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Last Updated:
Jan 3rd, 2010 - 00:09:53
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Question
I lost my first baby at 4 weeks, 3 days. When I became pregnant again, I advocated for checking my progesterone levels. At 4 weeks, the prog. level was 18, then at 4 weeks, 6 days it was about 17. Still worried, I asked for one more test. At 5 weeks, 2 days, the level had fallen to 14. At 5 weeks, 4 days, when we got the last results back, my doctor put me on 200 mg pellets of progesterone suppositories twice a day. I was not tested any time after starting the suppositories. I am 11 weeks tomorrow and all has gone well so far.
My doctor has said that I should go off of the progesterone suppositories at 12 weeks. But, since I really had to push for testing in the first place, I don't feel like I can trust what he says about this issue. I would like to know whether or not you agree with his opinion and if not, what you would suggest I do.
Thank you in advance for your help!
Amber
Answer
Hi Amber,
Many obstetricians will only supplement progesterone for the first 12 weeks and they will often recommend a standard dose of progesterone. NaProTechnology, developed by Dr. Hilgers, takes a different approach, checking levels about every 2 weeks, and adjusting the dose of progesterone depending on the lab values to bring the level up to the normal range. Many women will make enough progesterone so that they don't need supplementation after 12 weeks, but others will still have lower progesterone than normal pregnancies so still benefit from supplementation. At 12 weeks (counting from the time of conception) the average progesterone level is about 33, and the average will increase fairly steadily over the next 12 weeks to about 70-75.
Your physician is practicing standard of care, but medicine is always changing, and there are many opinions. It sounds like your doctor does listen to your concerns, and I would recommend talking with him about further testing, at least a baseline a day after you stop the progesterone.
I wish you a successful pregnancy,
Dr. Lynn Kerr
Lynn Keenan, MD, is an NFP Medical Consultant and member of the Executive Board of the California Association of Natural Family Planning.
Dr. Keenan is an Assistant Clinical Professor at UCSF/Fresno Internal Medicine Residency Program, and Medical Director of Sierra Adult Health Center.
© Copyright 2005 by CANFP
The information on this page and web site is for informational purposes only,
and is not a substitute for medical diagnosis and treatment by a physician.
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