I didn’t know this, so I sort of assume if I don’t know about something, many of you won’t, so I share it in case!
Post-partum thyroiditis is defined as inflammation of the thyroid within the first year after giving birth. This is driven by the immune system, which was naturally suppressed during pregnancy, rebounding after birth and mistakenly attacking the thyroid.
Karen from Mineral Check (I have their hair tests on the shop here)
Post-partum thyroiditis generally consists of two distinct stages:
Stage 1: Hyperthyroidism (typically occurs 1-4 months after giving birth). During this phase, the thyroid produces high levels of free thyroid hormones, free T3 and free T4. This can lead to symptoms such as anxiety, palpitations, weight loss, increased sweating, and irritability.
Stage 2: Hypothyroidism (usually occurs 4-8 months post-partum). In this stage, the thyroid becomes underactive; free thyroid hormone levels drop and TSH increases in an attempt to stimulate the thyroid. Symptoms of this stage include fatigue, weight gain, dry skin, depression, and cold intolerance.
For most women, post-partum thyroiditis resolves on its own within 12-18 months after childbirth without requiring long-term treatment.
That being said, some women may develop chronic hypothyroidism or even Hashimoto’s and require ongoing thyroid hormone replacement therapy.
So, the thyroid goes up and then down, it seems. Watch out for any of those symptoms in yourself or family members after having babies. Could anxiety, irritability, depression or fatigue be being put down to other issues and no-one is looking at the thyroid? Quite possibly.
Might it also be because the baby nicks all your nutrients and so many of the thyroid nutrients go a bit low? Karen reminds us that:
Minerals such as selenium, zinc, magnesium and iodine are also essential for adequate thyroid function.
Very true. Useful info, I thought. Nutrient Tests here. Thyroid tests here if you need them and Thyroid factsheet in the A-Z is here.