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If you would like to add your story, please visit our contact page. If you are comfortable with it, please include your name, age, the state that you live in and your treatment. We do not and will not post e-mail addresses or any kind of contact information. If you e-mail us your story, we will post it to the site unless you tell us otherwise. We plan to share all the valid e-mail stories with researchers who may be interested in helping to strengthen the awareness of this problem.THESE STORIES ARE NOT EDITED. BECAUSE THEY ARE COPIED AND PASTED DIRECTLY FROM E-MAIL, THE FORMATTING MAY BE DIFFERENT ON THEM.
#101, submitted December 13, 2007:
My name is April and I am 22 years old. I live in Missouri. I had a miscarriage in August of this year. My Doctor whom I had just begun with took action right away. Over the next two months following the miscarriage he analyzed my progesterone levels and my waking temperature. (The waking temperature has a normal cycle throughout a womens entire 'month' and if a women has low progesterone those patterns are much different. You can learn more about that by learning Natural Family Planning.) My doctor found I was low in progesterone and so I have been receiving injections (2cc's in each hip twice a week) since week 2, even before our pregnancy test showed a clear positive. I have had a lot of irritation at the injection site including numbness, itchy, pain and generalized irritation. I found that ice helps the best and if the pain gets too bad i consent to tylenol. I am now 12 weeks pregnant with a very healthy baby. It is not the ideal pregnancy for me but without the progesterone I wouldn't be pregnant
#102, submitted December 16, 2007:
I can't tell you how glad I am that this problem is becoming more known. I have suffered probably 6 miscarriages due to low progesterone. My first 4 were because I was with a large OB practice. I was in my early 20's and my OB didn't seem too concerned that I was losing babies. I kept telling them that something didn't seem right and they finally sent me to IVF. After several rounds of chlomid and painful tests, they couldn't find anything wrong with me. Too bad they never checked my progesterone levels. I lost all my babies between 4 and 8 weeks. My last straw with this large OB practice was when I had gotten pregnant after all the IVF treatments (and I gave up on those) and several miscarriages, I got a positive pregnancy test. I called my OB and they said, "we'll see you in 8 weeks." I couldn't believe it. I explained my problems and they said that that was protocol. I was so upset and talked to my sister-in-law who recommended that I see her OB. After stupidly waiting 1 and 1/2 weeks I called her OB. When I started to explain to the nurse my history, she got very anxious and said I needed to be seen right away because it sounded like I had low progesterone. They saw me the next morning and sent me for blood work right away. By that night, my new Doctor called me and said it didn't look to good. My HCG and progesterone were lower than they should, but she had me go on the progesterone suppositories right away. It was too late though. I miscarried the next day.
The good news is that since then I have had 2 beautiful baby boys. I was on progesterone suppositires twice a day for the first 10 weeks with each.
I am 29 now and unfortunatley, I just suffered another miscarriage though. I didn't even have a chance to get on the progesterone. I had a firm positive pregnancy test on a Sunday. I called Monday to go get my levels checked and they were already so low that my Dr. said I could expect my period at any moment. I got it the next morning. It was pretty frustrating because I just didn't even have a chnace to get on the progesterone. I know it works for me if I just could have a chance to get on them. I am looking into possible starting to take some type of herbal supplement that helps your body produce balanced hormones. We'll see though. I'm so skeptical of things like that.
Thank you for this site and letting me share my story. This problem is so huge but for some reason, it seems to be a big secret. This will be great to get the word out.
Thanks again.
Sandy
#103, submitted January 3, 2008:
My husband and I have been trying to conceive for 3.5 years and I just got a positive pregnancy test right before Christmas. I believe I may have had one or more early miscarriages in the past but none were confirmed with a positive test. Talking to my mom shortly before becoming pregnant she mentioned that she has had low progesterone her whole life and it caused her problems with conceieving both myself and my younger brother, and she also had several miscarriages. She said I should have my level checked. My husband and I had been tested for infertility and they said they hadn't found anything wrong. I assumed that was one of the things they would have checked, but maybe they didn't. Maybe I would have been able to conceive much earlier if they had checked it sooner. When I told my mom I was finally pregnant she told me to make sure they tested my progesterone level. I went for my first prenatal visit and talked to my CNM about my concerns and about my mom's history. She told me they don't normally test that, but she would "just to set my mind at ease". Thank goodness she listened to me - 3 days later she called me and said she had gotten my results and my progesterone level was low - and that she was very surprised. She called in a prescription for progesterone suppositories for me to start right away. I have only been on them now for 4 days, so I am hoping it is working. I don't go back for my next appointment for another week. I just wanted to share that there seems to be a possibility that this problem could be hereditary, at least in my case. I have read that low progesterone can also cause problems with conceiving in the first place and it irritates me that this all should have been discovered a long time ago for me since we went for fertility testing twice! I think you are correct that the medical community needs to realize that this problem is more common than they realize and take it more seriously. Test progesterone as part of infertility testing and test all pregnant women as soon as possible to avoid the potential heartbreak of a miscarriage if at all possible.
Thank you for this website. You may post my story if you'd like.
~Jessica
#104, submitted February 5, 2008:
I became pregnant in June of 2006, only to lose the baby at 5 weeks.....a month later the same thing happened. No one ever checked my progesterone, but I had heard about it......so, my doctor said she would check it as soon as I was pregnant next. I conceived in December of 2006 and my doctor checked my levels immediately. They were 17, and she said that was good, but I was so scared and nervous, she said she would give me the progesterone suppositories anyway. I took 50 mg twice a day (vaginal suppository). At 9 weeks I had bright red bleeding and was sure I lost the baby. They did an ultrasound and the baby was still alive! They checked my progesterone and it was only 13....the next day it was only 12.....so she upped my dosage to three times a day. I'm happy to report that I had a healthy baby girl in August of 2007...she did come 5 weeks early....due to my premature delivery, my doctor said I will take progesterone suppositories up until 36 weeks for my next pregnancy as this has been shown to reduce the chances of preterm labor. I am a HUGE believer in progesterone and I know that I wouldn't have my baby girl without it!!!
Allison
#105, submitted February 27, 2008:
Your site has really helped me to be more educated about my hormone levels. I have not experienced a miscarriage but I was having short luteal phases of 10, sometimes 11, days after my first pregnancy. I knew that short luteal phases would reduce my chances of conceiving and often times is caused by low progesterone. So I went to see my OB with my charts and he agreed that 10 days was on the short side. He knew how much we wanted to conceive and did not hesitate to put me on 400 mg of vaginal progesterone after ovulation. Since the progesterone was all natural and bioidentical, he did not have any issues prescribing it before pregnancy is achieved. I had also been receiving acupuncture treatments and taking B6 and B-complex supplements at the same time. Perhaps it was the progesterone alone or perhaps it was everything combined, but I got a positive pregnancy test the very same cycle. Progesterone is such an important factor in conceiving and maintaining a healthy pregnancy that I can’t believe more doctors are not making the connection. I plan to continue with my progesterone supplementation for at least the first trimester. Thank you.
Carrol
(I am 35 yo, living in CA and pregnant with #2)
#106, submitted March 14, 2008:
I'm 32 and have had 5 miscarriages and 1 successful pregnancy. My first pregnancy I carried until 9 weeks. I went in for my first prenatal visit and the next day started bleeding. They had done an ultrasound and there was a heartbeat. They said sometimes bleeding is normal. 1 week later I miscarried. Then I got pregnant again and carried to 7 weeks and the baby died but my body didn't miscarry and a month later I had to go in for a DNC. By this point I quickly learned to stop telling people when I was pregnant. For every person you tell it is one more you must untell. The silence and sadness from others is horrible. Finally by the 3rd pregnancy my doctor decided to test my progesterone levels. I was 8 and should have been 25. It was too late and I lost that pregnancy also. My doctor explained that my body was literally suffocating the pregnancy. By the 4th pregnancy I went in as soon as I found out I was pregnant but it again was too late. My doctor said
I had to start the progesterone from the time I conceived. Because by the time I missed my period it was too late. So the 5th pregnancy was planned, I took the progesterone suppositories my doctor gave me and continually went in for blood tests to test my levels. By the time I was 12 weeks pregnant she had quadroopled my dosage. To be safe I continued taking it until 16 weeks and on August 15, 2005 I had a little girl. I thank God every day I didn't give up.
I can't tell you enough how heart breaking this process was. I searched and searched the internet for help and answered questions. According to my doctor there is no pharmaceutical money in progesterone. And in addition, HMO's will not pay for the necessary tests to figure out why a woman is miscarrying until she has had 3 viable pregnancies that have resulted in miscarriage. If your doctor won't do anything I would go to a nutritionist and have them do a saliva test. I have several friends that have had the same issues, multiple miscarriages and 9 out of 10 times if you've had more than 1 it's due to progesterone being low. But for some reason the medical field is completely in the dark. I'm currently trying to get pregnant again and came across your site and applaude what your doing. More people need to be aware. This issue pushes so many women towards fertility clinics or adoption when all the doctors need to do is a simple test. That test would have
saved me months and years of pain and tears.
Laura
#107, submitted March 31, 2008:
Victoria: i have read some of your stories, i too suffered low progesterone, but my story is very different! my levels always start out normal so my OB said only one test is required and that your hormone levels increase with pregnancy, well, mine decrease, so much that i hemorrage. my baby suffered a mini stroke in the womb due to blood loss which caused lack of oxygen, it took a family practice doctor to try testing my blood every week to see my levels drop! i am now on the 7th pregnancy and thanks to my regular doctor, my last baby was born without complications, all of the high risk clinics couldnt figure it out, even when i urged them to test me again! they refused to, yet my family doctor was the only one who used common sense and tested me , once i was on the suppositories, i never bleed! all women are different and i wish doctors would take notice!
#108, submitted April 13, 2008:
Hi! I have been browsing your website which I found from the Mamasource
website! I want to thank you for creating your website! It can be a
lifesaver to many couples trying to get pregnant. I am now 43 years old
with a healthy 4 year old daughter, who is the light of my life. I used
natural progesterone cream to help me have regular cycles, something I never
had before the cream. The reason I choose to go this route was first that I
was older.37 when beginning the cream and second, knew that it would be very
difficult to get pregnant without a regular cycle. By regular cycle I mean
my cycles were anywhere from 3 to 5 to 4 to 6 weeks apart. This means that
even though I ovulated, I might not produce an egg with each ovulation. So
instead of having twelve times to a year to get pregnant, I might only have
7-9 times or less if not producing an egg with each ovulation.
I did MY OWN research via websites (especially Dr. John Lee's) and books as
my OB-GYN at the time was not an advocate of natural alternatives. I also
consulted with my sister who is a Physician's Assistant and a couple other
friends who are doctors/nurses. One of them even told me that the best time
frame to get pregnant are days 9-16 of your cycle. She recommended having
sex on days 10, 12, 14 and 16.it being important not to have sex on days 9,
11, 13 and 15. Anyway.I had a regular cycle for a little over 1 year
before becoming pregnant (planned). I can tell you what my P.A. friend told
me WORKED for us! Through my research (via Dr John Lee & others) I decided
to continue using the progesterone cream daily through my first two
trimesters of pregnancy and tapering off after that. I had a wonderful
pregnancy to which I attribute using the progesterone cream.
My daughter was 6 weeks early but very healthy from the git go. I had a
vaginal birth and without an epidural! I was blessed to have a great
delivery. There were no tears, stitches, etc! In fact, I took a shower 3
hours after she was born! Had I gone full term she would have been a BIG,
BIG baby! I believe that her being early was a God thing. I thanked Him
on her due date as she was over 9 pounds!
Even though a natural progesterone cream might not be for everyone, it was a
blessing to me. In fact, I still use natural progesterone cream to this
day! I will the rest of my life!!! I completely agree for women to have a
doctor check their progesterone levels.not just with a blood test but with a
saliva test to back it up. Dr. John Lee and many others recommend a saliva
test over just a blood test as it gives more accurate results.
Definitely do your OWN research to educate yourself.Self education is VITAL!
Many doctors are educated via the pharmaceutical companies after medical
school and not open to other alternatives that may be
natural/healthier/better for you. When you are educated, you can have an
educated conversion with your doctor. You may choose to find a different
doctor if yours is not open to natural alternatives such as
natural/bio-identical progesterone help, saliva tests, etc. Do consult with
a doctor. Remember that it is your body and your life and potentially the
life of your child and ultimately your decision.
I wish you all the best. God Bless!
Denise A.
#109, submitted April 17, 2008:
Melinda: Hello, Since I was 17 I have had issues with my Period. I would be very irreagular. Well shortly after my 21st birthday party I was having Severe cramping. My husband was worried about me and told me to go to the ER. We thought we were just not meant to have children because we had tried for 3 years. Well turns out I was pregnant and only about 3 weeks! The Urine tests Never showed anything but the blood test was positive. Well I went to the OBGYN and they did an ultrasound and couldnt see a baby, they thought it was probibly too early so they gave me some progesteron after testing my levels and told me to make sure i took them. Well 2 weeks later i came back in and you could see the little Embryo!! Needless to say I gave birth to a Big 10lb 8 ounce baby boy by C-Section! He is 13 months old now and very healthy. I just couldnt imagine my life without him! I cannot believe I could have lost him. I am so glad My dr checked my levels and helped me keep my boy! We are currently trying again and im so glad we know what to do this time.
#109, submitted April 29, 2008:
Dear Caneel and Cathy
I lost a baby at 8 and a half weeks last november. We got pregnant again early march. I was told at 5 weeks I probably had a blighted ovum and it was confirmed at 6 weeks.We were heartbroken. A week later pregnancy symptoms were increasing and I was sent by my G.P to have my Hcg levels tested. She saw that they were rising slowly but were at a good level. A scan then revealed that I was 6weeks and one day and there was a healthy looking feotus with a good heart beat. My Parents in-law are both doctors in Ireland and recommended that I be given progestrone. My g.p refused but referred me to and obgyn. I did not get to see her for a week but was sent for the normal blood tests. (no progestrone level test). When she did eventually see me I had already started spotting and it was too late as the baby died at 7weeks and 2 days.
She said if it was still alive I would have given you the progestrone. I hope this helps other women to insist on testing at the early stage especialy if you have lost before. Many Doctors will not test unless you've lost 2 or 3.
Both myself and my husband are devastated but grateful to this website and hope doctors take note.
Kind regards
Helen
#110, submitted May 8, 2008:
I was glad to find this website and find so mnay success stories!! I found out I was pregnant after going to the doctors for being on my period for 2 weeks. Well I obviously wasn't on my period because I was pregnant. I was 4 weeks, I have had 4 previous miscarriages so I was sure I would loose this one too. At 5 weeks I was finally tested for progesterone and HCG. My progesterone level was a 2, obviously that is way too low. My dr said I would loose the baby in the next couple weeks. Well he said it was my choice if I wanted to take the suppositories or not and of course I said yes. I went in for my 6 week appointment and there way a BEAUTIFUL heartbeat. I think the DR was as shocked as I was. He tested my levels again and they were only at 3.4 so they have not gone up too much. He then upped my mg to 200mg. I went in on week 7 and the heartbeat was still there on the baby. I know I am still early because I am almost 8 weeks, but I just know everything is going to be OK with this baby. After I started taking the progesterone suppositories I stopped spotting and haven't had any other complications since week 5. My DR says not to keep my hopes up because with levels this low he doesnt think it is going to stick, but I keep telling him we have proved you wrong each week we will keep proving you wrong untill this baby is born! thanks for listening!!
Erin
#111, submitted May 8, 2008:
Jennifer: Had a m/c in January of 2006 at 5 weeks. Progesterone level at that time was 1.7. Got PG again in March of 2006 and was on Prometrium 2X a day due to low progesterone. That PG resulted in a healthy baby. Now PG again and progesterone was dropping at 4w3d, so I am again on Prometrium. I believe progesterone supplements can save babies!!!
#112, submitted May 14, 2008:
Jennifer (different from above): I'm very happy to have come across this website. Here's my story.... I'm now 30 yrs old and have been ttc for 1 and a half years now. I quit taking bc pills in Oct. 2006. In Dec. 2006 I had started bleeding at an odd time in my cycle so my Dr's office suggested that I first take a hpt. To my suprise it came back positive! I was thrilled but a little worried due to the bleeding. I went in for hcg blood tests every few days for a couple of weeks, my level only got up to 60 and then began dropping. So needless to say I was m/c'ing. So we've been trying ever since with no luck. This past month was my first try at clomid 50mg. which i took days 3-7 of my cycle. On day 12 I went in for u/s to see the follicles. Dr. said I had a very good one on one side and a smaller one on the other. He said within 24 hrs I would ovulate. So on day 23 I had my progesterone drawn, that came back to only be a 2.5. I was shocked at how low it was. So now i'm assuming that the previous m/c was due to my low levels of progesterone. As soon as I found out my level yesterday, I insisted that I start taking a supplement just in case the egg did drop. It surprises me that the Dr's don't automatically test this hormone as soon a pregnancy is detected. It is such a simple blood test and could save a pregnancy if supplements are taken. From now on I will insist on taking prometrium as soon a I know ovulation occured. I have had other blood tests for different hormone levels and all came back normal. I also have no history of gynecologic problems so the only thing that makes sense to me is the progesterone problem. I wish Dr's would add this test to a pregnancy confirmation appt. Good luck to all!
#113, submitted June 12, 2008:
Sharon: Your website is so wonderful. I was so happy to find it. I am 40 years old and 6 1/2 weeks pregnant. Believe it or not, this is my first pregnancy. After having difficulty conceiving, my husband and I went to a wonderful reproductive endocronologist (RE) who tested us for everything and found that I had hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) and big fibroids in and around my uterus. I was treated for both including a difficult surgery to remove the fibroids, had to wait 4 months before we were allowed to try and within 2 months after that I was pregnant. I called my RE immediately as opposed to my ob/gyn who is good but doesn't have as much experience with higher risk pregnancies (I'm older with a thyroid condition). My RE has been testing both my HCG and progeterone levels since the beginning. At first my levels looked great but at 5 1/2 weeks my progesterone level dropped from 23 the prior week to 12 but my HCG level continued to double every two days. RE immediately started me on progesterone suppositories. From what I have read and from conversation with my RE, this is the best form of progesterone to get it to your uterus as quickly as possible. Tomorrow I go back to my RE to test my HCG and progesterone again. With any luck, my RE's intervention did the trick. Regardless, after everything that I have read on this site and others, I know that I would have definately miscarried if it hadn't been for my RE. Keep your heads up ladies, there is hope. Thank you for this wonderful website.
I don't know if I'm allowed to do this. If I'm not please take off this last part of this email. If you are in South Florida [edited] area and need a great RE, call Dr. Gene Manko [edited]. He and his staff are the best.
Update June 13: Yesterday I added my story to your website thought it may not have been posted yet. I have an update that I want to share.
Today, 6-13-08 after being on Crinone 8% once a day for a week, my progesterone level went up from 12 last week to 18.6 this week. Ladies there is hope if this is caught early enough. Find a doctor that will work with you and listen to what you want. Too many doctor's ignore this very real problem. Good luck to all of you and thank you so much for creating this website so that we can find intelligent stories about this issue.
#114, submitted June 17, 2008:
When TTC our first child, I was charting my basal body temperature and noticed that over
the months, my luteal phase was growing shorter. It got to the point where it lasted
about 10-12 days maximum, usually on the shorter end. I spoke with my doctor about this
at my annual, after we'd been TTC for 6 months. She decided to do a blood test to
determine if my progesterone levels were low. This was over a holiday weekend. In the
meantime while waiting for my test results, I found out I was pregnant! When I called
the doctor to tell her the news, she informed me that my progesterone levels were low (I
was at a 9) and put me on prometrium right away. She had my levels tested again and
while the pregnancy hormone levels were going up, the progesterone was still not high
enough, so she added to my dosage. I'm sure that had my doctor not had the foresight to
run this simple blood test in the first place, I wouldn't have my wonderful little boy.
He is almost 2 years old now and we are trying for our 2nd. The doctor put me on
prometrium right away when I told her we were TTC again. She called today with my
results and my levels are still low, so my dosage is again being increased. I love my
doctor and respect her so much for being on top of this issue!
Mary Beth
#115, submitted July 8, 2008:
Hi- I found your site which is an absolute blessing for women going through
low progesterone issues. I am trying to remain positive but I am not
convinced my pregnancy is salvageable.
I am a post-op weight loss surgery patient (3+years). I had a procedure
called the BPD/DS which maintains weight loss because of severe
malabsorption. Therefore, I do not absorb vital nutrients that would enable
my body to produce enough progesterone to sustain a healthy pregnancy.
I have 2 children - 2 pregnancies. I've never miscarried and I pray I do not
this time. My GYN began blood tests last week. Wed, July 2nd my Progesterone
was 5.6 and my HCG was 136. On Friday the 4th, they skipped the progesterone
and took just the HCG which was 203. This past Monday the 7th my
progesterone had dropped to 4.8 and my HCG is 354. Last night I spent the
evening in the ER with cramping and brown discharge (which has since
stopped). They finally, after much begging over the last week, performed a
transvaginal ultra-sound. They were refusing that and the Permetrium because
they believed the pregnancy to be ectopic and/or unhealthy. When a sac was
spotted, I was able to convince them to start me on the Permetrium. I've
been give oral supplements, 200mg, once per day. In my opinion, this is not
enough to do much.
Everyone tells me to hope for the best and prepare for the worst; but how
can your "prepare" for the death of your child? It's not a situation you can
anticipate or prepare for.
I've called other GYN's and my High Risk OB begging for intervention but no
one will go against another and I'm not being heard. I fear this is my last
opportunity at a child as my husband is 47 and feels he's getting too old. I
am 29 and together we have 5 children - none of ours biologically together,
however. Either way, I'm grateful and blessed for what I have.
If you feel my story is worthy of your site, and may help another please
re-post. If you have any advice or suggestions for this very emotional and
happy-to-be-pregnant woman, I would love to hear it.
Thanks for your dedication to this cause.
LA in NY
Disclaimer: We are not medical professionals. This website is for information purposes only and is not a prescription for your particular needs. Consult with your health care professional if in doubt or if you have questions. We do not try to overrule the advice of your health care professional and can only say that if you question your doctor, you need to get a second opinion.
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