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title: "Your Thyroid After Kids"
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lastmod: "2021-11-30T19:00:00.000Z"
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## Introduction

Having a baby can be such a wonderful, rewarding time in a woman’s life, and at the same time very exhausting — the sleepless nights, lack of “you” time, and for many, postpartum nutrient depletion. Many women think that this exhaustion is “normal” and they do their best to push through. Of course, some level of fatigue is very normal at this time. But what if this fatigue is caused by something deeper? What if this fatigue was caused by your thyroid?

Did you know that there are studies that suggest that 1 in 8 women will develop a thyroid condition postpartum (specifically Hashimoto’s thyroiditis), many of which continue undiagnosed for a long time?

Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is described as an autoimmune process where lymphocytes infiltrate the thyroid, which ultimately causes damage to the gland. There are 3 types of postpartum Hashimoto’s thyroiditis including hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, and the combination of initial hyperthyroidism followed by hypothyroidism. Many women recover from this condition within the first year, however, about 25% progress to chronic hypothyroidism.

## Symptoms of hypothyroidism:

- Fatigue
- Depression
- Decreased milk volume
- Inability to lose “baby weight”
- Heavier than normal menstrual periods
- Hair loss
- Dry skin
- Constipation
- Increased sensitivity to cold (cold hands and feet)

As you can see many of the symptoms above can be mistaken for “normal” postpartum symptoms that a new mom would typically experience. This is why this condition can so often be overlooked.

The main way to investigate the fatigue many women experience after they have a baby is through bloodwork. At Ember Naturopathic we believe in “test, don’t guess”. Practicing this way helps accelerate the process of getting our patients to a place where they are feeling better, faster.

## Bloodwork that could be run for fatigue specifically related to the thyroid include:

- TSH (Thyroid stimulating hormone)
- Free T4
- Free T3
- Anti TPO
- Anti-thyroglobulin antibody
*There are many more labs to run specific to fatigue including (but not limited to) B12, ferritin (iron), Vitamin D, etc. We will cover this in a future blog.

In a classic postpartum Hashimoto thyroiditis case, one might have elevated TSH, low free T4, low free T3, and elevated antibodies (anti TPO, and anti-thyroglobulin antibody).

There are also individuals who have local thyroid antibodies that have not shown up in their bloodwork yet, that could be detected in an ultrasound who are also in this category.

## How does Hashimoto’s get triggered in pregnancy?

There is a major shift in our immune system during pregnancy, which is in place to protect the fetus. Because of this, we are more susceptible during pregnancy and postpartum to auto-immune conditions.

## What can we do?

- Focus on the health of your gut.
- Consider eliminating gluten, which is a common trigger for intestinal permeability (leaky gut) especially in autoimmune disease.
- Consider the Autoimmune Paleo diet especially in more severe cases.
- Monitor stress levels. There is a big connection between adrenal health and thyroid health. Stress and consequently elevated cortisol, both can down regulate thyroid function.
- Get your ND (or other health care practitioner) to check your bloodwork.
- Work with a qualified professional! Supplementation and if indicated, medication, are extremely useful in these cases.

Is your fatigue and exhaustion a result of sleepless nights and being a new mom? Or is there more to it?

Our naturopathic doctors would love to meet with you, and get you energized and feeling your best!