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I had lowish progesterone with my last pregnancy (12), but at 5 weeks my HCG was at 5000 and doubled the next two blood tests. I had a lot of morning sickness, which is sometimes the case with high HCG. My doctor put me on progesterone supplements and my levels went on. However, after seeing a heartbeat two weeks later (10 weeks) baby had died. Doctor suspects chromosomal abnormalities (tissue is being tested in the lab). Low progesterone is often nature's way of trying to "take care of" an abnormal pregnancy. Progesterone supplements only work if you have low pregesterone due to Luteal Phase Defect (your body doesn't make enough progesterone generally). This can be diagnosed by two consecutive blood tests after you ovulate, and even more definitively by an endometrial biopsy. However these are costly and time consuming. Many doctors will throw progesterone at you if your prog. is low, just in case that's your problem and it might save the pregnancy. Of course that's worth a shot - I did it, even though my doctor told me without a diagnosis before getting pregnant they couldn't know for sure why the progesterone was low. Progesterone supplements can cause missed miscarriage if you are miscarrying for some other reason, which also results in low progesterone levels. If this happens to you (miscarriage while on progesterone), you should have the tests done before getting pregnant. Of course, it is possible to have low progesterone, get pregnant while on supplements, and still have an chromosomally abnormal embryo which miscarries. If this is the case for me, I'll know because the embryo is being tested for abnormalities AND I'm being tested for Luteal PHase Defect (as well as a host of other problems). Hopefully I'll get an answer and will be able to do everything possible next time I get pregnant. I get pregnant VERY easily (first try always). I've been pregnant 5 times, and only have one child (but thank God for that!). I had her when I wa in my late 20s without any progesterone supplements, But I'm now 37 - so I'm at higher risk for all sorts of problems. It's not easy.

You can check my earlier posts to get the low down on my scenerio, but for those of you that are regular followers you will be happy to know that I had a successful ultra sound this morning. I saw a baby and little heart beating. I am seven weeks tom. The heart rate was 119bpm, which they tell me is normal for this stage of pregnancy. My next question is... should I push for more ultra sounds, as the tech. said that they may wait until 10-13 weeks, unless I have problems such as cramping or bleeding, etc. (Which I have not had so far) Like so many stories I have read, I do not want to jump the gun here and assume all is well, when in fact it could not. The low progesterone doesn't seem to be a problem now that I am taking supp.'s . Should I go along with my first trimester pregnancy like a "normal" person, or should I push for the more frequent visits? The worrying can drive a person insane. Thanks for input.

E, I worried and continue to, just like you. My appts. are once a month - I saw baby and heartbeat at 6 weeks, then by 7 weeks I was worried again...changed docs and got to see it again (the first doc didn't treat me like high risk and didn't want to do bloodwork).. Then at 9 weeks I worried again...I just needed to hear that heartbeat. Well, I went in because I thought I had a yeast infection, and while there told the midwife that I was a little crampy...which I was...I only exaggerated slightly :),(a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do) so that I could have another ultrasound - she seemed very receptive to giving me another one, and all was well after that. Heard heartbeat at 11 weeks, and now feel comfortable going once a month...I have an appt. next week. Don't drive yourself crazy - just ask for it. Good luck!!

If you are one progesterone supplements your doctor should give you an ultrasound at least once every two weeks, if not every week. See my above posts. I have low progesterone, but despite being on supplements which seemed to be doing their job, I still miscarried at almost 10 weeks after seeing strong heartbeat at 8 weeks. Miscarriages around 8 weeks are almost always due to chromosomal problems. I am having the tissue analysed to be sure. Progesterone supplements will cause this to present without bleeding and will keep hormones like HCG pumping. The sac continues to grow, not realizing baby has died. The only way to find this out is to have frequent ultrasounds, otherwise you could go on thinking you are still pregnant for 4-6 weeks without knowing. It would be awful to think you are 12 weeks or so and out of the woods, and THEN to get hit with the news that things didn't work out. Best to find out immediately. And if things are going well, you will ride that high for awhile until the next ultrasound. You will have less anxiety - better for you and for baby. Badger your doctor! If he/she won't accomodate you, find another one.

I am nearly 8 weeks pregnant. My doctor says that my progesterone levels are at 13.5 and should be at 18-20 to avoid miscarriage. I started taking progesterone and had a ichy reaction. I am conserned because on the box, it says do not take if pregnant or think you are. My doctor says it is natural prog. and that I shouldn't be worried, but why would it say it on the box? If I don't supplement, am I in great danger of losing the baby?

Cole, The warning label can be very alarming and misleading and is a very common concern of pregnant women who have been perscribed the supplement by their doctors, but this warning label does not apply to you, under the circumstances, and should be considered a perfectly safe and effective treatment for preventing early miscarriage. Once the placenta developes (usually around the end of your first trimester), it will take over the production of this life giving hormone and the supplements should no longer be necessary. Some women can safely go off of the supplements much sooner, but this is a decision that only your doctor can make. A lot of women, including myself, have noticed some adverse effects while taking the hormone supplements such as dizziness, nausea, fatigue, and very swollen and sore breasts. Most of these symptoms are quite typical to pregnancy, anyway, and should not be cause for alarm. The alternative is much worse. If you're experiencing any other adverse reactions to the hormone, you may want to speak to your doctor about possibly changing brands, but it is very important that you remain on the supplements until your doctor says otherwise. Your body cannot sustain a pregnancy if your progesterone levels are not brought up to an adequate level. Also, in answer to your question, the warning label was designed for women who are trying to become pregnant or who think they may be pregnant, but have not discussed it with their physician. I hope this has been helpful. Good luck and keep us posted.

Thank you for the information. I just have one more question. I was doing some research online and it said that normal levels for progesterone are 11-90. If mine are 13.5 and I have been on progesterone sups for one week. They don't seem to be rising. I bought some prog. cream. Is the cream as effective. I am hoping to stop these adverse reactions to taking prog pills. I am super ichy and nauseated. What is your opinion on the cream?

Cole, I have not personally tried the cream so I cannot comment one way or the other, but I've heard there is an excellent cream you can get that is made out of yams and is all natural, which may be preferable to some. I liked the suppositories as opposed to the pills, but every woman is different. Itchiness is a very common symptom in pregnant women and you may even experience overly sensitive skin and rashes. I had to change body lotions and was unable to even shave without breaking out, but my doctor said it was nothing to worry about, but once again, each woman is different. If the itching becomes unbearable to the point where its interfering with your sleep, or if the palms of your hands or the soles of your feet begin to itch, than it may signal something more serious such as ICP (Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy). There are tests that can be run to rule this out. Talk to your doctor.

Cole - I read the same statistics you did, and my doctor actually goes along with them, although at 5 weeks I had some light spotting and my progesterone was at 11.9 (my HCG was a healthy 5000) and he gave me the progesterone supplements at my request. I think some women can carry to term with progesterone towards the low side of that range, but for others, it's still too low and they spot. Some doctors say 15 or better, others 20. Hard to say. I miscarried anywat at 10 weeks (after seeing heartbeat) despite being on supplements.

From everything I have read creams and suppositories are much more effective than pills. That being said, I'm on pills, and just never switched. Have felt extra nausea at times, but as I said before this type of discomfort is well worth it in the long run, and you get to stop taking them around 12 weeks or so. I too got nervous when I read the prescription label that said, don't take if you're pregnant. I asked the pharmacist and she said, I can take and it won't be a problem. Hang in there!

For what it's worth, I had the same miserable nausea with my one successful pregnancy (for which I did NOT take progesterone supplements) and the one where I did, which ended at 10 weeks after seeing heartbeat...

My last question was regarding progesterone and cream. It appears like I am having a severe reaction to the progesterone itself. I have tried pill, cream, and the suppositories. I have hives from head to toe. Mainly around concentrated lymph areas. Has anyone else experienced this. At first they said I was allergic to the peanut base, but I have tried cocoa butter base and the same reaction occured. I went back to the doctor this morning to have an US. The baby has grown twice its size and the heartbeat appears normal. My doctor said that I shouldn't take the prog anymore due to the rash. They say this is highly abnormal to be allergic to prog itself. Is it possible that I have an a-typical kind or chemical make up of prog?

Cole, you're probably having an allergic reaction to the synthetics. You might try eating yams; I've heard they're a very good source of natural progesterone. I had a similar reaction to the prometrium tablets, but never seemed to have a problem with the suppositories. Did you, by any chance, find out what your progesterone levels are currently? Maybe you no longer need the additional progesterone and this is just your body's way of letting you know. It's good to hear that your baby is doing well... Hang in there!

Hi, I'm new to this.Been trying for a long time to get pregnant, however not succeeding.I have just started tests and my luteal phase progesterone is only 1.6, normally should be above 10. Also my periods are really irregular. Really want baby : ( and finding all of this very stressful -anyone have any similar experiences.

have all the pregnancy signs and symptoms. Day 28 and no period. Can you still be pregnancy if you have low BBT after ovualtion?

You DEFINATELY have Luteal Phase Defect. This is a GOOD thing to know. You are one of the lucky women that progesterone supplements are proven to help. Make sure you start taking them on day 18 of your cycle (get your Dr. to give you prescription). Then you take a pregnancy test on day 28. If it's positive you continue taking the supplements until about 12 weeks. If it's negative, you stop the supplements and your period starts within a week. If you have no other problems and are not unlucky and have a "bad luck" one time chromosomal misfire, you have an EXCELLENT chance of having a healthy baby.