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After delivery, women may develop a thyroid disorder called postpartum thyroiditis. This condition occurs in about 5% of women who do not have a history of thyroid disease.⁴ It is often mistaken for depression.

Women with postpartum thyroiditis often develop hypothyroidism 4 to 8 months after delivery. The hypothyroidism usually lasts 2 to 8 weeks but may last up to 12 weeks.² It sometimes occurs after an initial episode of postpartum thyroiditis that causes symptoms from too much thyroid hormone (hyperthyroidism). Hypothyroidism may become permanent in women with postpartum thyroiditis. Even if thyroid gland function returns to normal, postpartum thyroiditis usually comes back during later pregnancies.