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Progesterone levels in early pregnancy

by Catherine
(Australia)

For my 3rd transfer (IVF) I was put on 400 mg progesterone pessaries 3 times a day 10 days before the transfer. I continued this dosage until I was told I was pregnant. The tests showed my progesterone was low (10 ng/ml) at 4 weeks. I was then put on duphaston 10 mg morning and night, progesterone pessaries (400 mg) three times a day and primolut depot 500 mg IM once a week. It shot up from 10ng/ml to 34ng/ml. It has stayed at 34 for the last 5 weeks (I am now 9 weeks).

I went to hospital at 5 weeks with bleeding and cramping and they discovered a large subchoronic hemorrhage, I have been put on bed rest since and the hemorrhage has all but disappeared. However I have had mild cramping majority of the time since the hemorrhage and had two days last week of it being quite painful. The doctor is not sure what is causing it as everything looks fine. Could it be my progesterone is too low? Is 34 ng/ml quite low for all the progesterone I am on?

Many thanks for any advice.

Comments for Progesterone levels in early pregnancy

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Mar 20, 2012
 Progesterone levels in early pregnancy
by: Wray

Hi Catherine I'm completely baffled why your progesterone was so low on 1200mg/day progesterone. But then it was a blood test, saliva would have shown a different picture, much higher. Even more baffled why it rose on the two progestins, as they are certainly not giving you progesterone. So maybe in fact the suppositories are working after all. Your level is in the normal range for the second trimester, it's 25.6 - 89.4 ng/ml, oddly enough it sometimes drops then. We do have a page on Hormone Testing. But you live in Australia, which has a daft policy of covering up when in the sun, nothing could be more dangerous to our health. We need the sun to make vitamin D, your level is probably very low. If it hasn't been tested please have one done, it's vital for a successful pregnancy, and the growth of the foetus too, see here, here, here, here, here, here and here. These are excellent videos to watch too, see here and here. A low level is also implicated in miscarriages, see here, here and here. Plus a low level reduces the benefits of progesterone. Continued below.
Mar 20, 2012
 Progesterone levels in early pregnancy Part 2
by: Wray

Hi Catherine I wish you had a cream to use, as it's normally so good at helping the cramps, you can rub it all over any painful area. But please have a vitamin D test done. For more info on vitamin D levels, testing etc see the Vitamin D Council, GrassrootsHealth, Birmingham Hospital and Vitamin D Links websites. Blood levels should be 70-100ng/ml or 175-250nmol/L and not the 30ng/ml or 75nmol/L most labs and doctors regard as adequate. The minimum daily dose should be 5000iu's per day, although the latest research indicates it should be 10,000iu's per day, see here. Take care Wray

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