Help needed

[Butterfly Spirit]

The pills are the least effective...doesn't get thru your stomach acid very well and may fleetingly raise serum levels but doesn't get where it needs to go...which I think is where any controversy comes in perhaps

Shots most effective with the suppositories being next, as they both go direct into blood******. It also causes side effects...you will be more tired than you ever imagined and lots of fun intestinal issues. There is NO WAY I would take this just for "peace of mind". I want to be shown a valid medical reason before I make a pregnancy way harder than it has to be.

Let me tell you, I was TIRED about 20-25 mins after taking my pills. I know that they worked!
I'd be more scared to take the suppositories because it would seem that it was all coming out. I chose the pills. I was so nauseous one time that I threw it up and my doc said I could take it vaginally too so I did that one time too.

[atomic sagebrush]

Excellent point Harley - aside from any potential risks for BF, there are the risks and side effects to you as well.

Here is one of the studies - and this is for IVF, where they would ostensibly need prog support because their hormones are being artificially manipulated. Does not help even in that situation. Natural pregnancies are even less likely to benefit from prog support (there are studies on this too but this is just the first one I found, there are a bunch of links to other similar studies int he footnotes). Progesterone supplementation during early gestations after IVF or ICSI has no effect on the delivery rates: a randomized controlled trial

And just a quick rant - I simply do not understand the reticence of doctors to prescribe Clomid which DOES raise progesterone and extend luteal phase, while they're shoving off progesterone onto people left and right despite no evidence that it even helps at all. Have a look at the side effects Progesterone consumer information from Drugs.com

[harleyquinn]

The other side effect falls under "social issues"...your vagina is so full of an Elmers glue-like substance there is NO WAY you could have sex in a million years

I am just happy not to be on it anymore.

[Butterfly Spirit]

The other side effect falls under "social issues"...your vagina is so full of an Elmers glue-like substance there is NO WAY you could have sex in a million years

I am just happy not to be on it anymore.

at what you said there!!!!
I was soooo constipated too, the most I'd ever been in my life I had to take drastic measures to get cleaned out. Ahh pregnancy is so sexy and fun! LOL

[mommymachine]

Boy this is stressful. Now I'm certain I want to try again without progesterone but if I lose that baby too I know ill blame myself because I didn't go on it.

[harleyquinn]

mommymachine....I felt the SAME way (hugs)

Go with your gut. I ended up taking it(because I didn't want to regret it) but insisted on the bloodwork to back it up and then didn't need it in the end. Really go with your gut on this. You can't listen to us to make your choices and you need your doctor to walk the talk. (more hugs)

[Violet_]

Mommymachine, perhaps get your OB/GYN to check your progesterone levels (they may be fine) and take it from there?

[mommymachine]

My doctor is going to check them, but she said its not going to be very accurate since we have no idea what my cycle is doing and progesterone fluctuates so much during a cycle. I actually got a whole bunch of blood work done today.

[Tree]

Boy this is stressful. Now I'm certain I want to try again without progesterone but if I lose that baby too I know ill blame myself because I didn't go on it.

I hope you don't mind me asking, but what kind of miscarriages did you have? Natural or missed? I only ask because if they were missed miscarriages then surely they wouldn't have been due to low progesterone or suppression of any other hormones due to breastfeeding. If breastfeeding has the effect of shorting luteal phase due to lack of progesterone then any lack of progesterone causing miscarriage would surely be very early and natural?

[mommymachine]

They were both natural. First one ultrasound confirmed that the baby stopped growing at 5 weeks 4 days and I started bleeding at 7 weeks 1 day. The second one I started bleeding at 5 weeks 4 days and never had an ultrasound but my numbers never got very high. Only around 138.