After months of trying, you're delighted to learn that you're pregnant. For most women with thyroid disease that's well controlled, these blissful months will progress uneventfully. But having thyroid disease does raise your risk for certain complications such as pre-eclampsia. That usually means more trips to the doctor's office, more blood tests, and, potentially, adjustments to your thyroid medications. Of course, pregnancy affects different women differently. For some women who already have Hashimoto's or Graves' disease, being pregnant can sometimes put the disease into a welcome remission. Pregnancy has a naturally calming effect on the immune system, which prevents the mom from rejecting the fetal tissue. As a result, autoimmune conditions often seem to take a breather, and you wind up feeling better during pregnancy.

But in some cases, pregnancy seems to trigger the onset of thyroid disease. This situation can be challenging. It isn't easy to spot thyroid disease in a pregnant woman. Many of the symptoms of both hypo- and hyperthyroidism resemble those you see in pregnancy. Fatigue, mood swings, and constipation are all common in hypothyroidism and pregnancy. And like pregnant women, those who have hyperthyroidism may experience a faster pulse, nervousness, and greater sensitivity to warmth and heat.

Usually, it takes a skilled physician to distinguish the normal symptoms of pregnancy from those of thyroid disease — one who has the smarts to order a blood test for TSH. But it also requires that the patient realize that what she's feeling is more than just pregnancy-related problems and to report these symptoms to the doctor. It also helps to know your family history for autoimmune and thyroid diseases. Jane, for example, had no idea of her family history of thyroid disease, and began her battle with thyroid disease during pregnancy.

For starters, Jane had a hard time getting pregnant. When she finally did, she started feeling anxious and developed a rapid heartbeat, which she attributed to her pregnancy. After a difficult labor, Jane sank into a postpartum depression that she couldn't seem to shake, even after a few years. Tests revealed that she had Hashimoto's disease, and she was given Synthroid. She later learned that her mother, along with several aunts, all had Hashimoto's disease.

If you do develop a thyroid disorder in pregnancy, it's important to get diagnosed and treated as soon as possible. Prompt treatment will help ensure that the disease does not affect the developing fetus.