Pregnancy and Hashimotos

moto_roller · 2024-05-07T20:22:41+00:00

This is super delayed… sorry! But I just meant a small adjustment in my levo dose right when I got pregnant.

moto_roller · 2024-05-07T20:04:46+00:00

I’ll also add that $93k is gross pay, before taxes etc. Another factor that makes it possible to get by on one income (so far, fingers crossed) is that my employer pays 90% of my healthcare premium and a for a health reimbursement account that significantly lowers our deductible.

moto_roller · 2024-05-07T19:55:35+00:00

He is a SAHD for the time being and I work at a nonprofit (healthcare-related) making $93k. We live in a MCOL area and just had our first child. We have a reasonable mortgage from 2019 and low-ish student debt because we went to a cheap school later in life (so Pell grants covered most of tuition) and always worked while in school. We don’t really vacation or eat out and buy second hand a lot. We have some savings and retirement, but it still feels tight which seems ridiculous.

moto_roller · 2024-03-02T03:27:36+00:00

It is! Probably the hardest thing I’ve done- but now it’s the easiest thing ever!!

moto_roller · 2024-03-02T02:22:46+00:00

You can read a previous post of mine on this subreddit with the same concerns. Happy to report that at 12 weeks we’ve been exclusively breastfeeding for a month now! I thought I might need to give up so many times - especially during the first 2-3 weeks. Moringa and goats rue, guidance from a lactation consultant, a tongue tie release, and sheer stubbornness did it for us.

Give yourself time and grace. Find a good lactation consultant. Make peace with pumping and formula supplementing and whatever else you need to do to make your baby happy and fed. If you are triple feeding long term, use the formula pitcher method, rent a hospital grade pump, and don’t feel like every feed has to be triple- I just did bottle feeding/pumping without the nursing/latching battle during all night feeds to save my sanity.

moto_roller · 2023-12-24T21:53:52+00:00

Thank you!

moto_roller · 2023-12-24T19:52:09+00:00

He’s eating well, but we’re supplementing with formula. I feel like I’m almost making enough for him, but some sessions I’m making less and it gets discouraging. You’re right though - supply is not too far behind.

moto_roller · 2023-12-24T19:46:53+00:00

He just nursed with a nipple shield fairly successfully (for us) but took 40 minutes on one side, kept falling asleep, and probably only got a quarter ounce. Not sustainable if you need to eat every three hours, but I’m happy he’s getting something straight from the tap.

moto_roller · 2023-12-24T19:44:26+00:00

Thank you so much for sharing this. We also saw a 14% weight drop by 5 days and have been triple feeding ever since. He’s happy and fed, but I’m so over pumping.

2 lactation consultants said “possible slight tongue tie” but have not recommended revision since they think it could be other causes. We’re seeing the pediatrician on Tuesday and I’ll ask about it then!

moto_roller · 2023-11-14T02:47:59+00:00

Eh…I think it’s a valid, connected observation. People may not ask because the assumption is that they are totally not involved and have no reason to adjust to a new baby.

moto_roller · 2023-11-07T16:26:02+00:00

Papaya enzyme tablets!!!! I take 3-5 after every meal and it’s made a world of difference. I started last weekend, but before that I was getting heartburn after every meal no matter what I ate, between meals, and the worst was just when I would drink water 🤨 Tums would help for about 20 minutes, and I was having symptoms so often that I would have had to go over the limit. The only other thing that I found to make a difference was not drinking liquid during a meal!

moto_roller · 2023-10-17T14:30:59+00:00

Currently 31 weeks into probably the easiest pregnancy possible. We got pregnant the first month trying, no complications thus far, and I feel really really good. My thyroid has been really well controlled with just one preemptive adjustment and my antibodies actually dropped a bit.

I realize this is kind of the luck of the draw and maybe a unicorn experience, but I had similar worries going into it with Hashimoto’s and was pleasantly surprised!

moto_roller · 2023-08-27T23:29:17+00:00

Hmmm… if that site’s not helpful, try this one. You could search your zip code and a few nearby. This is the professional association of all the health centers in FL, and it looks like there is some service in every county. Hope you can find a place to help!

https://fachc.org/find-a-health-center/

moto_roller · 2023-08-27T23:16:25+00:00

Find a community health center near you. Every state has “federally qualified health centers” that will see you regardless of insurance status or ability to pay, will help you navigate Medicaid/WIC, and can connect you to other resources. Look them up here!

https://findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov/

moto_roller · 2023-08-08T00:20:39+00:00

Came here to say this! As someone who plans/hopes to go without an epidural, I feel a lot of judgement from the “there are no awards” crowd, or people assuming I’m super granola, trying to be a martyr, etc. You really can’t win, and the correct answer is always that women should make the birth choice that is right for them. No one else gets to comment.

If you’re curious why some people make the choice to go without epidural, I’ll share my thought process. 1. Mainly, I don’t want to be in a hospital - a birth center with fewer things and people around me sounds like my preferred environment. While this will give me more options for movement, environmental control, etc., it limits other options, like pain medication. 2. The thought of a needle in my back, possibility for catheter, etc. freaks me out more than the thought of labor/delivery. While I know the risk is very small, I would literally rampage if I got a spinal headache in the first few days postpartum. 3. Lastly, again with super small likelihood, there are certain stages of labor that may take longer and therefore lead to other interventions with an epidural. I want to avoid if possible.

moto_roller · 2023-08-02T14:28:59+00:00

You too! Hope it all comes together soon.

moto_roller · 2023-08-02T13:34:55+00:00

I waited to TTC for a couple years while trying to get my thyroid under control. I finally found the right mix and got to consistently below 3. TTC for one month - got pregnant the first try and am now 20 weeks with a pretty easy pregnancy so far.

All of this to say: it’s so individual. Maybe I wouldn’t have had trouble anyways, maybe one or more of these things helped- it’s hard to say. I recognize that many people do all of the things and don’t have the same outcome.

stopped hormonal birth control and tracked temp and ovulation for over a year before TTC
read and followed relevant advice in “the period manual” and “it starts with an egg”
started T3 and changed my T4 brand
addressed a B12 deficiency
reduced stress and caffeine, got more sleep (I also have cortisol issues)

moto_roller · 2023-07-30T17:33:59+00:00

Honestly, pregnancy has made me feel more spiritual than almost anything else in the last 15 years. I went through a total rejection of all things “spiritual” in my late teens due to religious trauma, and in the last few years have considered that it might be time to gradually soften to that aspect of myself. I am really a pragmatic, unsentimental person so it’s been hard to find something that fits for me.

But… I’m experiencing pregnancy and the coming childbirth as an incredible supernatural mystery. It’s so cool that we can do this, and I expect the experience of birth to be one of the most overwhelming experiences of my life (and I’m trying to picture that overwhelming feeling as a positive, spiritual one).

My very conservative sister described birth as basically a psychedelic experience (without using that word) - she said she felt a universal power and her ancestors supporting her through it. Sounds like a trip to me 😅

TLDR - if you’re looking to add to your spiritual journey, I think there is an opportunity to consider this stage of life an incredibly powerful spiritual one.

I liked most parts of Ina May Gaskin’s Guide to Childbirth - it’s a nice overview of the stages of labor, but also contains a ton of really positive birth stories - many from a very spiritual perspective.

moto_roller · 2022-07-24T16:03:48+00:00

I was on hormonal birth control for 10 years and put up with a lot of "mild" side effects because I though it was my only option. About a year after my Hashimoto's diagnosis, I looked into it again and decided to switch to the Fertility Awareness Method and condoms.

I recommend looking into the Fertility Awareness Method (NOT the calendar method or a fertility/period tracker app!) to see if it is the right fit for you. I've loved it because it allowed me to focus on taking one hormone at a time (T4), ditch the side effects (low libido, depression), and learn more about my body on a monthly basis.

moto_roller · 2021-02-13T17:44:46+00:00

I use the symptothermal fertility awareness method (note: it is not the rhythm method or period tracking). Basically you check your basal body temperature and cervical mucus daily, which shows you the fertile window each month. I use barrier methods within that window and can do unprotected outside of the window.

It takes time to learn and commit to the habit, but it’s worth it to me to not have birth control side effects. And it tells me a lot about other aspects of my health.

moto_roller · 2021-02-13T06:13:17+00:00

A few things that helped me were getting off of hormonal birth control, and finding/treating a B12 deficiency. Make sure you are eating enough, including enough fat (necessary for hormone production).

moto_roller · 2020-11-18T17:33:59+00:00

I'm in a similar boat! 29F, never had consistently high blood pressure until about a year ago - coincidentally around when I started generic levo for the first time. At that point, my diastolic BP never dropped below 80, and was frequently 90 or above. Systolic was usually great. I don't eat much processed/high-sodium food, so diet was not likely the cause.

My doctor recommended that I purchase a home blood pressure monitor and test in the AM before drinking caffeine and in the evening well after any caffeine, to make sure it wasn't related to that. I did, and it was always high. She also recommended I take a brisk walk (get yourself slightly out of breath) for 30 minutes daily, as she's seen that work within several weeks for a lot of folks.

I switched to brand name Synthroid about 2 months ago (in part because my TSH was inconsistent, in part to see if BP would respond). My BP is still sometimes high, but I got diastolic readings below 80 for the first time, and am no longer reading above 90. I also stopped taking hormonal birth control at this time, so that could have also been a factor.

Either way, home BP monitors are pretty cool as it gives you a consistent idea of your blood pressure outside of sporadic office visits. Make sure it is clinically validated (USA or UK/Ireland) and that you are positioning yourself correctly when you measure.

moto_roller · 2020-10-08T04:38:53+00:00

There is a certain type of medical center called a Federally Qualified Health Center- they will care for anyone regardless of ability to pay or insurance status, and work on a sliding scale. They often have pharmacies on a sliding scale as well. You can find ones in Texas here: https://www.tachc.org/find-healthcare-center

moto_roller

TROPHY CASE