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Not Giving Up

by Amy
(Bozeman, Montana)

I have been trying to conceive for more than a year but have wanted to start trying for 4 years and was waiting for my partner to be ready. I am 35 and he is 43 so I have been feeling pressure to not wait but also just want to be a mother and have a family so bad. I have PCOS with symptoms of irregular cycles, hirsutism, and many follicular cysts on my ovaries as seen through ultrasound. I am very thin unlike some with PCOS and after going to acupuncture, I get my period every month pretty regularly.

I had my hormones tested before conceiving and they were all in the normal range. My midwife told me to test on day 3. But I have heard that testing on day 21 is good. When should hormone testing be done?

I had my first miscarriage 8 months ago after TTC for 8 months. It was just at 5w3d. It might have been a chemical pregnancy, the pregnancy test line was so faint. I was able to conceive again 5 months later and was so excited to make it to 9 weeks. At 9w3d, I miscarried again. The miscarriage was horrible and despite my pain and sadness I was able to look at the baby and it looked to have normal development and to be the right size.

My bleeding has stopped now after only four days. I feel like this might mean my uterine lining was not adequate. My periods have been very light but my estradiol level was normal.

I am also worried that I am progesterone deficient despite testing "normal". I scored a 30 on the progesterone test through your site. I also had long cycles (35 days) that shortened to 28 after taking Vitex. I have been taking Vitex since before my first pregnancy and began taking Maca and Dong Quai before my second. I am going to add COQ10 now.

I am wondering how often, on what days, and what type of hormone test do you recommend? Are there any tests that don't have to be sent in? Some of my research says that progesterone cream is less effective than suppositories but is it worth it to go to a practitioner (which is expensive) to get a prescription when I can monitor myself?

Should I use progesterone cream just in case to prevent another miscarriage?

Thank you for being a resource. I feel so heartbroken and confused.

Comments for Not Giving Up

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Feb 02, 2017
 Not Giving Up
by: Joy

Hi Amy

No you shouldn't give up! I am sorry to hear about your Miscarriages, it is always such a sad time. There are a number of things that can contribute to them, but low progesterone levels and stress are major culprits. You have been fortunate in that you have been able to conceive as many who suffer from PCOS battle, so that's a positive. You just need to work out what is causing the miscarriages. The PCOS and Miscarriage pages will help you to understand more and what is needed.

One should never accept "normal" for test results, what exactly is normal? If they were normal then why are you experiencing problems? Please check your test results against the Hormone Testing page. You tested 30 for your progesterone but what is your estrogen (E2) result? It is the ratio between these two hormones that is vital. Testing should be done approximately 7 days after ovulation or before bleeding.

I am not in favour of Vitex, Agnus Castus is it's official name. It will not increase progesterone levels, it does have estrogenic properties which would add to your Estrogen Dominance problems. COQ10 is good. But what about Vitamin D3 and Magnesium are you taking them? A vitamin D3 reduces the benefits of progesterone, it is also vital for PCOS, pregnancy and the unborn baby.

Yes you most definitely should use progesterone cream, you need it. I wish you well.

Please the following pages and the references they will help you to understand a lot more:

Estrogen Dominance
https://www.progesteronetherapy.com/estrogen-dominance.html
How to use Progesterone Cream
https://www.progesteronetherapy.com/how-to-use-progesterone-cream.html
PCOS
https://www.progesteronetherapy.com/faq-pcos.html
Insulin Resistance
https://www.progesteronetherapy.com/insulin-resistance.html
Inflammation
https://www.progesteronetherapy.com/inflammation.html
Vitamin D3
http://www.progesterone-info.com/benefits-of-vitamin-d.html
Magnesium
http://www.progesterone-info.com/magnesium.html
Menstrual Cycle
https://www.progesteronetherapy.com/menstruation-cycle.html
Hormone Testing
https://www.progesteronetherapy.com/hormone-testing.html
Miscarriages
https://www.progesteronetherapy.com/miscarriage.html
Pregnancy and Conception
https://www.progesteronetherapy.com/faq-conception.html

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