Low progesterone?

[TaytumJ]

Just wanted to get some opinions instead of listening to Dr. Google. Before I got pregnant with DS I had an early miscarriage where my progesterone was like a .4 when they checked. We did 3 rounds of Clomid for him and first time around my progesterone was a 7 on 50mg. When I finally got pregnant on 100mg it was 47, which was good. I started getting my period again in June and my "period" was weird. I had very little symptoms but spotted each time 3 days before AF. AF was very light - my first period was just 10 days of spotting (after a year since I had my son) I didn't even fill a tampon. The same went for the other two before getting pregnant - 3 days of spotting, light period for about 5 or so. Spotting always started around 10dpo.

I guess I always had heard spotting before your period was an indicator of low progesterone. Should I go and have my levels checked or just assume it was a weird time my body adjusting after baby/breastfeeding?

[ABC.2606]

I would get checked. I believe I have low progesterone too and just had an early loss at 5 weeks. I'm going to the OBGYN in two weeks and am going to insist he check my progesterone. I def think spotting before AF is a sign of low progesterone, as is a short luteal phase (mine is also 10 days). I think it's pretty easy to check and can't hurt if you're wanting to ttc again.

[TaytumJ]

Thank you - I wasn't sure if I dreamed up it could indicate low progesterone or not. My OB can't fit me in for my first ultrasound until 10+2 which seems crazy to me. I'll see if I can get some blood work tomorrow!

[atomic sagebrush]

I do not think you need to get checked, Taytum.

The reason why progesterone is low with losses is because that is how the body ends pregnancy. In a normally developing pregnancy your body makes its own progesterone. They have studied it and found that progesterone supplementation did absolutely nothing to help anyone get and stay pregnant - even in people with luteal phase defects and even in those doing IVF rounds. The problem that causes low progesterone is a pregnancy not working out. The low progesterone is not the cause of the pregnancy not working out, it's the result.

Additionally, while I know the conventional wisdom is "spotting before AF = low prog" that is actually not the case. What happens is that at about 7 days past ovulation, until/unless a pregnancy has sent a message to the body to sustain the corpus luteum and continue producing progesterone, the corpus luteum starts to break down. But your body has a remedy for that - it releases a big surge of estrogen at about 7 DPO that maintains the CL and the uterine lining a little longer (another 5-7 days) to give any new pregnancy a chance to get into the lining and sustain itself (and then it sends that signal that keeps the corpus luteum going and your progesterone rises). So most of the time when there's spotting, it's actually a sign of low ESTROGEN, not progesterone.

I'm not understanding if you're pregnant or not. If you're not pregnant there is ZERO reason to go get this checked. Pregnancy and breastfeeding can make for some funny cycles although it's been quite some time, many people do have weird cycles till they wean. If you are pregnant, a huge part of the reason why the OBs won't see us till the 10-12 week mark is because there is nothing they can do to save pregnancies that aren't working out at that stage. (honestly, the ones who let people come in 900 times before that point and run tests and do lots of invasive early ultrasounds are not always doing their patients any favors) So you put yourself through a lot of stress and expense for something that they can't do anything about anyway.

But, you have to live with your choices of course and so if you will feel guilty about not going in for testing, then by all means do, just don't be devastated if they are less helpful than you had hoped that they would be.

[TaytumJ]

Thank you so much, Atomic. I haven't had a chance to make an appointment and before I even read your response I figured it probably wasn't worth the trouble. I'll be honest and say this was a total shock to us after the time, energy and medication it took for DS1 and I had zero fertile CM leading up to O. Apparently this baby is meant to join our family if need be. I actually AM pregnant (two positives, 5 weeks today), but I was just curious if the spotting before a period was of concern that I should be aware of.
I was fully done BFing in May. Started my period in June but it was super light, no symptoms and basically it lasted for 10 days. Had another period in July, again super light, I would say maybe one day of medium flow if I'm stretching it. Then bam, positive pregnancy test this week.
Like I said I'm having a hard time adjusting to losing the time with DS1 and sharing my attention when I wasn't ready, but what will be will be. I just didn't know if it was something I should start to get excited about or hang on with caution (which I know is always a factor). Thanks atomic! ❤️

[Throwaway_panther]

Ahhh Taytum, it's so nice to see you back. I got my period back really early postpartum and somehow got pregnant despite EBF and felt the same way as you. I ended up losing that pregnancy around 7 weeks though.

Your light bleeds could have been from anovulatory cycles from breastfeeding still. Which is to say that even if you did have low progesterone then, you might not now (since it could have been from you just stopping nursing). But as atomic said, it's a bit of a chicken and an egg thing. And a lot of research is finding that progesterone supps really aren't doing anything.

Crossing my fingers for a happy and healthy outcome for you.

[TaytumJ]

Oh panther, I was almost so excited we were back on the pregnancy train but I 100% agree and know how you feel. I didn't get to sway and feel like I'm totally in the dark in that aspect. Mostly it's DS is my world; the idea of not being his full time mama is overwhelming. I know my heart doesn't divide it grows, but it still sneaks in and makes me sad sometimes. Thank you though, we'll see what happens with this little one. [emoji170][emoji178]

[atomic sagebrush]

Ahhh Taytum, it's so nice to see you back. I got my period back really early postpartum and somehow got pregnant despite EBF and felt the same way as you. I ended up losing that pregnancy around 7 weeks though.

Your light bleeds could have been from anovulatory cycles from breastfeeding still. Which is to say that even if you did have low progesterone then, you might not now (since it could have been from you just stopping nursing). But as atomic said, it's a bit of a chicken and an egg thing. And a lot of research is finding that progesterone supps really aren't doing anything.

Crossing my fingers for a happy and healthy outcome for you.

Coming off the nursing can make for some weird cycles and while I know it's hard to wrap your brain around, the previous cycle really does not have anything to do with what happens in the next one.

[atomic sagebrush]

Oh panther, I was almost so excited we were back on the pregnancy train but I 100% agree and know how you feel. I didn't get to sway and feel like I'm totally in the dark in that aspect. Mostly it's DS is my world; the idea of not being his full time mama is overwhelming. I know my heart doesn't divide it grows, but it still sneaks in and makes me sad sometimes. Thank you though, we'll see what happens with this little one. [emoji170][emoji178]

It is definitely a mixed bag of emotions but the thing is, that's true even when the kids are older. Heck, I had my little 3 when my big 2 were 13 and 16 and I still to this day have feelings of guilt/remorse/wondering if I really did the right thing by my first two...even though they are now totally adults and were relatively pampered. I fairly regularly have thoughts where I think "If only I wouldn't have had more children, I could have done such and such for so and so". Mommy guilt, it's programmed into us.

Huge congrats and FX for a happy healthy pregnancy.

[TaytumJ]

I guess I was just wondering, regardless of the reason, is it of concern that I spotted before my periods? Is this an increased risk of miscarriage?

Slowly getting excited...hoping things work out in the best way possible!