Postpartum Thyroiditis (PPT)

Lisa McShane of Annapolis, Maryland, knew something was not right about four months after delivery. "I went to the doctor with some depression, anxiety, heart palpitations, and just generally feeling uncomfortable all the time," she says. "I figured a lot of this was due to just having a baby and would pass with time."

Instead of passing, though, McShane's symptoms continued. "The heart palpitations were the scariest part for me because ... I would suddenly feel a fluttering in my chest and then a little gasp as I tried to catch my breath," she says.

In addition, McShane experienced sadness and anxiety, and, after gaining nearly 75 pounds during pregnancy and developing high blood pressure, her body experienced a rapid drop in weight. "I felt that maybe it was just too many extreme changes for my body to handle in such a short amount of time."

What McShane was really experiencing was postpartum thyroiditis (PPT).