Look Who’s Talking
A Mother’s Story about Pregnancy & Her Thyroid

Mollena Fabricant can appreciate the important role the thyroid plays in the development of an unborn child. She was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis in 2003. However, frequent check-ups with her endocrinologist and OBGYN have helped her give birth to three beautiful and healthy sons; Mason, age 5; Avery, age 2; and three-month old Hayden.

“I became aware of the thyroid’s importance because of a friend,” Mollena said. “She was unaware of her family’s history with thyroid conditions and didn’t receive testing when she was pregnant. The child was slow in chewing and crawling and intervention was required. It’s something that’s always in the back of my mind.”

Mollena (the 2008 AACE thyroid awareness spokeswoman) recognizes the critical role of her health care team during pregnancy and the immense importance of frequent check-ups. Constant consultation with her endocrinologist helped keep her TSH levels normal during her pregnancy.

“My endocrinologist made sure that I had monthly blood tests while I was pregnant,” she said.

She also thinks that thyroid testing should be a standard for women considering pregnancy or who may already be pregnant. However, in speaking with her friends, she isn’t sure if testing occurs regularly since her friends had no knowledge whether they were tested or not.

She doesn’t believe that women who are considering pregnancy or who are pregnant get tested. This is because they aren’t aware of the thyroid’s importance: “I was in the elevator when my sister-in-law congratulated me on my role with AACE and we began to discuss how critical thyroid levels are for a healthy pregnancy. A woman in the elevator overheard our conversation and told us she was pregnant and asked for information. I was able to refer her to the AACE website.”

If you’re interested in speaking with Mollena, please contact Bryan Campbell with the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) at 904-353-7878 ext. 147 or by email at bcampbell@aace.com. (more)