When did you stop progesterone?

LO95 · September 2014

Out of curiosity, am I the only one who was confused to be stopping progesterone at 6 1/2 weeks? I guess I assumed I'd be on it until I left the RE, but he asked today, "So you've stopped the progesterone?" and I said, "No, still going." His response was, "Okay, you're going to stop that immediately" and then he went into the ultrasound, we heard the heartbeat and I totally forgot to ask more about it.

I assume the baby is taking over the progesterone, but I just wonder how you know that for sure?

Gah, I said I wasn't going to Google or stress today, but here I am. Just looking for a little reassurance.

jessica_gail2 · September 2014

I'm definitely not an expert but I'm pretty sure I did PIO for 11 weeks. I would call back and ask why. Did the RE mean change from PIO to crinone?

LO95 · September 2014

I'm on Prometrium 200 2xday and so I guess I'm just thinking, is it that much anyway? There is a little bit of research that synthetic promethium can cause defects in boys but the same website (ASRM) notes that it's thus important to only prescribe early in pregnancy. And then on the same site it says that many doctors use it thoroughout the first tri.

jesselayne8 · September 2014

I stopped at 10wks.

srveatch · September 2014

10 weeks. I would ask for more info.

Ruthie04 · September 2014

My RE used prometrium with IUIs and Endometrin or PIO with IVF/ FET cycles. All patients were on one of those until 10 weeks and IVF/FET patients took Estrace until 10 as well. I didn't wean at all- just stopped cold turkey without any bloodwork to check my levels after my initial beta.

mnj05 · September 2014

My RE wanted my progesterone level at 40 before stopping so I ended up doing Crinone for 13 weeks. I hadn't heard anything about defects in boys but there wasn't any with mine.

imoverit · September 2014

8 weeks here. My RE said 6 weeks and my Ob told me 8.

LO95 · September 2014

@imoverit Did you do IVF? I'm just curious because I've read information about IVF and the use of following up with progesterone? If you did IVF and stopped at 8 I guess I would feel a little more reassured.

LO95 · September 2014

LeahB12 said:

It was between 10-12 weeks for both boys. Do you know your level?

No! And that's what makes me mad. They've never checked my level. Ever. So that's going to be addressed too.

I don't understand why he said "stop -immediately-". I did see that there is some question of whether it causes birth defects in boys but on the same site (ASRM) they say it is commonly prescribed in the first tri by doctors especially following fertility treatments. If this was bad practice there would be a warning or at least more discussion I would think. But so many of you have been on it all first tri that I don't get my RE's reasoning!