I have been tracking my cycles for the past 6 months in order to get a better idea of ovulation dates. My husband and I would like to get pregnant with our 3rd child. My last two children were conceived the first time that we tried, so we did not start trying until we were ready. However, my cycle seems to only be on average 26 days. It's a bit irregular. Sometime within the last year or so I have also starting having 5-7 days of brownish discharge, some tinged with a little red blood (sorry to be gross) prior to actually starting my period. I did a little research into this online and from what I found it says that this may indicate that I have a short luteal phase due to low progesterone. I have a doctor's appointment next week and from what I read this can be easily corrected. According to my charting I am fertile this week however, so my husband and I did go ahead and start having unprotected sex. Now I'm worried if I do end up getting pregnant this week and I have low progesterone that this will end in a miscarriage. Sometimes doctor's tend to brush things off, and this is my first visit to this practitioner. What can I say to make sure my doctor is checking on the appropriate things?? Have any of you had experiences with low progesterone or short luteal phase and had a successful pregnancy? It seems so strange to even worry about this when I've had 2 easy uneventful pregnancies in the past. Maybe I should just stop at two?
I had my doctor's visit today. She agreed the symptoms are abnormal, but she said she was not "alarmed" and had no reason to think it would affect us being able to get pregnant. She has put me on a 3 month plan for the symptoms to dissapear (with a calendar to track them with) or for us to end up pregnant with the help of an ovulation detector kit. Loved the physician and really felt like she was going to be proactive in helping me ather than being one of those "try for a year and then we'll see" type deals. Thanks everyone for the encouragement and responses.
While I don't know how to get the Dr to respond to your fears, you could go the homeopathic direction with something like:
http://www.nativeremedies.com/products/fertile-xx-promote...
hope you find the right answer :)
Dear E.,
DON'T let the doctor brush this off! You're right -- it can be easily prevented with progesterone supplements if, in fact, your symtoms prove you correct. They sound very much like symptoms I had during my first 4 pregnancies. After 4 miscarriages, a fertility specialist at Duke told me to take a baby aspirin every day and gave me progesterone suppositories (sorry!) to use throughout my FIFTH pregnancy and my daughter is now 14! Obviously, doctors DO like things to be "their idea," but find some way to voice your concerns and let him/her know you'd rather be safe than sorry. I don't KNOW that this was what saved my 5th pregnancy, but it was the only thing we did DIFFERENTLY the fifth time. Stick to your guns and if the doctor "blows you off," find someone else! Good luck with Baby #3 if you decide it's in the cards!
Jen
I found out when I was about 7 weeks along w/ my 2nd child that I had low progesterone. I have seizure disorder so I get my dr to do an ultrasound at my first prenatal visit to make sure my seizure meds do not cause problems.. The U/S showed the sac was slightly separated which would be caused by low progesterone. So they checked my levels and my progesterone was low. So they put me on a progesterone supplement and monitored me w/ blood work and U/S. I ended up being on the supp. for a month. The sac connected properly and the rest of the pregnancy went fine. I now have a healthy, happy almost 2 yr old girl! Hope this helps! Good luck!
I always have a cycle of around 23 to 27 days. I have 3 children. All were conceived on day 10 of my cycle. With my first pregnancy,I had a low progesterone level. I took Prometrium during my first 12 weeks and had a successful pregnancy and delivered a healthy baby boy. I had a miscarriage on my second pregnancy but got pregnancy twice since then and have 2 healthy baby girls. So, good luck. Talk to your GYN/OB. They will help you out.
Leave it up to the Big Guy! He has plans, and if you are meant to be pregnant, you will. With 2 normal and easy ones, I would think you will have a third, too.... when the time is right. You are a little older, so the body goes thru different things. Dont self diagnose, and dont panic yet! Be patient and pray! Good luck and God Bless!
Your doctor can do a progesterone test around day 21 of your cycle. The level should be over 15. Just describe your systems. I will also mention that from what I've read doctor's won't order tests for hormone levels until you've had 3 miscarriages (!). If you are concerned, insist on getting the test. As I said, it is a simple blood test, and you would rather know sooner than later. See what kind of explaination they have for your spotting issues also.
The doctor can test your progesterone levels 7 days after ovulation to see if they are too low. Your symptoms would seem to suggest that is the case. They can prescribe Prometrium for you to take from a few days after ovulation until the time to take a pregnancy test. If the test is positive then you continue the Prometrium, if it is negative then you stop taking it and have a period. I had this problem in addition to a few others. I lost 3 confirmed pregnancies over 15 years, maybe more. I finally carried my daughter to full term by using Prometrium as a vaginal suppository twice a day for the first 14 weeks of the pregnancy. Prometrium can be used orally or as a suppository depending on your preference. I found using it as a suppository preferable because it delivered the progesterone closer to where it was needed without having to go thru the digestive system. Don't let them give you Provera or a generic, they are synthetic and will do nasty things to your body and mind. Insist on Prometrium, yes it comes from horses but it is the closest to your own progesterone that you will find and has hardly any side effects.
Also get the book "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" by Toni Weschler. It teaches you how to chart your fertility signs so that you can pick up on things before your doctor. After all you live in your body not your doctor. I used this book to track my cycles and I knew I was pregnant before a urine or blood test would have showed positive. you should be able to get it at any bookstore or maybe the library. They also have a website, tcoyf.com, where you can get more information, talk with other women going thru the same thing and purchase software to help with the charting. I used the charting to help me get pregnant and I still use it now to prevent pregnancy.
Good luck to you. Let us know when you are expecting.
My short luteal phase was caused by Celiac's Disease and or endometriosis. I finally got my cycle straight and got pregnant after two laproscopic surgeries and a gluten-free diet.
Hey E. B. I can relate to how you're feeling right now. It took me and my husband 5 long years to get pregnant with our twins. We ended up having to do in-vitro but we are so grateful to have them not matter how they were conceived. What I would do is go ahead and call the nurses at your new doctor's office and let them know what's going on and find out how they handle situations like yours. Tell them your fears and that if you end up with a positive pregnancy test this month that you would feel most comfortable getting your hormone levels checked immediately and see what her reaction is. They shouldn't have a problem doing this for you. If they seem to have problem, I would look to another doctor for your care. Just remember that your medical care is in your hands...trust your instincts even if they might seem strange to others! Good luck!
