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Lower end of normal progesterone levels post Ovulation
Hi all,
My blood serum progesterone level is only 5.71 7dpo which seems low. Yes, it confirms ovulation, but pregnancy rates improve when levels are over 10-15 I believe I read. Anyone have any success stories of bfps with lower progesterone?
I also use inito fertility monitor (fmu and checks pdg) and that hasn’t even confirmed ovulation yet because it is so low yet my estrogen seemed to be more elevated for a number of days post o and never dipped.
I’m not sure what to do since I am ovulating but have always felt my progesterone is lower than it should be and/or estrogen is also higher than it should be during luteal phase based on some symptoms.
I don’t think my doctor will put me on progesterone after O since she claims it doesn’t improve pregnancy rates and also said no need for clomid or letrozole since I’m ovulating… I’m feeling very frustrated.
Thanks for any advice! ❤️
Here’s a helpful video on progesterone testing and supplementation. The 10-15 level for progesterone is once pregnancy is confirmed. There’s no number it’s supposed to be after ovulation before pregnancy other than over 2 to confirm ovulation.
thank you very much for sharing this. I love Dr. Natalie Crawford and listen to her podcast! I just listened to this yesterday too. Appreciate it ��
It’s helpful if you trust your OB. Unfortunately, mine doesn’t take me seriously or run tests, etc unless I beg. I have done a lot of personal research. My levels are always “normal,” but I spot a week before my period. I tried wild yam cream and within two weeks my cycle just bam started….no spotting!! Do your own research, and make sure you’re getting the “real” stuff. It is supposed to naturally stimulate your body to balance your levels, not just supplement actual progesterone.
Have you ever been tested for pcos or are you overweight at all? Estrogen feeds off extra adipose tissue, so I would check more into your Estrogen levels to make sure you're not Estrogen dominant. Because in that case, clomid or letrozole would be beneficial, even though you do ovulate
thank you for responding! My 7dpo progesterone was 5.71 and estrogen was 80. Both within normal limits but lower ends of normal. My day 3 estrogen was 25 (normal range 20-144 for my lab).
I am 5’10” and 178lbs. I should be more around 165lbs but am holding onto that extra weight since my first pregnancy. I’m an athletic build but definitely somewhat overweight for me.
There isn’t a test for PCOS is there? They’d do an ultrasound and go based off symptoms? Never had any concerns or providers concerned about PCOS.
I am going to start letrozole this next cycle though and hoping that will help mature follicular development and progesterone then!
Are you using OPKs to confirm ovulation? When are you testing progesterone? If you're not using OPKs and are using the 21 day rule for progesterone, you could be like me. I did 6 rounds of Clomid and 21 day progesterone draws with results of 2-8 only for me to use an OPK and find out I actually ovulate around day 19 of my cycle and the 21 day test was too early. This month, day 21 result was 4 but on CD 25, it was 13.9. Make sure you have your dates right! It takes 7 days for progesterone to rise after ovulation. Over 2 indicates some sort of ovulation but over 10 is the minimum my dr likes to see for a healthy cycle with 14+ being the preferred. I can't believe we wasted so many cycles and I was ovulating at the wrong time.
Also, you can get OTC topical progesterone creams. A friend had trouble conceiving to the point that she adopted a baby and then started using the creams she bought from Amazon and now she has two.
hi! Thank you for your response. Yes, I use OPKs and I use the inito fertility monitor. I ovulate around CD 20/21 and so I get my progesterone checked 7 days after that. But I confirm LH surge with OPKs and inito monitor, then use Tempdrop for BBT to see rise as well. So I just have a weak ovulation lol… I’m starting letrozole this cycle and research shows promising results using it for unexplained fertility and hyperstimulation to potentially release more than one mature egg.
I’m sorry you feel robbed of so much time! But sending baby dust your way❤️
My progesterone was 10 when I was 6 weeks with my daughter. Never took any supplements and she’s a healthy 2 year old now
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