[smj78]

#1058656

I just received a positive pregnancy test at 10DPO. Briefly, here is my story. I was diagnosed with Graves/Hyperthroid 12/10. Had RAI on 2/3/11. I turned Hypo at end of March and was put on Levoxyl. I am on .125 mci and appeared in good range at the end of July 2011. The doctor gave me the go ahead to start trying to concieve this Sept. Imagine my surprise that it happened the first month. My other two children took 6 months each. I am very excited and nervous. I’m looking for some advice in making this a very healthy pregnancy and baby.

I know priority is to stay level on medications and that I may need an increased dose. When should I go to get my levels checked? Is it 5 weeks pregnant? I don’t want to go too early and they still be ok or too late and risk harm to the baby.

Before I got pregnant my tsh levels were like .5, I know ideal is between 1-2. I told this to my doctor and she did not really follow that guideline. What if my levels are normal still but not under 2? Should I push for an increased dose?

Are there any others tips or things I should do/be aware of as I start this pregnancy? I was told I do not need a high risk OBGYN, but I am very nervous.

[DeaKai]

#1169200

Personally I would go with the high-risk OBGYN. I thought there were diabetes relative issues in connection with thyroid diseases…correct me if I’m wrong. I’m so happy for you…congratulations! Soluable food nutrients are so important and I wish I would have taken my multi-vit (minus the Kelp or Iodine ingredients) and endulged in alot of healthy smoothies when I was pregnant long ago. My digestion has always been sluggish. Try to stay away from cabbage, cauliflower and dark greens since they effect your thryoid function. I had this top notch, high-risk OBGYN that would call me at home to see how I was doing and that was awesome! I really love him!
D.K.

[LaurelM]

#1169201

Congratulations!

I think as long as you and your OB are comfortable with each other and that there are good lines of communication between your OB and your endo then you don’t have to have a high risk OB. Mine was but it just worked out that way. I’d had a difficult birth with my first so the two issues together got me sent to the high-risk OB. My pregnancy turned out to be very boring for my OB. ” title=”Very Happy” />

I would recommend that you get your levels checked soon. It’s better to error on the side of caution. The changes that occur for thyroid demands occur early in the pregnancy and you are right to want to be on top of it.

Best wishes for healthy pregnancy and little one!

Laurel

[smj78]

#1169202

I’ll call me endo tomorrow. She is typically good about getting me in for blood work right away when I want it.

I posted a question on another site and a woman made me feel a little bad, suggesting that I should have waited a year after RAI to try to conceive. I would not have if my endo didn’t tell me I could. She reproted that my antibodies may pose a problem for the baby, as the RAI may still be doing it’s work.

I feel sick at the thought of this baby being harmed.

[LaurelM]

#1169203

I’m sorry that you received that kind of response. If your Dr. gave you the OK, then I

There is always a rare (very, very, very rare) possibility of of the auto-antibodies crossing the placenta during pregnancy and causing a transient period of hyperthyroidism in the baby. This can happen regardless of the type of treatment the mother received (or is receiving if taking an ATD). And, it can happen at anytime including years after treatment and in mother’s who have been at normal thyroid levels for a long time. Because of this posibility, it is important for your OB AND the newborn’s Dr to know of any maternal history of thyroid (esp. Graves) disease. You new baby will be monitored just a little more closely for a couple of months post-partum to ensure all is well.

As I said, it is very, very, very rare. My post-Grave’s ‘baby’ will be 5 in a couple of weeks. She is happy and healthy and I can’t believe how quickly the time goes!

[Kimberly]

#1169204

Hello – Congratulations on your pregnancy! If you would like to send an e-mail to info@ngdf.org, we can get you a copy of the latest guidelines from the American Thyroid Association on thyroid disease and pregnancy. It covers issues such as antibody testing and recommended TSH values. It’s supposed to be available free online, but when I just tried to access the article, it asked me for an ID and password. ” title=”Sad” /> Hopefully, it will be back up soon, as it has a lot of great information.

The latest guidance from the ATA on RAI and pregnancy says that "Pregnancy should be delayed for at least 6 months after radioiodine therapy, a delay based on the need to normalize thyroid levels for a successful pregnancy and healthy infant development, and to ensure that additional radiation treatment is not imminent." If your doctor gave you the go-ahead, that’s the most important thing.

[vineeta2k]

#1169205

Hi
First of all my congratulations on your pregnancy ” title=”Smile” /> It is luck that you get to know about it in the first month itself. My advice would be to take your medications regularly, go with the advice of your OB (since he is the best person to judge), stay calm and relaxed, go for a walk regularly and take as much rest as possible. Do not worry much as this will just cause more harm than good. Leave everything to time and take ur pills without fail. All will be well.

[Ski]

#1169206

We’ve known patients here who have accidentally become pregnant *within* the 6-month recommendation, and they’ve gone on to have beautiful, healthy babies, so please try not to worry. You need to retain your "Zen" during pregnancy, it’s important.

The fact that you’ve had RAI and continued on to take thyroid hormone replacement means that there may be no worries about foods affecting your thyroid function — your thyroid is most likely all gone (RAI does most of its work in the first six weeks, and everything it can do in six months, with a far lower level of activity between the six-week and six-month marks), and the main thing you need to concern yourself with is making sure your levels remain stable during the pregnancy. Some changes CAN occur in the way your body processes the replacement hormone during pregnancy, so just best to keep testing, testing, testing to be sure that you make any adjustments as soon as you can to maintain stability. In a normal body, the changes would be managed through the TSH-feedback-loop, but you are managed just on replacement, so it’s something that needs a person’s eyes on in order to manage it the most efficient way.

As for high-risk ob/gyn or no, well, you may want a consult with one, or perhaps meet a pediatric endocrinologist once to discuss potential risks. See how you feel after that. If your regular ob/gyn understands what’s going on with you, that may well be all you need. Make your ob/gyn and endo a TEAM in your care through the pregnancy, make sure they both know every step you’re taking, and you’ll be glad you did.

Congratulations on your pregnancy, I’m sure all will be fine, please try to relax!

[smj78]

#1169207

Thank you all for your opinions. I really need to just stick to this site ” title=”Smile” />

I get the most level-headed, impartial responses. That calms me.

I only posted a few times on this other site, but both times I left feeling aggravated. It’s a very negative place.

I’ll call my endo and OB tomorrow for appointments. I have a great, knowledgable pediatrician. I’ll get his input and a referal to a pediatric endo if needed.

I get most confused about the whole antibody issue and how this affects the baby. I thought I understood that the antibodies calm with the thyroid treatment. I also thought the antibodies typically calm with pregnancy. Can anyone explain this further?

[Bobbi]

#1169208

Antibodies are not necessarily affected by any of our treatment options, so it is possible/likely that you still have them. When you remove your thyroid, however, the antibodies have lost their ability to ruin your health.

Typically during pregnancies, the mother’s body suppresses the immune system somewhat in order to deter it from creating antibodies to the baby’s tissues. As a result, even women with Graves who still have their thyroids can experience a remission as antibody levels lower. But, again, that shouldn’t be much of an issue for you. It can be a help for the baby, however, because antibodies can cross the placental barrier. Occasionally, the baby of a mom with Graves can be born with the mother’s antibodies affecting its thyroid function. This is a temporary condition because it isn’t the baby’s body producing those antibodies, it’s just residual antibodies from the mother. Nevertheless, it is fairly standard for your baby to be checked for thyroid levels at birth, just in case.

[Author]

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