low progesterone..can u miscarry?

[tricia448]

so if your beta levels are good and you have low progesterone...can you miscarry? what does progesterone even do in the pregnancy...sorry if this is a dumb question....

[jadep76]

I know this is an old thread, but I'll post this anyway...

Regarding progesterone...yes, low progesterone can and does cause miscarriages, usually prior to 6 weeks.

Progesterone has to be >10 ng/mL to support a pregnancy.

If your progesterone level is reported in units other than ng/mL, check out "Progesterone" on wikipedia for a chart that shows other units.

There is a calculation:
To convert nmol/L to ng/mL, divide by your result by 3.18.
To convert ng/mL to nmol/L, multiply your result by 3.18.

Example: 10 nmol/L = 3.14 ng/mL, and that is not good.
10 ng/mL would be 31.8 nmol/L, and that is the minimum needed to maintain a pregnancy.

I got a bfp on CD27, and started spotting on CD 33. I waited, listening to people say it is normal to spot during pregnancy, and tried to get a dr's appointment. No one would see me before 10 weeks, and by 6 weeks I was in the ER and it was already too late.

I learned the hard way...if you are pregnant and start to spot and cramp and your doctor won't see you right away, get to the ER, and have them check both your beta HCG and progesterone levels. There are progesterone shots or pills or vaginal suppositories that can be given to support the corpus luteum until either the placenta makes enough progesterone on its own, or until 8.5 months of pregnancy.

Other things that may help low progesterone (luteal phase defect): Vitamin B6 (in addition to your prenatal vitamin) and Vitamin C.
Best of luck to all!

[Heather5]

Low progesterone during early pregnancy is kind of tricky. Because it's hard to say whether a miscarriage happens because of low progesterone levels OR if the reason one has low progesterone levels is because the pregnancy is not viable to begin with. But I think most doctor's would suggest progesterone as a precaution if the levels are too low.

That being said, some women do have low progesterone, use no supplementation and still have a normal pregnancy. But it has to be high enough to sustain pregnancy, of course.

Are you pregnant? And if so, did the doctor say what your levels were?

[BabyBlue07]

Progresterone help your uterus lining thick so the egg can implant and hold the baby.  

Here online information that I found:

progesterone is produced by the corpus luteum ( the follicle shed by the egg ). Progesterone is critical in the sense that it is the key ingredient in helping build up the uterine lining (or endometrium) in helping the egg nourish after implantation.

If the egg is not fertilised, the uterine lining begins to break down, preparing to shed for the next menstrual cycle. If the egg was fertilised, the corpus luteum continues its mission to produce Progesterone until the placenta can resume the role on its own. If natural progesterone is inadequate after the egg has implanted safely, the uterus may begin a series of small contractions to expel the egg. This is also known as an spontaneous abortion. Progesterone is the hormone that prevents contractions as far we know to date. Having a low amount is another cause for pre-mature labour.

If you are known to have a low progesterone level after ovulation, then progesterone may be given to you. Without a sufficient progesterone level, the fertilised egg will not be able to survive on its own. This will result in the egg not implanting, but rather falling out along with your next menstrual period. This type of pregnancy is also referred to as a chemical pregnancy. You may have a positive home pregnancy test, and an unusually heavy period during a chemical pregnancy.
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Hope this help

SSBD