Game plan
The game plan is... nothing. Fancy doc talked to an RE who called me this afternoon. RE said my numbers look good to him and he sees no cause for concern. The dropping progesterone is still in the normal range so that matters more than the drop, to him at least. He said the dip might be attributable to the placenta taking over estrogen production from the ovaries between 6 and 10 weeks. I am only 6 weeks today so that doesn't make a ton of sense to me but I'm not a doctor nor did I stay at a Holid*y Inn Express last night. I wish I had asked point blank, "Is it normal for progesterone to fluctuate?" I think he was essentially saying yes, that a dip could be normal.
RE also said there is no point in taking suppositories because low progesterone doesn't cause pregnancies to fail. It may be a symptom of a failing pregnancy but it's not the cause. He recommends I sit tight. He does not advise re-checking my progesterone level. I have an ultrasound scheduled for next Thursday. I feel okay about this for the most part.
This early pregnancy drama really reminds of my pregnancy with my daughter. She was always alive at every panicked ultrasound, through all the 10 weeks of bleeding. I am reluctant to put this in print but I have a good feeling at this point. I feel like this one's gonna get through. Funny that I would be reluctant to put that in print after all the graphic, horrifying shit I've put into print. As many of you well know, hope is utterly terrifying. But I can't protect myself by bracing for the impact of disaster. I tried that last time. It didn't work. I was SHATTERED.
For now, I feel good. Thank you for your support. It's heartwarming.
RE also said there is no point in taking suppositories because low progesterone doesn't cause pregnancies to fail. It may be a symptom of a failing pregnancy but it's not the cause. He recommends I sit tight. He does not advise re-checking my progesterone level. I have an ultrasound scheduled for next Thursday. I feel okay about this for the most part.
This early pregnancy drama really reminds of my pregnancy with my daughter. She was always alive at every panicked ultrasound, through all the 10 weeks of bleeding. I am reluctant to put this in print but I have a good feeling at this point. I feel like this one's gonna get through. Funny that I would be reluctant to put that in print after all the graphic, horrifying shit I've put into print. As many of you well know, hope is utterly terrifying. But I can't protect myself by bracing for the impact of disaster. I tried that last time. It didn't work. I was SHATTERED.
For now, I feel good. Thank you for your support. It's heartwarming.
posted by whatthef*ck at 8:05 PM
8 Comments:
OK, I want to be clear. They are ASSHATS!! I can send you REAMS of info on progesterone. I would highly recommend you or hubby go out now to at least get some good progesterone cream and start taking that. It cannot hurt, cannot, but it can help. I would also be demanding progesterone tests every 4-5 days. It can change in a very short period. You have a history of loss, this warrants these things. As for the placenta, it does not usually take over until around 12 weeks, not 6. That is unheard of and un-documented. I assure you. If need be you can also order prometrium from medsmex.com online. They ship pretty quick and it is a way to take matters into your own hands. They should at least monitor the levels often. Betweek week 4-8 is the most crucial time for progesterone. Here is a link to a pdf with quite a bit on progesterone.
http://www.heranswer.com/PDF/10-things-HerAnswer.pdf
There are hundreds of message boards devoted to progesterone supplementation alone, and I cannot even begin to explain how many posts are about women who wetn through multiple losses after losses after heart-breaking losses until some new doc recommended progesterone or until they took it upon themselves.
This may not even be a problem for you, but if there is something you can do proactively, that cannot hurt and can help then I want to offer you info.
Please let me know if you need anything and I wish you the very best and the least amount of worry.
Bleu
I love what you wrote about your daughter. You are totally right, nothing was going to stop that beautiful little beast from gracing the planet with her GINORMOUS presence.
I am also glad that you are loving and hoping a bit. I mean really that is the best you can expect given the hell you have been through: some hope and love to sit next to the fear and terror.
I picture all four of them sitting together, scrunched a bit tightly in the seat of the carriage, driving the horses.
Hope should always be welcomed in with a smile. You don't have to be blind to her faults...but you can still entertain her while she's with you. :o)
I have to agree with Bleu. Progesterone supplementation is controversial among doctors, but it really shouldn't be. It can't hurt. Some doctors believe that it does help. Some doctors disagree and believe that low progesterone can cause miscarriage. I really don't understand why doctors aren't even willing to try.
I am also annoyed that they don't want to monitor you anymore. Have you read Coming to Term? If not, I highly, highly, highly recommend that you do. His message is definitely positive and hopeful - women with up to 4 miscarriages carry to term up to 70% of the time with no interventions. So it might be fine. But even if they aren't going to supplement you on the prog., the checking would be good. Doctors don't seem to realize that warning on a failing pregnancy is a good thing. Not knowing that something bad is happening, being surprised, is crap.
Some study in Norway showed that there was as much or more success in carrying to term when women were given "tender loving care" - weekly doctor's appointments with lots of psychological support - as when given hormonal or other interventions. In other words, the more attention and information we get from doctors, the better we feel and possible carry.
Anyway, he's right about one thing, I think. The levels are still OK and the fluctuation is not as important. If you feel comfortable, that is the absolute most important thing. But if not knowing what the levels are doing is driving you crazy, demand another test. This whole don't test because then you'll worry thing is very patronizing and dumb. You'll worry no matter what. You deserve as much information as possible about what is happening.
I know jack about progesterone levels, sorry, so no advice to offer, but I'm at a loss to understand why the doctors did the bloody test in the first place if they think it's unimportant, they have no idea what the results mean and can offer you no advice as to what, if anything, you should do about it.
I'm not convinced that the, "I don't know about early progesterone levels but it's nothing to worry about and we don't need to treat it" is convincing. It sounds a bit like, "I don't know the answer to your questions, but I'm not prepared to admit that I don't know".
I'm warmed by the thought that you are able to feel a little hopeful and loving to your grain-of-rice-baby-with-a-heartbeat. I'm rooting for you both.
Your little boy just made me cry. That is seriously the cutest, sweetest thing EVER.
Progesterone does fluctuate - especially between 6 and 12 weeks while your corpus luteum is handling it and the placenta is forming, what Bleu says is not entirely correct, the placenta doesn't take over completely until around the beginning of the second trimester but it starts making some pretty much as soon as it starts developing - I would say supplement yourself as Bleu has said, except that your history of miscarriages wasn't about your body failing to maintain the pregnancy because of some hormonal issue. Your miscarriages were about other issues. So I don't know that it would do a thing and supplementing is controversial. I also second Bri's recommendation for the book Coming To Term. It's an easy read and really helped me.
((hugs))Keep breathing!
Here's to hope and good feelings. Long may they last
Thinking of you. And hoping too.
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