/she hasn't already. You will likely need to be on thyroid hormone the rest of your life. It is a pretty benign drug, as drugs go.

You need to take it. The medication is giving you what your body is supposed to be producing but is not. This is fairly common in women.

It is not like taking "hormones." Of course do your homework, research and be an informed patient, but hypothyroid is something you need to treat.

Hi S.,
I found out a few years ago that I have an underactive thyroid as well, so I've been taking a daily medication called synthroid ever since. My dr. says it's extremely important to take the medication because my thyroid won't do it's job in regulating my body otherwise. I once had to skip 2 weeks of dosage due to forgetting the medicine on a trip and I felt rundown and exhausted, so it makes a huge difference for me. Didn't your dr. explain the importance of having normal thyroid levels and what can potentially happen if you don't take something to to regulate the levels? Since you're against meds, maybe he/she can suggest another form of treatment?
Good luck,
Lynsey

Hi S.,

I had Low levels of Progesterone,

They gave me a prescription for it, and i was very worried
About the effects it would have on my baby.

But after long worry I took the meds and prayed for my baby

And everything turned out well.

My son is healthy.

I had no side effects,
I did have some bleeding but this was what made me realize there was a problem.
I bled for 4 months.

And like i said my baby was healthy.

M

OMG. Take the medication to get your thyroid at the proper level. It's extremely dangerous to your baby if your thyroid is off. I just don't understand people like you.

The baby gets the thyroid hormone it needs from you during the first trimester of pregnancy before theirs develops, so if yours is very low and the doctor is recommending it, I'd advise taking the medicine. I have underactive thyroid and my endocrinologist is watching my levels carefully since I am trying to get pregnant and she even wants me to call her right away with a positive pregnancy test. She seemed fairly concerned that the levels are right for the fetus. I know there are some birth defect isssues associated with low thyroid during the first trimester, but I can't remember exactly what. I'm sure you can find info on the web or call an endocrinologist. Good luck with your pregnancy! I'm sure it will all work out fine.