Declining Progesterone Levels in Early Pregnancy

Hi L.,

I also had a few miscarriages due to drop in progesterone levels. The doctor put me on shots and monitored my progress. By 6 mos my levels were stable and I was able to carry the baby to term. He is now 8 years old.

Good Luck,
D. C

Hi L.- I totally understand your frustration. I had 2 miscarriages after delivering a healthy boy and now I am due in Aug w/ #2. Be thankful that you might have a cause for the other miscarriages. When there is no explanation, I find that the hardest.

Anyway, my cousin had 2 miscarriages. When she got pregnant for the 3rd time, they checked her progsterone and it was low. Progesterone is needed in the beginning of the pregnancy to help nurture the egg. She was put on suppositories and had a very successfull time with it. I believe you want a number around 10. After the first trimester is over, the baby starts to make its own progesterone. She now has 2 beautiful girls!

Hope this helps, good luck.

Hi L.,
I had low progesterone and my dr. gave me the suppositories for like 12-14 weeks. I don't remember what my levels were. If your body isn't producing enough during early pregnancy, you could miscarry. Once the placenta takes over, you can stop taking the progesterone. Don't be discouraged. Our bodies sometimes just need a little help. Out of 8 (!!) pregnancies, my first and last were fine, one was with clomid which ultimately helped me make more prog., one I needed the suppositories, and 4 losses in between due to low prog.. Good luck and congratulaions!

I had a low progesterone with my 4th baby. Had shots for awhile. It was worth it. Now he is 7.

Be strong and keep positive ~ I had the same thing happen with my first live birth child (previously had lost one and a set of twins) and it was because of the progesterone that I carried her to term. My levels started at 17 and slipped from there, if you can believe it. And my daughter, now 3, is not only healthy but incredibly smart and personable ~ I initially wondered how she'd turn out as the old "let go and let God" adage kept coming back to me and I wondered if she was not meant to be for a reason. Thank goodness for modern medicine as she is such an incredible gift.

Feel free to email me if you have any other questions or need more support :)
Hugs,
L.

I've struggled with low progesterone levels both before pregnancy (I was charting my cycles, and the doctor identified a drop in my levels during one part of my cycle) and during the early parts of my pregnancy. I was put on progesterone suppositories for several months prior to getting pregnant. Once I got pregnant, the doctor told me to stop using the suppositories to see what would happen. When I was 8 weeks pregnant, the doctor noted that my progesterone levels were also quite low, which was very worrisome to me. She immediately started giving me progesterone injections 2x/week. My doctor said that the injections would offer the most direct and absorbable way of getting the progesterone I needed. I went into the doctor's to have the nurse do the injections because the doctor I go to is only about 5 minutes from my house, but she told me that my husband could have administered the injections if going to the hospital was inconvenient. The injections were a little uncomfortable (they stick you in the bum), but I got used to them. I think that I had to receive the injections up until about my 14th week of pregnancy, and then my levels had risen to a point where I didn't need the injections anymore. My doctor said that your body tends to naturally take over with the progesterone production at that point in the pregnancy. I was really glad that we discovered the low progesterone levels, because now we have a wonderful 12 month old son! My doctor said that it's likely that I will have low progesterone levels in my next pregnancy (and will probably have progesterone issues once my cycles return - I'm still nursing and have not gotten my period yet), so they will be sure to monitor that both before and during my next pregnancy too. Good luck to you!

You are blessed to have a Doc who is so on top of things. This is often a reason for early miscarriage. A friend of mine had this issue, and the progesterone supplementation was the answer that enabled her to have her son. I assume she will keep checking your levels, so try not to worry. What you are going through is not uncommon. I know it's hard when you've already lost a baby. I've had three miscarriages myself, but was not given a reason for any of them. I found each time I got pregnant again I would be tempted to worry, so I spent a lot of time praying and trying to distract myself, and doing a lot of positive visualizing of a healthy pregnancy, so I wouldn't worry. Whatever it takes, because worry will not help your body or your baby. Be blessed.