Progesterone Shots - help!

[blondee]

Hello Ladies!!

I hope you are all ok and if any of you can offer any advice/experience on progesterone i'd really appreciate it.

I had an MMC in the UK last year and am now pregnant in the Caribbean (lucky me!). I went for an initial meeting with an OB GYN (it's how it's done here) and she is sending me for a mega early scan on wednesday (will be 6 weeks) and providing that is positive she wants to start me on progesterone shots.....

Anyone had them? Know anything about them? I have done the silly thing and googled it and read good and bad stuff so would love to hear some personal experiences....

Thanks ladies.

M X

 

[lori]

I haven't had them personally, but a friend of mine who has had 2 previous mc is getting them. She's now 9 weeks, which is the furthest she's ever gotten, and everything looks excellent for her and the baby. She did say she feels more nauseated and constipated than she has in previous pregnancies (possibly related?), but overall I think it's been a positive experience. I really hope you have a good experience and a healthy baby in 9 months or so.

 

[Carmello_01]

Hi there - congrats on the bun in the oven first of all!
I'm on 200mg progesterone shots twice a week, and have been since my bfp pretty much, and in my experience so far it's been positive.
The progesterone I'm using is plant derived and suspended in a sesame oil base solution and the only side effects I've had (aside from sustained pregnancy ) has been localised pain and sometimes itchiness in the injection area.
Being plant derived it's more easily recognised and taken up by the body and this seems to eliminate some of the side effects you may have been reading about. The plant based ones are pretty hard to get your hands on, the fertility clinic I go to in Brisbane, Australia has it made up specially- however whatever your doctor prescribes will still be effective just maybe a few more side effects and perhaps a higher dose.

The problem with googling it is you are waaaay more likely to come across the un-successful and sad stories. Which is a bummer! Taking progesterone injections usually won't sustain a pregnancy with fatal or massive genetic defects which is no less heartbreaking but mother natures way of being kind in the long run, hence the 'progesterone doesn't work stories'. More commonly than people (especially doctors) think the reason for recurrent mc IS hormonal and progesterone supplementation through injection or pessary is pretty successful.

Best of luck hun, and best wishes for a happy and healthy pregnancy

 

[Carmello_01]

Oh, and just becasue I'm on them for 21 weeks (and longer) doesn't mean you will have to be. Even though my placenta is a good size and working well from other perspectives my progesterone levels are still on the low end of the scale. Most ladies at the clinic I go to finish injections around 16 weeks, the others around 12 and a handful like myself, well possibly until 36 weeks.
I have bloods done every fortnight so we just play the waiting game now!

(didn't want to scare you, thats all!)

 

[hb1]

This link is one of success stories with people suffering low progesterone in pregnancy

https://lowprogesteroneinpregnancy.com/

Wishing you a very happy pregnancy

hx

 

[Smiler13]

hi blondee,

After four early miscarriages, in this pregnancy I took a progesterone pessary (400mg) each night from 3 days after ovulation until 13 weeks. I noticed on cycles when I did not conceive (where I stopped the treatment) that I occasionally had nausea, but otherwise no side-effects that I can identify.

Best wishes for your pregnancy.

 

[blondee]

Thanks Ladies!

All positive stories. The very bad thing i found on google was a suspected link to genital birth defects in the baby cos progesterone is 'female' hormone. I was petrified, but think that this was the less natural option.

Obviously, if it is so used so widespread then it has to be safe. Phew!

Thank you so much for sharing your experiences. I hope you are all experiencing healthy, happy pregnancies.

m XX