[Bobbi]

#1061773

Inasmuch as your thyroid has been removed, those anti-thyroid antibodies are not a problem for you. But there can be interaction — or perhaps the words would be "is interaction" — between your blood and the baby’s blood, in the womb. Your antithyroid antibodies thus can adversely affect the baby if they are present in high enough quantities. What this means is that sometimes, not always, and not even usually, women with Graves antibodies give birth to babies who are (temporarily) hyperthyroid. The babies are not producing their own antibodies, but are reacting to their mother’s antibodies. Thus, your baby needs to be monitored to make sure he/she is not hyperthyroid.

It seems your doctors are being careful, and looking out for your baby’s health.

Congratulations on this upcoming baby! I do hope all goes well.

[LaurenH]

#1017944

Hi! I’m wondering if anyone can share their experience about going through labor with treated Graves. There’s a lot out there regarding infertility and maintaining a healthy pregnancy, but I can’t find any information on the nuts and bolts of labor. What kind of monitoring did the doctors/midwives require? Were you hooked up to machines the whole time? Was water birth an option? Was the baby whisked away immediately for testing or monitoring?

The reason I ask is I was diagnosed with Graves several years ago, and treated with radioactive iodine about 4 years ago. I’m on thyroxine and my levels are stable, and they have continued to be normal throughout the pregnancy (just about to enter the 3rd trimester). But I was told on Friday that, because of the presence of the Graves antibodies in my blood, I can’t have the water birth in the midwife-driven birth center (within the hospital) that I had hoped for, because pediatricians will need to be able to monitor the baby right away. When I asked if I would be hooked up to monitors throughout labor, the ob/gyn said no. The more I think about this, the less sense it makes. Why are a midwife-led water birth and immediate pediatric care/monitoring mutually exclusive? (Bearing in mind that I live in the UK, where midwife-led maternity care is the standard in hospitals.)

Any advice or experiences shared would be much appreciated!

edit: to be more clear, I understand that some extra monitoring will be required and why, I’m just wondering what other peoples’ experiences have been: attached to machines throughout labor and stuck in one position, intermittent monitoring, etc.

[mamabear]

#1061774

I feel your dr’s are using the best approach. Graves’ disease is no joke even if your levels are proper for you I agree with Bobbi, the baby might have issues and these dr’s are knowledgable to know this which is a good sign they are taking precautions.

I have had 4 children. 3 of which were AFTER my diagnosis of Graves. I still have a thyroid and was not on medicine during any of the births since during the pregnancy my thyroid levels were at proper levels.

I have to say that an emergency can happen at any time, believe me I almost had 2nd child in the car and the 3rd in the elevator. you hear stories about women giving birth in weird places …well I am aware of how that can actually happen! When you are at 20minutes apart then all of a sudden go from 20 to 2 minutes apart with no preparation… whoow buddy it is scary!

I think the worst thing for any of us women in general regardless of having graves or not is that we don’t get the Delivery we wished for or hoped for. We feel it will be taken away or it was taken away from us. I feel that I was "given" the chance to experience the excitement of almost delivering right where everyone could see. At one point I was thrown onto the bed while I was laughing and two minutes later had a baby in my arms lol. We were all laughing so hard, because although it wasn’t planned that way it was funny and had a very happy ending.

I think your dr. telling you this is what should happen is a very good thing to say during your 3rd trimester after they have been watching you and will help prepare you so that YOU can know that although you aren’t getting the delivery you wanted to have you can create a new one and hope you get that. Sometimes we just can’t get what we want.
My 4th delivery, I was in the hospital at 9:30pm and the dr. said sorry you’re only 1cm dilated, you should go home. LOL while dh and I were laughing about how foolish this dr was about sending me home the nurse looked at the dr. and said "i know her, she no go, she been here before, she go fast, you watch, I prove it!". She was this Philippino woman who we knew from the other two deliveries from 03′ and 04 and it’s now 06′ …..
So at 12:36am dh said to the dr. you better catch the baby she only pushes once. The dr didn’t believe dh but the nurse knew! Well lets just say the dr. caught the baby and the next day came to me and said wow you only push once! I said next time you’ll believe the husband and the nurse right! LOL

They of course checked my levels with each pregnancy very carefully, even though I was in ‘remission’ they still checked and the dr’s were always there in case the babies were in need of help. Neonatologist had to look at the babies anyway because of the mecomium (bowel movement during delivery inside me) but all kids were just fine. They were all checked later on as well and so was I for any thyroid issues. You never know how things will work out… I had all of my kids naturally but was willing to have emergency surgery if something went wrong. I did ask for pain meds during the labor but my dh knew that I truly didn’t want them and told the dr’s to just say yes we will give them to you. It was my plan and my dh was able to help me with that. We tried to stick with the plan the best we could and the dr’s did what they had to do. I wouldn’t have had it any other way.
The dr’s are specialist in the field that they do, ask your questions if you have them and be comfortable with what they are doing but know that they are looking out for that baby and for you and whether it be in water or on the table it is your health and your babies health that is the most important thing.

If there is a complication the faster they can get to that baby the better. If you are in water those few seconds could mean a lot.

[deblitz]

#1061775

I am glad I read this because I am newly pregnant, and didn’t know that it restricted things at all. I guess I have to start doing my research!

[mamabear]

#1061776

Deblitz welcome and congratulations on your pregnancy! are you on meds for Graves and are your levels stable? Your Ob should know so if they do not please let them know you had or have graves disease and what medicine you took or if you did RAI or surgery and if you are on synthroid or the like at this point.

The Ob might ask that you also see an Endo while you are pregnant just to make sure.

[deblitz]

#1061777

mamabear wrote:Deblitz welcome and congratulations on your pregnancy! are you on meds for Graves and are your levels stable? Your Ob should know so if they do not please let them know you had or have graves disease and what medicine you took or if you did RAI or surgery and if you are on synthroid or the like at this point.

The Ob might ask that you also see an Endo while you are pregnant just to make sure.

I am seeing an MFM and he knows my thyroid issues. I am not on any medication right now, and had a low dose RAI, which he also knows about. ” title=”Smile” />
Thanks!

[Author]

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