2009. I'd just had another baby (Jacob) and finished with court. So it was no surprise that I felt utterly wrecked in every way. My energy reserves were depleted, my mood perpetually low, my mind was foggy, my skin was dull and I just couldn't shake the weight.
I went along to my GP, expecting to be told it was perfectly normal to be feeling like this after baby no. 6. He didn't say that. Instead, he ordered a whole host of tests , the results of which led to a diagnosis of hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid).
This doctor, however, was very switched on and he suspected that what I actually had was postpartum thyroiditis, a condition that occurs in the first year after childbirth, and often resolves itself in time without medical intervention. He gave me some supplements and asked me to come back for another assessment once I had stopped breastfeeding.
I did, and just as he'd predicted, my thyroid function had returned to normal.
Fast forward 3 years, Taj is born and again, the symptoms return with a vengeance. My doctor has since returned to his homeland, and so I have to see someone else. Again, my tests show that I have an underactive thyroid. This time, the doctor wants to medicate, and it takes quite a bit of pleading on my part to convince him to wait it out until I have finished breastfeeding to retest.
I have since stopped. Only now has it dawned on me that I am well and truly overdue for my follow-up assessment. Only now, as I sit here experiencing all of those symptoms still, 3 months after weaning, am I dreading the likely diagnosis of hypothyroidism.
I have never been a fan of medication. I will always opt for the natural alternative where possible, even for my family. So the prospect of possibly being put on lifelong medication really scares me. I believe that everything we put into our bodies have consequences, most of which we may not be aware of. I hate the idea that I might be forever dependent on a drug that whilst 'fixing' some things, may be altering or damaging other things.
Vent over. I will be taking myself to the doctor on Thursday, when the children are in day care. Until then, I will pray that all is well and that these symptoms are just those of a healthy, over-stretched mum.
I went along to my GP, expecting to be told it was perfectly normal to be feeling like this after baby no. 6. He didn't say that. Instead, he ordered a whole host of tests , the results of which led to a diagnosis of hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid).
This doctor, however, was very switched on and he suspected that what I actually had was postpartum thyroiditis, a condition that occurs in the first year after childbirth, and often resolves itself in time without medical intervention. He gave me some supplements and asked me to come back for another assessment once I had stopped breastfeeding.
I did, and just as he'd predicted, my thyroid function had returned to normal.
Fast forward 3 years, Taj is born and again, the symptoms return with a vengeance. My doctor has since returned to his homeland, and so I have to see someone else. Again, my tests show that I have an underactive thyroid. This time, the doctor wants to medicate, and it takes quite a bit of pleading on my part to convince him to wait it out until I have finished breastfeeding to retest.
I have since stopped. Only now has it dawned on me that I am well and truly overdue for my follow-up assessment. Only now, as I sit here experiencing all of those symptoms still, 3 months after weaning, am I dreading the likely diagnosis of hypothyroidism.
I have never been a fan of medication. I will always opt for the natural alternative where possible, even for my family. So the prospect of possibly being put on lifelong medication really scares me. I believe that everything we put into our bodies have consequences, most of which we may not be aware of. I hate the idea that I might be forever dependent on a drug that whilst 'fixing' some things, may be altering or damaging other things.
Vent over. I will be taking myself to the doctor on Thursday, when the children are in day care. Until then, I will pray that all is well and that these symptoms are just those of a healthy, over-stretched mum.
