My gyno back in [name]Dallas[/name] told me to buy this “progesterone cream” from Arbonne. I used it this month to help prolong my LP. I got a BFP at 13 DPO so I did what everyone says you’re supposed to do and kept using it.
I just ran out and I went online to see how much progesterone is in the cream so I could find a comparable cream at the health store.
No progesterone is listed in the ingredients. Here is what is listed:
Oh my goodness, sweetie! Lots of hugs and try to calm down.
First of all, cramping can be anything as far as I know (I had some cramping last weekend, but it passed), but I’m not very knowledgeable about the early stages of pregnancy. I think you should take another test this second, or maybe even call your doctor. Not the gyno though (and I will help you kick his arse by the way!).
I don’t have a lot of words of consolation, but the first few weeks of my last pregnancy (before I realised Roo was in there) I did a lot of terrible things, like drinking absinth, smoking various things I guess you shouldn’t while pregnant. And it turned out fine. But I do know how long you’ve wanted to get pregnant, and this must be terrifying for you. I’m sending you so many hugs, and faerie-wishes that everything will turn out fine.
Ok, I have no words of wisdom to offer, but I wanted to let you know I’m praying for you! Like ottilie said, cramps can be normal. I’m almost 6 weeks and still get them daily. CALL YOUR [name]DOCTOR[/name] ASAP! Explain what happened. And if it were me, I’d be calling that old OBGYN back in [name]Dallas[/name] and demand answers! Hugs and best of luck! Keep us posted.
Thanks, Otter. I am scared to take a test. I may take one in the morning with FMU. I can’t call my doctor cause its the weekend. And he’d just think I was nuts anyway because I’m not spotting.
I am trying to calm down. My friend said her OB told her there is not much you can do to shake a good pregnancy and not much you can do to save a bad one.
I am praying this little fella is strong. And I’m gonna go this afternoon to the supplement store and get some REAL progesterone cream.
I am just praying so hard right now that everything is ok.
I can’t even begin to understand how scared you must be, but what your friend said is what I’ve heard as well. Know there are lots of people here who will be thinking about the two of you, and I will light candles and say enchanted words for you as well as send up a prayer, my dear. Try to relax and think happy thoughts.
[name]Hi[/name] there - first off, I am so sorry you are going through this! I’m about 16 weeks and I’ve had a few of my own freak outs and it’s just awful.
BUT - I do have some words that might help. ALL progesterone supplements warn to not use while pregnant!! I know, I know, it doesn’t make sense. But it’s the reality: I’ve taken progesterone during both of my pregnancies and both bottles said, very clearly, do NOT use while pregnant! There is, apparently, a risk of it causing birth defects - doctors weigh that with the fact that it can help women keep pregnancies that may otherwise end in miscarriage and the potential benefit generally outweighs the potential risks. It’s a cost/benefit thing. I believe that’s why pregnant women usually just use it during the first trimester, when it can be critical, and then you stop (tho I believe it’s also sometimes used to prevent pre-term labor). The warnings are also the FDA’s way of covering their own asses from lawsuit.
I get the feeling I’m not explaining this very well and I apologize, I’ve only been awake an hour or so. It’s pretty confusing on its own. So here’s an article or two, maybe they’ll help? Overall - just BREATHE. Stressed out mommy isn’t good for baby either! Drink water, lay down, and breathe as best you can. The pp who said that it’s hard to mess up a healthy pregnancy and hard to keep a bad one is absolutely right - the reality is most of it is completely beyond our control. Lots of hugs!!!
PS. Also meant to say that, during this pregnancy, I spotted and cramped for most of the first trimester! No joke!! I really thought there was no way I was pregnant because it seemed like my period had arrived. A friend convinced me to test anyway - and she was right! But the spotting and cramping continued all the way up to about week 10. And it was continuous the entire time! We were totally freaked out and ran to the dr a few times but every time things looked good, now here we are at week 16. So for some women, it’s just normal and it’s just your body adjusting to the pregnancy.
Thanks so so much, [name]Ottilie[/name], and thank you, Tintri. I’ve been using this cream since right after I ovulated so maybe it’s just helping create an ultra strong super baby.
I thought when I got pregnant all the anxiety would be over. Oh my was I wrong. I feel like my resolve to relax and let go is being seriously tested. I have to decide NOW to quit worrying, to truly LET GO and accept that I have no power over what happens, or I am going to worry myself sick FOR NOTHING. Worrying will. not. help.
Okay. Breathe.
This will be one more interesting story I can tell this little dude one day. “Did I ever tell you about the time I took Wiccan miscarriage herbs while I was pregnant with you?”
Oh sweetie, that is so upsetting. I am NOT familiar with that cream, but I am hoping the amount of the cohosh is minimal. I am betting the Arbonne “progesterone” cream is really just a menopausal cream aimed at regulating hormones and hot flashes for older women, not for supplementing progesterone in early pregnancy.
I know it’s difficult, but try to stay positive. You did not kill your baby. It’s great you ran out so that you were able to realize what was in it, though.
Obviously speak with your Dr as soon as you can. It’s very, very likely you may not even need real progesterone supplementation. Try to get a current progesterone level early next week if you can. Levels above 10ng/ml are adequate to support pregnancy, although I think most OBs or REs like to see numbers closer to >14-16ng/ml in the 1st trimester.
I know how upsetting this is. I used topical progesterone cream during my 1st trimester, but you know what?? I didn’t have low levels of progesterone. I was just trying to do everything I could to support and keep the pregnancy so I used the progesterone cream. In retrospect I am sure the pregnancy would have stuck without it. My point is, I would be feeling EXACTLY how you are feeling, but if you can take a moment to remind yourself that your body knows what it is doing. There is a VERY good chance your body is producing the right amount of progesterone to support the pregnancy on its own without exogenous support.
Also, a lot of the most recent research isn’t even clear if progesterone supplementation is really effective (ie necessary), yet it is just part of standard of care in fertility care.
We just have to believe that the amount of the black cohosh is minimal in that cream.
Thinking about you and sending you lots of hugs. You and your baby will be okay. I just hope you can get some reassurance soon because I know that is what you really need right now.
I would stop the progesterone all together until you talk to your doctor. I was on progesterone tablets when I got pg and was told to stop them at day 25 and not continue them if I was pg. to only take them from CD14 when I ovulated until CD25. When I asked my doctor he said that progesterone shouldn’t be taken when pg.
I’m kind of unsure about what to do. I mean, did this cream act like progesterone or didn’t it? Is it just a coincidence I got pregnant this month, the same month I used the cream? And if it’s not progesterone, or doesn’t act like it, then I shouldn’t go buy actual progesterone cream and use it. I’m so unsure about what to do now. The Internet is alive with people screaming not to stop progesterone when you’re pregnant if you were taking it during your LP, because if yr body needs it you’ll miscarry if you stop. But was this progesterone or not?
It’s your doctor’s job to answer your questions without treating you like you are nuts. I would call and leave a message–does he have an answering service, i.e., an actual person who can relay messages to him after hours so that he can call you back? According to everything I’ve read (and the fertility doc I went to help me conceive my daughter), 10 days is indeed an insufficient luteal phase, and it sounds to me like supplementing was the right thing to do. I think it’s a little outrageous that your doc blew off your concern about this initially, actually. I also think it’s perfectly reasonable to get your progesterone levels checked asap. Many women use progesterone suppositories during the first trimester–I’m not sure how these differ in strength/content from creams, but you’d need a prescription if they were indicated for you. At any rate, if your doctor cannot respond to you swiftly and respectfully, I’d search for a new practitioner.
And yes, pregnancy (esp. early pregnancy) can be very stressful, esp. if you’ve been trying for a long time. Seems unfair, I know! And I think it’s a delicate balance between wanting to be careful about what you put on/in your body and freaking out about every little thing. I do think a lot of those warnings on labels need to be taken with a grain of salt.
Anyway, huge congrats on your pregnancy, and I hope you get the reassurance you need soon.
[name]Hilary[/name], you are totally freakin right. It’s their job to answer my questions. You inspired me to call.
The answering service gave me the number to L&D at the nearby county hospital. I called and told the nurse my issue and she is having the doctor on call return my call.
Thanks, all of you. I will update when I know something.
The doctor just called back. She said I probably don’t need the cream unless there is a “documented luteal phase defect.” I told her I felt like I had one but felt sort of blown off about it by the doctor’s staff.
She said if I keep using a regular ol’ progesterone cream it will not do me “a bit of harm.” So I am gonna go ahead and go get some more and keep using it because why the hell not? If it can’t hurt and might help.
Thank you to all of you for helping me thru this dumb crisis.
Oh, that’s so good to hear! Very glad you made the call. Now, let’s hope for a happy, healthy and worry free pregnancy! We’re probably due around the same time (I won’t know for another one and a half week, but 'm guessing I’m due mid-February)!
Missus H my dear, first off i want to say congratulations on your pregnancy, it is so exciting. Secondly, i’m going to go out on a limb here and say that i’m sure everything’s fine. Of course using something with [name]Black[/name] Cohosh isn’t advisable during early pregnancy, but that’s a long way from disasterous. I’d imagine that the dose in a cream would be very small, its not like you were taking it orally. I’m sure that your baba is snoozing away quite happily in there.
Honestly, early pregnancy is stressful. It gets a bit easier when you can feel them moving around and you know what they’re up to a bit more. It can also be quite painful, everything is growing and shifting and stretching, cramps are not necessarily a sign of anything bad. You should definitely chat to your doctor if you are worried, and trust your instincts too.
Oops, i must have posted at the same time as you and Otter! So glad that you got to speak to someone. And its not a dumb crisis, its totally normal to be a worried about your little passenger.
I knew there was no way you could buy a topical progesterone OTC. It just didn’t add up, as there are very real contraindications and it needs to be used with professional guidance.
This will be a possibly unpopular opinion but I hope it helps. Most herbal ‘medications’ are crap. Although certain plants have documented physiologic mechanisms of action, those active ingredients are much diluted. They are almost always taken via ineffective routes of administration, so relatively little is absorbed. They are prepared according to manufacturing guidelines used for foods and supplements, not medications, so they are not rigorously synthesized nor is a standard dose meted out. In short, of the random glycosides that supposedly have an anti-progesterone effect, you probably absorbed an absolutely minuscule dose.
Secondly, it’s hard to say if progesterone supplementation had any effect on your keeping this pregnancy. It certainly had no effect on you conceiving, but whether or not your Fallopian tube transit time was short enough to permit early enough implantation to secrete enough B-HCG to prevent menstruation… Who knows? However, there is no reason to think you are making inadequate levels of progesterone now. I would stop self-dosing entirely; if you would like you could either request labs to document your progesterone levels (not at all unreasonable in a PCOS pt recently on Clomid) and get a prescription supplement if warranted.
