Pregnancy and under active thyroid

[KellyM81]

Hi, I have an under active thyroid and just found out that I’m about 5 weeks pregnant. I had my TSH levels tested on Friday and it came in as 3.4, awaiting the results of all the other tests.

Is this range going to cause problems for the baby and should I be worried?

Thanks for reading.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Read Clutter's reply to this post, the information is relevant to your pregnancy

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Wishing you a happy and healthy pregnancy and a beautiful healthy baby in 8 months time

[KellyM81 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thanks, I just read your post. It is so hard waiting for all this to happen when all you want to do is get pregnant.

I’m now wishing I had waited a bit longer as worrying about miscarriage and what harm might come to the baby.

Good luck with it.

[Clutter]

Congratulations, KellyM81.

TSH >3.0 increases the risk of miscarriage. I would increase dose by 50mcg as the foetus is dependent on maternal thyroid hormone until 12-14 weeks.

TSH should be in the low-normal range 0.4 - 2.5 during the first trimester and dose is usually increased by 25-50mcg when pregnancy is confirmed to ensure good foetal development. NICE also recommends that hypothyroid women planning pregnancy should be referred to endocrinology. cks.nice.org.uk/hypothyroid...

Management of primary hypothyroidism: statement by the British Thyroid Association Executive Committee

13. The serum TSH reference range in pregnancy is 0·4–2·5 mU/l in the first trimester and 0·4–3·0 mU/l in the second and third trimesters or should be based on the trimester-specific reference range for the population if available. These reference ranges should be achieved where possible with appropriate doses of L-T4 preconception and most importantly in the first trimester (1/++0). L-T4/L-T3 combination therapy is not recommended in pregnancy (1/+00).

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi...

According the ATA First Trimester TSH levels between 2.5 and 5.0 are associated with increased pregnancy loss

[KellyM81 in reply to Clutter]

Thanks for your response.

I had a miscarriage in July 2017 and that was when the issues with my thyroid was detected. I’m currently on 50mg Thyroxine.

Despite these TSH results my GP does not want to speak to my until next Wednesday. I will just increase my dose as suggested.

This is all mind boggling! Thanks for your help though, I did not think to check the NICE guidelines.

[Mamapea1]

Kelly ~ you're understandably worried, but stress brings it's own problems and levels are only slightly elevated ~ it's early days and you have had excellent advice ~ so all you can do is eat well and relax ~ many women have successful pregnancies with a much higher TSH, and others lose them with a lower one ~ I've done both ~ so I don't think you can second guess this. The pregnancy will have drained you of thyroid hormone and therefore raised your TSH ~ babies take what they need of everything, so the raised level may have only just happened ~ so you are more than likely on the winning side of this, as you have found out so soon. I hope so and wish you the best of luck. Please keep in touch and post results.

Warmest wishes Mamapea x