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Last Updated:
Nov 18th, 2008 - 14:54:25
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Question
My husband and I have been married for 10 years and have always been open to life. We noticed after the first year of marriage we were not conceiving so we began charting using the Billings Method of NFP to conceive and had testing done (nothing wrong). However, we still did not conceive after another year and a half so we let it be, thinking we were trying too hard.
Then in 2001-2002 we heard about NaProTechnology and learned to chart using the Creighton Model. By charting we (our counselor) found out I had breakthrough bleeding and also brown bleeding at the beginning and end of my cycle which was an indicator that I had low progesterone (which blood tests later confirmed).
We conceived in March of 2003 and miscarried at 5 weeks. I was using 25mg of progesterone suppositories (my doc at the time was not keen on progesterone). Six months later, while using 50mg of prog. supp. after ovulation I conceived again. We gave birth to our miracle 5 weeks early.
And now here we are in 2008. This past July I conceived again and at 7.5 weeks we were able to hear the heartbeat 140 beats per minute and see our baby. I was on 200 mg of Prometrium after ovulating in July which helped me conceive. I had asked the doctor (new one) to please check my progesterone levels since I was concerned they may drop. Two weeks later I called since I did not hear from them. They never checked my levels and I miscarried around a week later (11.5 weeks). I did not have a D&C; I miscarried at home. I bled for 3 weeks, had two weeks of respite and my period came back Nov. 1st, 2008 and lasted for ten days, stopped for a day, then I had brown bleeding/spotting.
Today is Nov. 15 and I am lightly bleeding again. Why is this happening? Is it normal? Should I begin Prometrium soon to restart my cycles? We want to conceive again soon........help.
Louise
Answer
Your story breaks my heart, not because it is unique, but precisely because it is so common. Infertility evaluations that say everything is ok, despite the couple's inability to achieve pregnancy, are just not identifying the problem because they are imprecise and inadequate. You were fortunate to access an NFP professional who was able to provide the tool you needed,precise and specific observation and charting of the biomarkers your body produces, to identify through your charting that there were indeed indications of a problem, and then because of your charting targeted testing could be done at the correct time to accurately identify the hormonal causes.
Your labwork has confirmed low progesterone levels. Inadequate progesterone levels are associated with inability to conceive, miscarriage, and premature birth, all of which you have experienced.
To establish the best foundation for a pregnancy, it is best to restore your levels to normal before conceiving, by supplementing with hormones, perhaps bio-identical progesterone, and documenting levels through labwork, and then monitoring the levels during pregnancy and continuing to supplement as needed. There are established protocols that have been developed to treat this condition, which guide dosage, and also provide parameters of normal levels, both in cycling and pregnancy. These protocols are available to physicians in Dr. Tom Hilgers' book, "The Medical and Surgical Applications of NaProTechnology". If your physician is unwilling to provide you the care you need in this area, you can pursue the services of a specialist, a physician trained in these medical therapies. This may be burdensome, requiring you to travel or go outside your insurance network, if such a physician is not available in your community, but the peace of mind you will experience from being correctly monitored will far outweigh the costs.
Another option is to seek a consult with Dr. Hilgers. Your CrM Practitioner can assist you in compiling an appropriate summary of your situation, and submitting along with your charting, to Dr. Hilgers at Pope Paul VI Institute, for his recommendation.
I am sorry for your losses. You did all you could, and should have no misgivings. Given your history, it does seem the prudent thing to do now, is to seek care from a physician that can help you, in a systematic way, prepare your body for the next pregnancy, and manage this aspect of your care throughout the pregnancy. This can be done in collaboration with your local physician providing the routine OB care during the pregnancy.
Sheila St. John
Sheila St. John, CFCP, is a Certified Fertility Care Practitioner, actively teaching in hospital, parish, and private settings in Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties since the early 1980’s.
She is the Executive Director of the California Association of Natural Family Planning.
© 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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