Ive never had a problem with my thyroid gland before but now Ive been diagnosed with postpartum thyroiditis. What is it, how did I get it?
Postpartum thyroiditis is a condition in which the thyroid becomes inflamed and dysfunctional after delivery, due to antibodies. Antithyroid antibodies circulate in the body, causing either too much or too little thyroid hormone to be released. Too much thyroid hormone will cause you to have an overactive thyroid gland, while too little will result in an underactive thyroid. Postpartum thyroiditis typically follows a pattern: at first, you become hyperthyroid, and might feel breathless, nervous, mentally confused, have unexplained weight loss, or trouble sleeping. This phase usually appears anytime between one and four months after the birth of the baby. In the second phase, which usually shows up three to eight months postpartum, the bodys hormones are again out of whack. Instead of releasing too much thyroid hormone, the body releases too little, and you become thypothyroid. Symptoms of this stage might be depression, fatigue, weight gain or difficulty losing weight, and an enlarged
