« Previous · Main · Next »

Breast feeding and Thyroid Problems

October 25, 2006

Have you ever tried to take a baby with you to one of your doctor's appointments? It might seem practical. You don't need a sitter. You don't have to worry that the baby will get hungry while you're away...especially if he won't take a bottle. So I do it all the time. Maybe not one of my smartest moves.

Invariably, there are the steps to drag the stroller up, a narrow examining room and the challenge of keeping the baby from trying to grab the stirrups in the Ob's office. Lovely. As always, there's the perfectly timed crying. Just as the doctor prepares to examine you, the screaming starts. And let's not forget the last time I took The Bear (our now 7 month old) to the doctor with me-- a plane crashed into a building a few blocks away. The appointment was cancelled.

So I had pretty low expectations when I went back to the doctor to try the appointment again. I was seeing an endocrinologist because it turns out my thyroid has decided to go haywire after this pregnancy. I have something called Hashimoto's. Basically it's an auto-immune condition where the immune system attacks the thyroid. This creates hypothyroidism, or an under-active thyroid. So now I'm taking thyroid replacement medicine.

Of course my questions were: (1) is the thyroid imbalance bad for the baby if I'm breastfeeding? (2) is it ok to take the medication, Synthroid, if I'm breastfeeding? As any good former reporter (or anal mom) would do, I checked multiple sources. I found this link about breastfeeding and thyroid conditions. And per the pediatrician, my general practitioner, my endocrinologist and my gynecologist (oh and a second endocrinologist I saw after The Bortskerini was born), Synthroid is just fine if I'm breastfeeding. In fact, it should make me feel better.

Now to be fair, I didn't really feel all that bad. Just VERY tired. But then again I have two kids, and a baby who doesn't sleep through the night. So we'll see if the thyroid medication will help. (Exhaustion and depression are hypothyroid symptoms).

In the meantime, maybe The Bear will start to take pity on us and stop waking up at 4 in the morning...a mere two hours before his big brother, The Bortskerini decides to yell, at the top of his lungs, "HELP!!!"

If you're concerned about any medication you may be taking while breastfeeding, check here.