Hypothyroid/hashimoto's and pregnancy?

[W3ndy2159]

Hi all

Looking for some advice please

My daughter is 34wks pregnant with her first child. I have Hashimoto's thyroiditis (autoimmune thyroid disease)

I've encouraged her to ask midwife for full thyroid function test and thyroid antibodies. Midwife referred her to consultant who said "NO" as it doesn't effect pregnant women.

I know from my own research and other thyroid websites and Facebook that it does.

Autoimmune diseases often run the the family so I'm concerned for her and the baby. She is getting very short tempered/irritable, tired, sickness (like morning sickness).

I know irritability and tiredness are normal in late pregnancy.

I was wondering if I'm worrying unnecessarily about her thyroid or is common?

Thanks in advance from a first time grandma

[Clutter]

If your daughter tested for thyroid dysfuncton prior to her pregnancy and wasn't hypothyroid there shouldn't be a problem. Pregnancy can trigger hypothyroidism though and post partum thyroiditis isn't uncommon and may correct without the need for lifelong treatment. The baby will be given a heel prick test to check for congenital hypothyroidism.

[W3ndy2159 in reply to Clutter]

Thanks for the reply clutter

[mazb]

If I had been tested for thyroid disease in my first pregnancy in '89 and treated I would not have put on 5 stone during it - I'm sure - or had such a traumatic labour ending in emergency C-section which finally tipped me over the edge into full blown Hashi's and then hypoT and ended up like a zombie and collapsing when baby was about 14 months old,

I was amazed to find, when my daughter was pregnant in 2011, that she was not tested either - and after the birth I am sure she has a form of HYPER-thyroidism, which my husband was diagnosed with a few years ago.

So, even though BOTH parents have thyroid disease they still didn't test her in pregnancy.

[W3ndy2159 in reply to mazb]

Thank you for replying mazb. I agree pregnant mothers should be tested routinely for thyroid disease. At least then if any problems occur post partum at least there will be a base line to refer back to.

Maybe I'm a little too sensitive as I suffered long enough before getting treatment and I don't want my daughter to suffer unnecessarily.

I shall be vigilant for early warning signs and encourage her to seek help.

Thanks again for your reply x

[mazb in reply to W3ndy2159]

maybe not sensitive, but informed - as it can run in families, especially with females - although my dad had R.A. - another, but different, auto-immune disease, plus alopecia after a traumatic accident in his 50's - another auto-immune disease, which my sister had at 15 and for years - and now my mom, at 83, has finally been tested for thyroid disease (after heart problems), which revealed a TSH of 6+ - which they aren't bothering to treat (I suspect she has had thyroid disease for years - as my sister has and that has only just been revealed too).

[W3ndy2159 in reply to mazb]

That's why I'm concerned. My mum has RA and 2 of my 3 sisters have AI diseases. Crohns and ulcerated colitis. My other sister has IBS too. Naturally I'm aware my daughter may be susceptible too AI's one day. At the moment concerned she may get post partum thyroiditis if not hypo now. Unfortunately Docs won't test on my whim!!!!

I shall be vigilant

[eeng]

If people are borderline hypothyroid I think they tend to have a history of early miscarriages. Your daughter has got to 34 weeks without a problem so I don't think it's a problem this time but one to watch out for certainly.

[W3ndy2159 in reply to eeng]

Thanks eeng. You are probably right but it is natural to worry for your children. No matter how old they are - she is 33 lol!