#480: From Hashimoto’s to Breech: The Surprising Role of Thyroid in Pregnancy

Thyroid health may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think about pregnancy, but thyroid hormones play an important role in both maternal health and fetal development, especially during those early weeks when baby is relying on mom's thyroid hormones.

This week, Blyss and Stu take a deep dive into thyroid disease in pregnancy. Stu breaks down the basics of how the thyroid works, the difference between hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism, Hashimoto's versus Graves' disease, and what TSH, T3, T4, and thyroid antibodies can actually tell us. They look at the potential pregnancy risks associated with overt thyroid disease, why subclinical disease is a very different conversation, and why pregnancy itself can change thyroid lab values.

Together they answer the question, should every pregnant woman have her thyroid screened? And discuss how testing itself can sometimes set off an unnecessary cascade of referrals, surveillance, and intervention.

This one gets into the weeds, but it's an episode worth saving as a resource for pregnant families, birth workers, and anyone navigating thyroid disease during the childbearing years.

References:

Reclaiming Birth Gathering

reclaimingbirthconference.com/

 Birth and Birth Psychology Congress in Istanbul, Turkey

Instagram: @birthandbirthpsychology

Website: dogumicinelele.org/

Birthing Instincts Podcast Patreon

Patreon.com/birthinginstinctspodcast

Open Evidence Links

https://www.openevidence.com/ask/04b52887-1c7f-423d-aeb4-7d28376e225a

Thyroid Disease in Pregnancy

www.ovid.com/10.1097/AOG.0000000000003893

Maternal thyroid function during gestation is related to breech presentation at term

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19832853/

Allowed to Birth Ashland Screening

birthinginstincts.com/events/allowed-to-birth

Discussed in This Episode

• Thyroid 101: TSH, T3, T4 & How It All Works
• Hashimoto's vs. Graves' Disease
• Why Thyroid Hormones Matter for Fetal Development
• Thyroid Disease & Pregnancy Risks: What Do the Numbers Actually Mean?
• Should Everyone Be Screened During Pregnancy?
• How Pregnancy Changes Thyroid Labs
• Hypothyroidism: When Pregnancy Symptoms Look Like Thyroid Symptoms
• Subclinical Hypothyroidism: Does It Need Treatment?
• What Thyroid Labs Should Actually Be Ordered?
• Treating Overt Hypothyroidism During Pregnancy
• Hyperemesis and Thyroid Changes

Podcast Produced by: Raquel Hernandez, Pride and Joy Doula Care

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• Restorative Roots | Go to restorativeroots.com and use code BIRTHINGINSTINCTS to get $20 off
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