How Thyroid Hormones Affect You During Pregnancy and Postpartum

Thyroid hormones are inevitable for development of the nervous system and the brain of a baby. In the first trimester, the fetus depends on mother’s thyroid hormone, which is supplied through the placenta. After that, the baby’s own thyroid begins to work. Yet, it cannot make enough hormone until 20 weeks of pregnancy.

Why do pregnant ladies have high thyroid hormone levels in their blood?
Pregnancy-related hormones estrogen and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) are responsible for high levels of thyroid hormones in a pregnant lady’s blood. When you are pregnant, your thyroid gland enlarges slightly.

High levels of hormone is one of the reasons for difficulty in diagnosing thyroid problems during pregnancy, according to a reputable obgyn in Noida Extension.

However, a few symptoms are easier to catch. Your obstet-gyne may ask you to undergo certain tests to detect thyroid disorders.

Symptoms of hyperthyroidism
•    Faster heart rate and irregular heartbeats
•    Unexplained weight loss
•    Not being able to gain normal pregnancy weight
•    Shaky hands
•    Difficulty in dealing with heat
•    Tiredness

Symptoms of hypothyroidism
•    Extreme tiredness
•    Muscle cramps
•    Severe constipation
•    Memory and concentration problems
•    Difficulty in dealing with cold

Postpartum thyroiditis
Postpartum thyroiditis refers to the inflammation of the thyroid gland. This condition affects around 1 in 20 women within the first 12 months of child delivery. Type 1 diabetes patients are more prone to suffer from this condition.

Due to the inflammation, the thyroid hormone stored in the gland leaks out. This raises the level of thyroid hormone in blood. So, in the initial stages, you suffer from hyperthyroidism, which may last upto three months.

Then, due to inflammation, thyroid gland suffers damage and becomes underactive. This leads to dip in thyroid hormone in blood, causing hypothyroidism. The condition may last upto 12 months. In some women, the condition does not go away at all. 

It is not necessary that a postpartum thyroiditis patient undergoes both phases. Some may undergo only hyperthyroidism, while some may undergo only hypothyroidism.

“Baby blues”
“Baby blues” are characterized by moodiness and tiredness in a mother after she delivers her baby. Often, symptoms of hypothyroidism are mistaken for the blues due to similarity. However, if the symptoms are accompanied with dry skin, concentration problems, difficulty in dealing with cold, and tingling sensation in arms, hands, legs, and feet, then this is hypothyroidism and not the blues.

If left untreated, it may turn into postpartum depression. Many times, patients of hypothyroidism suffer from depressive symptoms. So, it is important to talk to your obgyn in Noida Extension. She will give you appropriate treatment and also tell you how to deal with the condition properly.

Even if you are feeling the blues, you can discuss this with your doctor. She can provide you with tips to deal with baby blues, which is quite common and nothing to be embarrassed about.

Good diet and regular exercise are important for normal functioning of thyroid glands. In case of imbalance in thyroid hormones, the doctor prescribes appropriate hormone therapy to normalize the levels and reduce symptoms.