When I found out that I was finally pregnant, my husband and I were overjoyed. We have been trying for nearly two years, and I have had three miscarriages since January 2006. Things have not been easy, to say the least. You can read the story of my journy to conception by going to this link. Thank goodness I found an Infertility message board on BabyCenter.com. The women there have not only become my friends; they have also become my support system.
Progesterone Problems
There are a variety of fertility problems that couples have. Men may have a low sperm count or low sperm motility. Of course, there are other problems that men may have, but this article is about women. And, don’t get me wrong– There are plenty of fertility problems other than low progesterone. However, low progesterone is what many infertility cases are attributed to.
So, what is progesterone? According to Dictionary.com, progesterone is “a hormone, C21H30O2, that prepares the uterus for the fertilized ovum and maintains pregnancy.” It’s what increases the lining of the uterus and makes the embryo “stick” to the lining. If it’s too low in the beginning of a pregnancy, chances are that the mother will miscarry. There are three different kinds of supplements that a woman can take in order to increase or just maintain a high progesterone level: oral supplements, vaginal suppositories and injections. All of these supplements, however, must be prescribed by a doctor.
The most common vaginal suppository is Crinone, a progesterone gel that is squeezed directly into the birth canal and therefore increases the progesterone in the uterus. This progesterone is localized, and may not be detectable by bloodwork. Injections are a little more aggressive, but are necessary if a woman’s progesterone drops significantly, or is very low when the pregnancy is detected. The progesterone oil is injected deep into the buttocks, alternating sides everyday. I am currently on both the Crinone and the injections. Truth be told, the injections really aren’t that bad. It’s worse for my husband, who has to give them to me. He feels bad about sticking a 2″ needle into my butt every morning. But, hey, it makes for nice gifts from him.
The most common side effects of progesterone supplements is fatigue and frequent urination. There are other side effects, including nausea, sore breasts, acne and others that can also be associated with pregnancy. There is a slight risk to the baby, too: some cases using progesterone supplements have resulted in cleft palates and weak abdominal walls.
Low HcG
HcG is the abbreviation for human chorionic gonadotropin, the hormone that produces progesterone and estrogen in the bodies of pregnant women. If it is detected in the blood, a woman is pregnant. HcG should double every 48 hours, or at least rise by 60%. If HcG isn’t doing this, there is potentially something wrong with the development of the embryo.
Low HcG doesn’t necessarily mean birth defects or miscarriage. It just means that there is something to be concerned about, and the potential for miscarriage is great. Progesterone supplements don’t necessarily sustain a “bad” pregnancy… If a pregnancy is going to terminate on its own, it will terminate regardless of the progesterone supplements that you take. Unfortunately, there are no HcG supplements.
If your HcG goes down, it is indicative of a miscarriage. Once your HcG is back to less than five (5), it is very likely that you will not be able to conceive until your HcG levels are “back to normal”.
Tracking Levels
Numbers will become your best friends and your worst enemies. It’s probably not healthy to become as obsessed with numbers as I have, as well as many other women that are trying to conceive or already in the early stages of pregnancy. The only way to track numbers is by having bloodwork done, then asking for your levels when you find out the results. But, to warn you, these numbers will drive you crazy if they aren’t doing what they are supposed to.
Let’s take my case, for instance. On March 7, I found out that I was pregnant. My HcG was 23.5 and my progesterone was 23.6. The doctor ordered more tests for two days later. On March 9, my progesterone went up to 29 and my HcG went up to 54.2. Three days later, on March 12, my Hcg went up to 106 (not quite doubling) and my progesterone dropped to 18.7. Clearly, there was a problem starting to show its ugly head. The Crinone wasn’t doing it for me. I went in 4 days later, on March 16, and my progesterone dropped again to 17.8 and my HcG only increased to 369. That is when I started the progesterone injections along with the Crinone.
On March 19, my progesterone leveled off at 17.5 and my progesterone jumped to 501. It didn’t even increase by 60%. I was advised by another doctor to get off of the progesterone and let the pregnancy terminate on its own. After talking to my own doctor, we decided to continue until Thursday. On March 22, my HcG jumped again (over 60%) to 927, and my progesterone went up to 20.3. But, the ultrasound didn’t show anything definite in my uterus. The doctor recommended that we wait until the following Tuesday and have blood drawn again. She wanted to see a heartbeat as well as my HcG around 4000.
We went back in on Wednesday, March 28 (I was sick on Tuesday), and an ultrasound showed a tiny sac in my uterus– Definitely not as big as the 7 weeks that I am supposed to be. My progesterone rose again to 24.5, but my HcG only rose to 2300. The doctor recommended that I come back in for bloodwork on Friday, March 30 (tomorrow). She wants to see my numbers near 4600. I’d like to see them at least at 3000. My husband and I decided that we will stop all of the progesterone if my HcG level isn’t over 3000.
Do you see how obsessed a person can get with levels? It’s crazy.
Decisions, Decisions
As I mentioned above, my husband and I decided to get off of the progesterone to see if the pregnancy will terminate on its own if my HcG level isn’t above 3000. I really wanted to wait and see if something would develop with a heartbeat, but it isn’t fair to him, to me or to our doctor. The doctors think that we are “postponing the inevitable,” but it is our decision to make.
There comes a time in every ttc (trying to conceive) couple’s life where they have to decide whether to stop and find other alternatives, or whether to continue trying. This may be the case with someone, much like myself, that is pregnant but relying on supplements to keep the pregnancy. Is it worth it? Are you just postponing the inevitable? Will something be wrong with the baby? Are you endangering yourself? These are questions that you seriously need to think about. While religion may be a factor (as it is in my case), risking your health should be more important.
For Better or For Worse
There is no question about it; trying to conceive and the infertility process can be very taxing on your marriage. I have heard of marriages breaking up because the wife feels as though her husband isn’t understanding enough, or because the husband thinks his wife is too needy. Sex lives suffer, as do social lives. There are more arguments than supporting words.
Fortunately for me, that isn’t the case. But, if you find yourself in that situation, express to your spouse how you feel. If you can’t, then perhaps it’s time that you sought counseling. After all, this is the person that you are trying to have a child with… Don’t you want to maintain a happy marriage with them?
In Conclusion
Trying to conceive isn’t easy. You get jealous of people that are pregnant, especially people that are close to you and seem to be insensitive when they ask you to go nursery shopping with them. It’s okay to feel that way– We all do at one time or another. But, realize that it is important that you put your health first before forcing yourself to have a child. If your body isn’t ready for it, there isn’t really much that you can do. Just be patient, and try again.
