[Ski]

#1070586

Plenty of Graves’ patients have had healthy children, even with all the things you must take into consideration. Gather yourself a medical team ~ high risk obstetrician, pediatric endocrinologist, and your regular endocrinologist ~ and get everyone understanding where you stand and what the plan is. PTU, in small doses, has been shown to be okay for pregnancies. If your levels have been normal for a while, your body is in the best possible state for pregnancy, given your Graves’ diagnosis. Normal, stable levels allow the body to heal from the hyperthyroidism. Typically, they find that the antibodies retreat somewhat during pregnancy, because the entire immune system slows down in order to protect the fetus, so you may find you need even less medication than you think to maintain normal thyroid hormone levels throughout. Frequent monitoring of your levels is a really good idea, and can also help you feel confident that everything’s okay.

You may want to consider having your antibody levels tested along the way as well ~ we’ve had some recent posts by mothers who have seen their antibodies affect their newborns. Higher antibody levels during pregnancy seem to correlate with a higher risk of this particular event, so the doctor would know to check the baby ASAP at birth and treat immediately if that has happened. If it does, it’s a transitory effect and is resolved in six weeks’ time.

I know you weren’t expecting this little blessing, but congratulations! I was a surprise to my Mom too. ” title=”Very Happy” />

[Lisa95]

#1019286

Hi. I am new to this board and am looking for some advice. I am 41 and just found out that i am pregnant. I am 5 weeks today. I was Dx with GD in Feb 08. i have been on Tapazole since my diagnosis and was just switched to PTU when i found out i was pregnant. This was an unexpected pregnancy and is very distressing to my husband and I. We have 3 sons ranging in age from 5 to 11 and we were not planning on adding any more to our family since the time i was dx with GD. I have read how dangerous it can be to be pregnant with GD and how the drugs cross the placenta and can affect the baby. My levels have been normal for the past 2 months but prior to that i was up and down. Can anyone tell me what the risks are to myself and the baby? Although it was never something i thought i could ever do, we would consider terminating the preg if it would truly be dangerous to me and the baby. I have a family who needs me and they need to be my first priority.
Any input would be greatly appreciated.

[hyperm]

#1070587

Hi
I have had a very healthy pregnancy and healthy baby. My GD was very well controlled in my last pregnancy and I was able to come off PTU throughout. Pregnancy normally settles the thyroid levels down and the placenta is very clever in protecting the baby during this time. I attended a specialist endo/gyn clinic and had 14 scans with my last pregnancy which I was thankful for. They normally take very well care of you and baba ” title=”Smile” />

Every child is a blessing. Like Ski I was a surprise baby – I have 5 older siblings. When my mum was pregnant with me they warned her that either she/ me or both of us could die as she was very ill after my twin sisters – massive hemorrhage. However, both of us are so thankful that she would not consider a termination and I was the easiest birth she had and very healthy.

As Ski says it is indeed a blessing and I am sure both you and baby will be very healthy. Congratulations!!

M x

[mamabear]

#1070588

I was diagnosed in feb 2001, i didn’t start treatment till July 2001, By oct 2001 my levels were normal while taking PTU. I chose PTU due to trying to get pregnant. Had to wait till levels were normal to do so, so when it came back in oct that they were fine I started to try. (i had help via a Reproductive Endocrinologist (RE)). I wound up getting pregnant May 2002 and all was well and even had to go off of the low dose I was already on because my levels showed that I was going HYPO. The pregnancy was stablizing my levels so i didn’t need the meds.
That was my 2nd child (1st was 7 yrs before that). I had my son and was able to stay in Euthyroid(no thyroid problems) and was able to conceive 10 months later and again no meds all throughout.
it wasn’t until baby #3 was 4months old that my then 2nd child who was just almost 2 yrs old and myself had Rotavirus. That dang virus kicked me out of remission and I was back to taking meds again. But not for long. I did well and was off meds and wound up getting pregnant yet again (but no help at all from RE). Again I did great and I went back out of remission due to a cold I had 6months afterward but I was fine after meds and NOW it has been 2 years of remission for me. And we would like to have baby #5 ” title=”Wink” />

Your levels seem fine and you switched to PTU. You are very early in your pregnancy, your drs will watch will and do what needs to be done to help you and your baby. You might even have to go off the dose or lower it because your body will protect your baby and thus change to accommodate.

Good luck. I sent you a PM as well.

[LaurelM]

#1070589

Hi,

I was diagnosed 8 mo postpartum (8/05) after our first baby born 12/23/04. I was on Methmizole until I became pregnant with our 2nd in 2/06. When we discovered that I was pregnant, I was switched to PTU which I was on for about 1 month and then was able to discontinue meds (which I couldn’t keep down anyway due to morning sickness). Our second baby was, well, ahead of our family planning schedule. I had wanted to be off ATDs before trying again but mother nature had other plans. I was followed closely throughout the pregnancy by a high-risk OB and my endo. I had a very normal pregnancy and delivered 10/5/06. She is a very healthy and happy 2 1/2 year old. I am still in remission following the second pregnancy. Our baby’s Dr. watched her a little more closely for the first few months to ensure that we passed the time frame that any residual antibodies from me might trigger neonatal graves. We were not really worried about it though as she had developed normally (heart rate, growth, etc.) while I was pregnant and that is a very rare complication.

I had been very apprehensive about the ATDs and pregnancy but I was on a low dose and was able to go off them early into pregnancy.

Our family Dr. has included my thyroid disease in our children’s family medical history as this is important for them to know but it is just like anything else that might ‘run’ in families like heart disease or breast cancer.

I was still nursing our first when I started on Methimazole. I was fortunate that my endo was very supportive of continuing this as he felt the benefits outweighed the risks. Out of prudence, our baby’s Dr (an associate professor of medicine) consulted the Ped. Endos at our hightly rated children’s hospital. They were also unconcerned about it but they did monitor our baby’s thyroid levels about every 6-8 weeks. They always checked out fine.

I would be happy to answer any questions you have about my experience if you would like.

Laurel

[mamabear]

#1070590

I know it was all ready said but I wanted to make sure I said it too.

[Lisa95]

#1070591

Thank you all for your replies. I really appreciate it. I am slowly beginning to accept the pregnancy. It really was such a shock. I have an appt with a high risk OB on Monday morning so i should know alot more then. It is so encouraging to hear stories about healthy pregnancies while taking ATD’s. Its very reassuring. My husband and i do believe that things happen for a reason and i think this is helping us to get through it all. I may not understand it now but i hopefully one day i will.
Thanks again to all of you.
Lisa

[bradybunch6x1]

#1070592

Hi Lisa,

I would happen to be one of the mothers that has had a child affected with Graves during pregnancy, and I can say that we all have survived, and are still here. The Graves was well managed in myself, but sometimes it does happen. I can say that my children(twins)were a surprise as well, and that we weren’t planning on having anymore after our 3 year old developed Neonatal Graves, because we knew then we could have more with the same problem. Well we did, and there here, and they are a blessing. It is a struggle sometimes, but I think you will do just fine. Unlike alot of the people here, I was hypothyroid, so detection of the Graves was alot less likely. I think Ski has it right, there alot more people with Graves disease that have babies that are healthy, and they stay healthy, than the ones that don’t. I was told by my doctors that of the people that have Graves(mind you Graves disease is still listed as a rare disease)1 out of ever 80,000 will have a child with Neonatal Graves disease. With your levels normal your in the best shape to have a happy healthy pregnancy.
Good luck
Valarie

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