Progesterone after BFP

[Runninglady87]

I had my official BFP today, still pinching myself.

Now onto my next worry, progesterone!

I had a fresh cycle transfer with icsi this month and I'm pretty sure my clinic will tell me tomorrow when I call them that I can stop taking my utrogestan pessaries. Naturally I am really very worried about this and was hoping others in my situation can help ease my worries. I'm actually not sleeping as I'm thinking about it so much!

I'm currently taking 3*200mg utrogestan pessaries. The reason for ivf was male factor, I'm a "healthy" BMI of 21 and im 35 so wondering if this is why they suggest to stop? It's all so confusing and I'm exhausted at worrying constantly about everything and anything now.

[Cinderella5]

So the reason they stop progesterone early on fresh cycle is that when they trigger the eggs this is ovulation so the follicles create progesterone naturally as it would be in a natural cycle. They give progesterone support to help a new pregnancy along and once a BFP is confirmed and your hcg rises from the pregnancy this also naturally produces progesterone so in theory there is no further need for supplementation. So nothing to do with female or male factor. Hope that makes sense. Good luck.xx

[Runninglady87 in reply to Cinderella5]

Ooh that makes sense in a way but it seems odd to me. Especially since with retrieval they drain each ovary so surely they cant have much there at all left. Most other clinics advise staying on progesterone until at least week 8. I am so terrified that I'm going to stop and then something awful is going to happen to my precious embyro.

[Mudra85]

Hi Runninglady87 as Cinerella has said below the reason why you'd stop progesterone early in a fresh cycle is because the follicles which are aspirated at egg collection become corpus luteum cysts which produce progesterone to support a pregnancy. In a natural menstrual cycle, the follicle which releases an egg would become a corpus luteum cyst. If no pregnancy occurs then the corpus luteum cyst breaks down which leads to a drop in progesterone and your period starting. If a pregnancy does occur then the corpus luteum remains for a good portion of the first trimester, producing progesterone to support the pregnancy until the placenta takes over this role.

You may see ladies on here who've taken progesterone for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. This will often be because they've done an artificial frozen embryo transfer and as they won't have ovulated on their own, and therefore there is no corpus luteum cyst to produce progesterone naturally, they need to take progesterone medication. Some women who do fresh cycles may also take progesterone for longer if there's an indication for this, such as they've had issues with prior pregnancies due to having lower than normal progesterone levels.

[Cinderella5 in reply to Mudra85]

You have explained this so much bettet than i did, thank you!xx

[Mudra85 in reply to Cinderella5]

I've clearly spent way too much time obsessively googling things! 😅 Xx

[Jen85]

Hi, i know some have phased the progesterone out. I did after mine, i was given my date to stop but they said it wouldnt do any harm to use the rest of the packet, so i did.

Medically you wont need it, but if it helps mentally it might be worth asking

[DianeArnold Partner Nurse Fertility Network UK]

Hi Runninglady. It's the collapsing folicles that produce progesterone not the fluid in the follicles. Ask your clinic to explain why they are stopping it to put your mind at rest. They may decide to wean the dose down. Good luck! Diane