Pregnancy Info HOME

Sometimes if you quit them "cold turkey" you can have spotting, that is why my doctor allowed me to wean off of them so that I would not freak out if i spotted. I was on 300mg daily and he told me I could stop at 12 weeks. I decided to drop to 200mg per day at 12 weeks and I did that for a week and then at 13 weeks I did 100mg per day until I hit 14 weeks. I stopped them then at that time and all was well.

Please don't stop taking them at all till you are 13.5 weeks. I was told this by my re when I was pg with my 14 month old and I took them the whole time he said hen I quit cold turkey everything was great. I just lost my 11 week pregnancy 1.5 weeks after I was told to wean the morning dose out I was also taking 2 pills aday. They can't be for sure thats what caused the m/c but everything was fine till I did that just wait till the end of tri 1 I don't want anyone to go thru what I jsut did.

At 10 weeks the placenta takes over a produces the progesterone to support the pregnancy. I for one weaned down from 400 mg at 8 weeks to 200mg then my last week at 10 weeks was only taking it 1 time a day. I will be 12 weeks on Sat. I was told by a specialist that I could wean immediately upon becoming pregnant but my OB suggested to continue. Progesterone is very controversial anyway...as to whether it really supports a pregnancy that wouldn't otherwise work out. I have been off for prog 2 weeks. and everything seems ok. I have also had 5 losses in the past and this is my second pregnancy. This is the first time I have been on progestesterone as well.
Wantantherafter, I am so sorry for your loss..that is really toughat 13.5 weeks. I also lost one at 14 weeks in 2005. I hope you can find peace.
All the best.

I seen your post and had to respond. I have had six miscarriages and have four healthy children now (ages 14, 12, 7 and 5). My OB was involved in a trial on progesterone over 15 years ago and yes it is controversial, but very different for each women. Lots of doctors say that the placenta takes over the producing progesterone at around 12 weeks, but that is not always the case...each woman is different, just like we all have different lengths between menstrual cycles. According to my OB when she did the trial there were a few women who were taken off the progesterone at 14 weeks and still miscarried - therefore, she was keeping her patient's on until 16 weeks to be on the safe side. After having my first two children I moved far away from my OB due to work....I got pregnant and the doctor insisted on taking me off the progesteron at 12 weeks....I begged him to at least refer to my old charts with my OB, but he was arrogant and gave me the talk about the placenta taking over blah, blah blah. I wanted to trust him and being that I had no more progesterone to take, stopped at 12 weeks. At my 18 week ultrasound it was discovered that the baby died at 12 week 1 day....I was devastated. I drove many hours back to my OB and she gave me a prescription for progesterone with tons of refills. I went on to have two more healthy children. Another that was discovered indicating that the placenta does not always sustain the pregnancy was low progesterone can cause preterm labor. After stopping the progesterone at 16 weeks with my first two....everything was fine until around 25 weeks when I went into preterm labor. This went on and off until I delivered my first baby at 35 weeks and next at 37 weeks. With my next two successful pregnancies and finding a doctor who had a brain in his head....I was kept on the progesterone for the entire pregnancy and delivered at 38 and 40 weeks......I felt great. I also breastfed my children, but after about a month it just wasn't working and I had to supplement with formula and eventually stop nursing. It has now been found that progesterone also aids in the ability to sustain nursing so no wonder I had lots of milk, but no nutrients in it. Sorry, I could go on and on as I have been involved with the research and gone through it first hand. I hope everything goes well for you all.

Carady, thanks for that info! The dr. I saw is a fertility specialist at a university hospital and had at one time run a recurrent loss clinic. I have not read his studies, but he has done extensive research b/c he is at the university on progesterone and gives talks on his findings. He said that he has found it to be beneficial and prescribes it to basically ALL of his fertility patients. I trust that he knows what's up as he's been in books on the topic. Anyways, I always figure it doesn't hurt to err on the side of caution.

I think progesterone is great. You really need to follow your doctors orders. The controversy behind it suggests that progesterone may sustain a pregnancy that may have chromsome problems and would normally have miscarried oterwise..so it is sustaining the inevitable. I also have had 5 losses. (One of which was also at 14weeks and the fetus showed growth until 11w5d. I had the fetus testesd and no chromosonal or geetic issues were found I know have 1 child that is 2. I am a firm believer that progesterone works as to the length of time you should be on it I guess like the other girl mentioned is individual. There are additional studies that show how progesterone suppositories can cause genital deformities as well...that kindof scared me but I was willing to take the risk. I am just glad everything seems to be fine with me even though I stopped at 10 weeks I am now 13 weeks. HAd my prental testing last week and everything weemed great..still keeping my fingers crossed.

Please excuse my typo's..I was typing with one hand..and did not proofread. :)

Kristin, could you tell me where I can find and read the study about progesterone and genital deformities? I really want to read that as I had progesterone suppositories with my dd and will probably use them again if I ever have another pregnancy. I would also like to know where to read a study about progesterone prolonging a chromosomally abnormal fetus because I was told by an OB, a perinatologist and a fertility specialist that progesterone will never prolong or help a chromosomally abnormal pregnancy. In fact the one I had that was a trisomy miscarried even though I was on progesterone. I'd like to be able to find and print out or get copies of the studies so that I can have them for future reference if I am to see my dr. again for a future pregnancy. I was totally crazed about researching prior to my last pregnancy and even during. I guess that is what having losses will do to you , lol....the innocence is lost :(

Stefkay - there is a lot of information out there that gets misunderstood I think. I will tell you what I learned from my OB who did a huge trial on miscarriage and progesterone many years ago and is still learning every day. There was a risk of deformities if you take an oral pill because during the digestive process it actually changes form and absorbs into your body differently than a natural progesterone and that is why suppositories were so widely used. Now we have progesterone in pill form, such as Prometrium, that is coated in peanut oil and the digestive systems/acids etc cannot destroy it and it stays in its true form to be absorbed. However, congenital abnormalities/deformities or an early miscarriage can be caused by the use of chemically altered progestins. These progestins are not progesterone and a doctor knows that. These chemically altered or synthetic progestins will destroy a baby, but progesterone is essential for the development of a baby. As for progesterone sustaining a pregnancy that has chromosomal defects that is not the case. Most pregnancy losses are due to genetic abnormalities present from the point of conception. Progesterone may prolong such a pregnancy, but it will not prevent the destined loss. There is no evidence that progesterone supplementation has a detrimental effect on the embryo or fetus other than a postponement of the inevitable miscarriage. I hope that makes sense. Women with low progesterone aren't doing some kind of harm to their body by taking the progesterone....in fact we do more harm not taking the progesterone even on a daily basis when not pregnant....it is naturally suppose to be in our system.....you hear all this talk about estrogen dominance....well, what do you think we have if we have no progesterone...we are estrogen dominant and this dominance in the estrogen we have is very clearly linked to breast cancer, uterine/ovarian cancer.....okay....I am babbling...sorry....I could go on and on - LOL!

Hello. I just started taking progesterone suppositories.(I am like 6 dpo according to the LH surge test) My doc prescribed this to help with reccurrent miscarriage. I had a chemical pregnancy in sept., and also lost one recently in beginning of March at 61/2 weeks.
I started the progesterone on Sunday at 2pm. It is now monday evening, and I hate the stuff. It made me feel like I gained 15lbs, but didn't of course. I also feel blah, compared to my normal cheerful self. It is worth it for a baby, but did anyone else have rotten side effects like this? The nursing comment was interesting also....with my son (born 2002) I had a hard time getting nursing established...and now looking back wonder if I had low progesterone? I eventually overcame it with hops, and herbs to assist in Breastfeeding.

Any comments would be appreciated. I am getting a faint BFP, but after two losses, and this darn progesterone dragging down my mood, I am having a hard time feeling cheerful about it. I sound like Oscar the grouch from Sesame street! LOL!