Progesterone Supplements?

Queen of Cups · 03-25-2005, 03:20 PM

Have any of you ever had to take progesterone supplements and succesfully carried your baby to term? I'm scared to death right now...

Here's the results from the bloodwork I had done:
10dpo: hcg 44, prog 20
12dpo: hcg 134, prog 17.8
18 dpo: hcg 3570, prog 12.9

So, I've been put on 200mg of prometrium daily until 12 weeks, and I go back on Tuesday to have my bloodwork redone. I've had no spotting or cramping, this is a pre-emptive move.

The nurse said my hcg levels look great and not to worry, but I can't help it...

ETA: I'm 4 weeks 5 days pregnant right now, my due date is 11/27.

solstar · 03-25-2005, 03:41 PM

I miscarried several times before my oldest dd and had bleeding while preg w/ her.
With my youngest dd I also had bleeding and cramping and they figured out that I had low progesterone. I had to do the suppositories and dd was/is fine.

solstar · 03-25-2005, 03:42 PM

oh and she was a 42wker, induced because of unrelated probs.

FillingMyQuiver · 03-30-2005, 12:30 PM

QOC~ I'm in a similar boat, you're not alone

I'm on progesterone cream until 10wks (I'm 8w 2d). I worry about the low progesterone, although, I also think that it may be due to DS's VERY frequent nursing

I'm a firm believer in listening to my body and I really think that my body will take care of the L'il Bean and will make sure s/he can grow and thrive over the next 9mo. I just wanted to let you know that you're not alone and you're in my thoughts

Pippi · 03-30-2005, 12:34 PM

I used prog cream and am now a healthy 26 weeks pg!

Queen of Cups · 03-30-2005, 01:49 PM

Thanks so much for the support, ladies!

I got the results from my labwork back, and after 5 days on prometrium my progesterone level went from 12.9 to 34! And, my hcg is continuing to double faster than expected - so I'm feeling a lot better!

I, too, feel that it might have something to do with breastfeeding, even though the nurse at the office said it didn't. I think that so rarely do women either (a) breastfeed while pregnant or (b) admit it to their doctor that they are, that the medical profession just doesn't know a lot about the topic.

Zack419 - does your nursling have baby acne again? DS does, and I think its because of the progesterone.

FillingMyQuiver · 03-30-2005, 04:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Queen of Cups

I, too, feel that it might have something to do with breastfeeding, even though the nurse at the office said it didn't. I think that so rarely do women either (a) breastfeed while pregnant or (b) admit it to their doctor that they are, that the medical profession just doesn't know a lot about the topic.

Zack419 - does your nursling have baby acne again? DS does, and I think its because of the progesterone.

So glad to hear that your levels are looking up

I agree that since nursing while pg isn't encouraged, it's not talked about, and that makes it an unknown in the mainstream medical world

I definitely believe it's from nursing, it makes total sense. When you're nursing, your progesterone levels are low, oxytocin and prolactin levels are high. When you're pg, it flip flops. I think that since DS nurses so frequency, my body just hasn't had the oppurtunity to do the total flip yet

I don't find that DS has baby acne, come to think of it, he NEVER had baby acne

It wasn't something we encountered

Queen of Cups · 03-30-2005, 05:26 PM

I checked with the practice I go to before I got pregnant that they are supportive of women breastfeeding through pregnancy - otherwise I would have gone somewhere else! I also made sure my pediatrician was supportive - otherwise DS would be going somewhere else. Every medical professional I've talked to is totally supportive - everyone at my ob/gyn/cnm practice (nurses and midwives) think its wonderful and have told me that more than once.

I hope you're getting support, too! I see our kids are really close in age, too! DS was down to nursing 6-8 times in a 24-hour period when I got pregnant, but now he's nursing more.

FillingMyQuiver · 03-30-2005, 07:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Queen of Cups

I checked with the practice I go to before I got pregnant that they are supportive of women breastfeeding through pregnancy - otherwise I would have gone somewhere else! I also made sure my pediatrician was supportive - otherwise DS would be going somewhere else. Every medical professional I've talked to is totally supportive - everyone at my ob/gyn/cnm practice (nurses and midwives) think its wonderful and have told me that more than once.

I hope you're getting support, too! I see our kids are really close in age, too! DS was down to nursing 6-8 times in a 24-hour period when I got pregnant, but now he's nursing more.

Well, it's hard to find OBs that are on board w/ our choices in our area, we live in "Mainstream America" NJ, the "bucket baby" capital of the world, :LOL. My OB is NOT supportive of my nursing while pg, but it's not his choice and I told him that

He doesn't say anything else about it. DS's ped is definitely okay w/ it, he's been fine w/ ALL the choices we've made regarding DS, thank goodness. There are not many midwives that are close to us, so I go to an OB that both DH and I feel comfortable w/ (DH is a little less "crunchy" than I

)

I WISH DS was down to nursing 6-8 times in 24hrs!!!

When I got pg, DS was nursing pretty much EVERY HOUR!

Once his teeth started coming in, it was like having a newborn

wawoof · 04-25-2005, 01:22 PM

Hi Ladies,

I'm in the same boat. I was nursing DS until early March and had 3 early (4-5 wk) miscarriages during that time. I had a couple of progesterone tests, 1 at 8DPO before the first m/c and one just before the 2nd m/c - both were low. I suspected low progesterone because I had been having short luteal phases before the 1st m/c, and wasn't able to conceive at all until I had night-weaned DS and reduced him to about 2 nursings/day. My reproductive system seems *very* sensitive to nursing. Then, I couldn't get any reproductive endocrinology person to prescribe me progesterone until after I had weaned DS for 3 months - grrr! I looked around seemingsly forever until I found a more progressive doctor. I just found out I am pregnant again last Tuesday, and we had an appointment with the new doc on Wednesday morning. She immediately started me on 200mg vaginal Prometrium twice a day. I had 3 hcg tests done and it's beyond doubling, so I'm hopeful. She's following the pregnancy very closely due to the miscarriage history, and I pray that this baby will be full term and healthy!

Amara

Shellberry · 05-26-2006, 08:10 PM

Yes I have a very healthy 9 month old. took 400mg progest. at 8 weeks untill 12 week. my blood levels were like (if I am remembering correctly) 8.5 at the lowest. We had a ultrasound every visit and she is so beautiful. Little nervous now Just found out #2 is on the way and I do not know if I will have to take supplements again but I am also nursing and do not know if I can nurse and take the supplements.I know how scary it all is but with the right care you can have a healthy baby. Best of luck.
Michelle