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My progesterone was 11 but no spotting, so my Dr. put me on supplements (progesterone) and he decided to have me do u/s one week after I had started on it. The u/s was today and everything went well, heart beat 141. Progesterone level during first trimester should be 10 and up, even though 10 is low, if goes down lower than 10, the woman start spotting which COULD lead to a miscarriage, because a deficit in progesterone triggers shedding of the uterus. Keep it in mind that progesterone is a natural hormone in our bodies and if it is going down it might be your body telling you something, which will need to be confirmed with an u/s to see if the pregnancy is viable. So, from that on you will see if supplements will be an option for you.

Hello, I am about five weeks pregnant, I went to my doctor becuase I was spotting and she told me my HCG levels werent double like she would like. I had two bloods tests the first one she said was normal I was at 33 the second one she said I wasnt increasing like she would like. I am very scared this is my first baby and I dont know what I can do? My DOC said I should just wait and see!!!? Any information is appreciated

Svetlana, I am in the US and just found out on Friday that I was pg. We mc in Oct so doc ran blood tests for hcg, prog and thyroid to make sure everything was good. My prog is 23 which is where my office wants to be but my doc also told me that some docs don't beleive in giving prog to supplement low prog level. Mine does so I know I'm OK if my number drops but it sounds like it's a doc choice based on their medical beleifs.

Hello all, see my intro above. In my last pg I mc. I was about 8 weeks but we never did blood work (1st pg). This time we will monitor eveything closely. My question is how often can pg change? How often should I be requesting to have it tested if doc doesn't initiate? I know hcg is supposed to double every 2 days but don't know the guideline for progesterone monitoring..

Let me try to separate fact from fiction.
Your progesterone level can still be considered in the normal range which is 9-47 in early pregnancy. Spotting during pregnancy can be a sign of impending miscarriage or it can mean nothing. About half of women bleed because the pregnancy is not viable. In the other half of cases, they can sometimes diagnose the cause, other times not, but most of these women will deliver healthy babies. If the ultrasound looks good, then you have nothing to worry about. Also understand a single progesterone value can never be predictive. progesterone levels fluctuate during the day and the test itself never gives an exact number (it can plus or minus a few). As for supplements, the creme seems to be safer and more effective than pills but it cant save a bad pregnancy. There is no consensus in the medical community about progesterone as an indicator of pregnancy health (except to say that you need a minimum level, which you have). and there is no consensus about whether or not its useful. Some doctors are gung ho on it because they figure it cant hurt and only help. other doctors still worry about unknown side effects. It does seem to be reasonably safe. People who use it and have successful pregnancies with prior bad experiences naturally will credit the progesterone but statistically we do know that a single miscarriage doesnt decrease your chances of a subsequent healthy pregnancy. And even among people who have had 3+ miscarriages and dont use progesterone, 60-70% will still conceive again and deliver healthy babies. Whether or not low progesterone is a cause of recurrent miscarriage is HIGHLY debatable. Many doctors believe low progesterone (and again, your level is still normal) is a sign that something is wrong with the pregnancy, not thay it causes a bad pregnancy. Progesterone probably does help women with a luteal phase defect who never produce enough progesterone but other than that the benefits are entirely unproven. I see women here panicking over numbers that are on the low side of normal but they are still normal. I understand the worry. but the main concern should be how ultrasounds are turning out, the measurements they take there. and obviously your HCG should be doubling at an acceptable rate. Best of luck to all.

I really dont want to make anyone feel badly. I hate all the pregnancy testing, it just freaks women out. Let me start by saying that if HCG is rising but not coming anywhere close to doubling, its a very poor sign. If it is rising and not quite doubling, you can only do further monitoring. this can happen and a healthy pregnancy can result. as you progress, the doubling time lengthens but in the beginning it something around every 1.5 days to 3 days, you should have a doubling. Fortunately you dont have to sweat much because they should be testing your HCG every 3 days. after a few results they will be able to tell you what they think. Also they will give you an ultrasound at around 5 weeks or 1500 hcg to see a pregnancy sac. the next benchmark is a fetal heartbeat between 6 and 7 weeks (since last menstrual period) Ultimately the ultrasound becomes the best pregnancy indicator. Good luck and best!!!!

I understand all the miscarriage fears. I want to share this with everyone. Miscarriages are unfortunately common. they probably exceed the 10-25% figure because many women miscarry when they expect their period and dont even know it. The number 1 cause of miscarriage is genetic. The risk of miscarriage increases dramatically as women age, especially from 38-40+ because eggs have been sitting around longer and are more susceptible to damage. There are other conditions like a poorly shaped uterus, endometriosis, PCOS, clotting disorders, which may contribute to miscarriage. These can be detected with blood testing and exams from a reproductive endocrinologist or a doctor specializing in higher risk pregnancy. There is very little that can be done to prevent pregnancy loss in the first trimester. Make sure you eat right, avoid alcohol, make sure you get at least 400 mcg of folic acid, 800 mcg or more is better, take a prenatal vitamin and relax.

Stephanie, how were your hcg levels ? Did he recommend to put you on progesterone ? I am in a similar situation, I am 4wks 5days pregnant my progesterone was a 14.2 and in 3 days it dropped to an 11.3, the doctor put me on prometrium 200mg twice a day vaginally. My hcg levels went from 190 to 975 in 3 days. I also am getting blood tested every 3 days and I know some of my friends get tested every 48hrs to check progesterone and hcg. I had two prior misscarriages so I am so scared and don't know if the medication will work, or if I am in any danger.
If anyone has any info on my case let me know.

I am so thankful for this site. I started bleeding last Friday and stopped on Monday. I went to the ER on Saturday with heavy cramping. My hcg level was 72. They repeated on Monday - 104. Wednesday it was 120 and progesterone was 6.2. Friday my hcg stayed at 120 but my progesterone rose to 8. Am I correct in thinking I probably miscarried or is there any glimmer of hope that we will have a normal pregnancy. I have to repeat the tests on Monday.

Tammy.

Hi! I am very nervous right now and need some advice. I miscarried in October at 5 weeks. I went to the doctor Monday and had an ultrasound and they saw the sac and said it measured at 5 weeks, 2 days. My doctor called me the next day and said that she wanted to put me on Prometrium (200 mg, 1x day) and to come in for a blood test because my hcg levels were fine, but progesterone was low. I had the blood test Wednesday and they called on Thursday and said that everything went up a little bit and my hcg level was 12,768 but it did not double like it should. I don't go in for another blood test/ultrasound until May 1st. I am scared that this will be another miscarriage. Does anyone have any thoughts on my numbers? Thank you!

I am 9 weeks pregnant today and when I was 6 weeks I had a little bit of pink when I wiped. The dr. did an ultrasound and said everything looked fine, but then my blood work showed I have low progesterone. I have had very slight bleeding last week for two days and then this morning I had one time where I wiped and there was a little blood. My dr. told me to take crinone up until my 10th week and I'm scared to death for next week to get here. Has anyone taken the progesterone medication and gotten off of it recently?

Hi all, was just wondering what progesterone 23 and HCG 197 mean. I realize I am very very early on, but I usually have much lower numbers, so I wanted to know if this looks normal this time. I am going for another test on Thursday. Thanks!

...Malky your numbers look good, keep us updated.
To the women who are worried about spotting and their progesterone being low, take your progesterone supplements. They don't cause birth defects. ..haven't heard from any woman that progesterone like Crinone caused birth defects. Many women go on to have healthy babies with low progestereone but take your supplements. They obviously do work.

Carly, I think you and baby are fine. Let us know. Many women take prometrium and do just fine.

Hi - I just found out on Thursday that I'm pregnant. I was kind of confused because I had my period for 4-5 days - not totally heavy - but at least one heavy day. They put be on Progeterone pills. They tested my blood Thursday and then Friday my Hcg level went from 168 to 206 - is that good?
Since I had my period - is this going to effect my baby - will it be healty?

ok I need everyones opinion I got my blood work done today and I will be 4 weeks on the 4th. But my Hcg came in at 51 and my progesterone at 43. Are those good numbers do you think???