I'm from the U.S. After a long struggle with secondary
infertility and 2 miscarriages, I am pregnant again, 9 weeks along. I'm on
supplemental progesterone, Crinone 8% once a day. When can I feel okay about
stopping the Crinone? I was supposed to see my doctor in 2 days, but he
experienced a family tragedy, and I'm not sure when he'll be back. I think he
had talked about stopping the Crinone at 9 or 10 weeks, but I was going to
confirm that with him at my appointment, and I have no way of asking now.
Thank
you for your time. M. from the U.S.
Answer:
Hello M. from the U.S.,With your history of two miscarriages, I will usually be very conservative and continue the progesterone until 12 weeks gestational age. However, medically, it would be okay to stop at 10 weeks. By then, the placenta should be fully functional and providing all the hormone necessary to maintain the pregnancy.
Good luck!
Dr. Edward J. Ramirez, M.D.,
FACOG
Executive Medical Director
The Fertility and Gynecology
Center
Monterey Bay IVF Program
Monterey, California, U.S.A.
**For my readers who are unfamiliar with the use of progesterone to support a pregnancy, here are some additional facts: "Progesterone is essential for the normal functioning of the reproductive system. After ovulation, the corpus luteum (which is the empty follicle from which the egg was released) produces progesterone, which acts on the womb lining and causes it to thicken in preparation for a fertilized egg to implant. This is known as the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. If an egg implants successfully into the womb, the corpus luteum continues to produce progesterone to maintain the pregnancy until the placenta develops fully. The placenta produces increasing amounts of progesterone until it is fully developed, when it then takes over the production of progesterone to continue to support the pregnancy.
In some women, insufficient progesterone is produced during the luteal phase and this causes problems with implantation of fertilized eggs into the womb lining and maintaining a pregnancy in the early stages. Crinone vaginal gel is used to treat this hormone deficiency. One applicatorful is inserted into the vagina every day, starting either one day after ovulation is known to have occurred, or on day 18 to 21 of the woman's cycle. (Day one is the first day of your period.) The gel is usually continued until the placenta is producing enough progesterone to support the pregnancy.Crinone vaginal gel is also used to support pregnancy in women having in vitro fertilization (IVF). In this case the gel is used daily, starting after the embryo has been transferred into the womb, for the first 30 days of confirmed pregnancy." www.netdoctor.co.uk/pregnancy/medicines/crinone.html
