Women who are planning to get pregnant or are pregnant with a combined thyroid disorder: please note!

  Women with co-morbid thyroid disease, whether hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism, should go to the hospital to have their thyroid function checked and consult with an endocrinologist to see if they are suitable for pregnancy and get a positive answer from the physician before preparing for pregnancy. Thereafter, until pregnancy is confirmed, thyroid function must be checked every month to keep it at a good level, with T3 and T4 at normal levels and TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) at 1-2.5.  After pregnancy it is even more important to have your thyroid function rechecked every month! Regardless of whether you are hyperthyroid or hypothyroid, you should not increase or decrease your medication or stop it on your own. You must adjust your medication dosage under the guidance of an endocrinologist in order to minimize the risk of pregnancy.  Many women with uncontrolled hypothyroidism have been pregnant for several months before discovering severe hypothyroidism, or foolishly stop using thyroid hormones such as Eugenol after pregnancy for fear of “side effects”, resulting in abnormal fetal development and miscarriage or induction of labor (because in the first trimester of pregnancy, the mother’s thyroid hormones are an important source of fetal brain and nervous system development). It is very sad!!!  Pregnant patients with thyroid disorders need a doctor who is familiar with your condition and who will follow you throughout the pregnancy and after delivery to protect you. Our department and I have followed up hundreds of pregnant mothers-to-be with thyroid disease throughout their pregnancy, guiding them through monthly checkups and treatments, and adjusting their plans in a timely manner, saving them from having to travel back and forth without expert consultation and treatment. We continue to provide guidance on the use of medication and follow-up treatment during the postpartum breastfeeding period.