Help! progesterone cream and early pg

[Hayeser]

My Luteal Phase is always 9-10days without progesterone cream.  The only other time I tried it, it lengthened my cycle (and my LP by 5 days).  Well, I'm now 11 days after ovulation and got a positive HPT.  Now I'm freaking out that my progesterone levels aren't high enough and my period is going to come.   When I had my progesterone level checked in a previous cycle it was borderline (7.7) on day20.    Anyone have any advice or have used progesterone cream successfully???

(I intend on calling my dr in the morning to request a progesterone level check, but right now I'm so stressed about losing this baby very early)

[AbbieB]

I'm going through this now.

I was having a rough time this pregnancy, I could not get off the couch with low energy and nausea. I was having a lot of chills and shivering. My MW asked me to go test my progesterone. At 7 weeks my progesterone was at a 7.4

I began using an over the counter cream right away. I began feeling better. I started using a prescription progesterone suppository 3 days ago. I'm 9 1/2 weeks now and all is still well. I will retest my levels next week.

I was really rattled by the low numbers, but my MW reassured me that sometimes lab work does not paint the whole picture. She was concerned, but said as long as I still felt pregnant (sore boobs, nausea, sensativity to smell, etc...) not to worry.

If I had not tested, I would have had no reason to think I would have a loss. I was not bleeding or cramping.

I have no previous baseline to compare progesterone levels to. I do have a history of things happening in pregnancy 100% against expected negative outcomes though. I'm optimistic this pregnancy will stick. I'm prepared if it does not, but I feel good about things continuing in a healthy, normal way.

[vivica2]

i have heard that if your body is not producing enough progesterone your pregnancy is probably not viable anyway (it should be producing the proper amount of hormones if it is a healthy pregnancy)

having said that; i was on progesterone while ttc as well (got my bfp the 2nd cycle on it) and weaned off of it by reducing the amount a little every day starting at 5 weeks (1 week after bfp) and i now have a healthy and thriving 9 week old fetus!

good luck!

[Janel47]

I am currently 18 weeks pregnant, and I got pregnant and sustained the pregnancy with the use of progesterone cream.  Generally, if you used progesterone in order to get pregnant (like a luteal phase defect... that's my reason too), you need to take it for 10 wks at your normal dose, and then slowly wean off of it in order to avoid miscarriage.  Going off of it to early or too quickly can trigger a miscarriage because your body notices the drop in hormones and reacts to it.  By 10 wks your body is getting out of the hormone flux stage.  As far as what Vivica2 said about pregnancy viability, that doesn't apply when you use progesterone cream before you get pregnant.  After you are pregnant, the main concern isn't making enough progesterone... it's making sure you don't accidentally trick your body into miscarrying a viable baby.

So my advice is keep on taking it!  :)

[Hayeser]

thanks, you guys!  I always appreciate the advice.

I went for a beta and it was 68 (12DPO) and Progesterone was 32 (using the cream)

went back to check for doubling and it was 246 (14DPO).   They told me to keep doing what I'm doing too.  I just get paranoid that it will harm the baby (I'm always VERY careful about everything when pregnant)...even though it's "natural" cream.  In the past, I was on prog in oil because my other pregnancies were IVFs, but this pregnancy is just ALL US.   EEK!   sooo hard to believe;  we are so blessed.

thanks again!