
You’re at higher risk for a thyroid condition during pregnancy than other women if you: Are you at risk for having a thyroid condition during pregnancy? If you think you may have a thyroid condition, ask your provider about testing. TSH is a hormone that tells your thyroid gland to make thyroid hormones. The blood test measures the levels of thyroid hormones and thyroid stimulating hormone (also called TSH) in your body. Your provider gives you a physical exam and a blood test to check for thyroid conditions. Many are signs and symptoms of other health conditions, so having one doesn’t always mean you have a thyroid problem. Signs and symptoms of thyroid conditions may appear slowly over time. Symptoms are things you feel yourself that others can’t see, like having a sore throat or feeling dizzy. Signs of a condition are things someone else can see or know about you, like that you have a rash or you’re coughing. If you have signs or symptoms of a thyroid condition, especially during pregnancy, tell your provider. Health care providers don’t usually test your thyroid before or during pregnancy unless you’re at high risk of having a thyroid condition or you have signs or symptoms of one. How are thyroid conditions during pregnancy diagnosed? If you have a thyroid condition during pregnancy, treatment can help you have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby. When you have Hashimoto’s disease, your immune system makes antibodies that attack your thyroid and damage it so it can’t produce thyroid hormones. Hypothyroidism during pregnancy usually is caused by an autoimmune disorder called Hashimoto’s disease. This is when the thyroid is underactive and doesn’t make enough thyroid hormones, so many of your body’s functions slow down. Hypothyroidism (“hypo” means too little or not enough).These are lumps in your thyroid that make too much thyroid hormone. Also in rare cases, hyperthyroidism can be caused by thyroid nodules. In rare cases, hyperthyroidism is linked to a severe form of morning sickness called hyperemesis gravidarum (excessive nausea and vomiting during pregnancy). If you have Graves’ disease, your immune system makes antibodies that cause your thyroid to make too much thyroid hormone. Autoimmune disorders are health conditions that happen when antibodies (cells in the body that fight off infections) attack healthy tissue by mistake. Hyperthyroidism during pregnancy usually is caused by an autoimmune disorder called Graves’ disease. This condition can cause many of your body’s functions to speed up. This is when the thyroid is overactive and makes too much thyroid hormone. Hyperthyroidism (“hyper” means too much).There are two main kinds of thyroid conditions: What are the main kinds of thyroid conditions? But untreated thyroid conditions can cause problems for you and your baby during pregnancy and after birth. With treatment, a thyroid condition may not cause any problems during pregnancy.

Others may develop thyroid problems for the first time during pregnancy or soon after giving birth. Some women have a thyroid disorder that begins before pregnancy (also called a pre-existing condition).

When this happens, you have a thyroid disorder. Sometimes the thyroid gland makes too much or too little of certain hormones. For example, thyroid hormones can affect your heart rate (how fast your heart beats) and your metabolism (how well and fast your body processes what you eat and drink). The thyroid makes hormones (chemicals) that play a big role in your health. A gland is an organ that makes substances that help your body work. The thyroid is a tiny, butterfly-shaped gland in your neck.
