Stopping progesterone at 12 weeks

[Missmidden]

I hope there is someone on here with experience of this? I started progesterone pessaries when I got my BFP at 4 wks after speaking to my IVF clinic consultant, although this is a natural pregnancy conceived 6 wks after an IVF early miscarriage. No real clinical reason for it, just that I thought it was a sensible precaution (and had a cupboard full of them) and the consultant agreed. The NHS consultant I saw last week was very dismissive of my being on them and said she could see no point. I do feel being on them has been beneficial, both psychologically and they may have prevented bleeding (had lots in early (successful) pregancy previously and none at all this time).

I am now 12+3 and have enough left for 3 full days if taken twice daily. My dating/ nuchal scan is on Tuesday and I am a little scared of stopping them completely before it (probably quite irrational; last scan at 9 wks was all fine). The question is should I just stop abruptly or go down to one a day for the last few days? I know the IVF clinic will give no further advice as I am not under their care so I am not sure who else to ask.

Any advice please?

I stopped at, I think, 7 weeks. (I was taking it to lengthen my luteal phase, so started a few days after ovulation rather than after BFP)

The nurse at my fertility clinic said there shouldn't be any problem in stopping 'cold turkey' but that it was up to me whether I wanted to do that or cut down to one a day and in the end I did the latter, for no good reason at all really, but I did feel 'safer' that way.

If your scan at 9 weeks was fine then it is very, very likely that this one will be too, but you know that, and it won't stop you worrying :) If I were in your shoes I'd go down to one a day to see you through to the 12 week scan, but again that's not for any good or rational reason, it's just that you (like me) might find it reassuring.

quite honestly: iv not been in your position but have a very close friend that has had extensive experience of nhs treatment of recurrent miscarriage. the tests she was given by the nhs revealed nothing and she was advised to "keep trying theres nothing wrong". 9 miscartiages later she went private. some of the nhs tests were actually inconclusive and warranted further investigation which hadnt happened, and the private consultant diagnosed her issue right away and shes now pregnant.

my point being the nhs arent exactly at the forefront of new advances in fertility treatment and consultants stubbornly churn out what they learnt at med school years ago seemingly unaware that there might be better advice or more recent research than they are aware of.

if i were you id pay for another private consult for peace of mind.

IVF pregnancy here. I stopped gradually from (I think - cant believe I don't remember as it felt so massive at the time!) 12 weeks, dropping firstly to just one a day and then one every other day. However, I know other places don't do the gradual thing and by 12 weeks placenta will have taken over - so maybe it's a psychological thing..?

I would taper what you have left.

For what it's worth, the progesterone (if it is doing something for you) is only beneficial before the placenta forms, as it is doing the job of the placenta in maintaining the pregnancy. Once the placenta takes over, it produces bucketloads more progesterone than you could get from a pessary.

The placenta starts to take over from about week 7-8 and I am sure it is doing more than enough by week 10. So I think you would be okay.

A sudden drop in progesterone is suggested by some doctors to not be great hence my suggestion to taper, but you'd probably be okay cold turkey too at this stage.

Progesterone is prescribed a lot more often in the US (it is not routinely prescribed here because the NICE guidelines suggest the research does not back it up except in the case of IVF I think) as doctors like to be seen to be doing something. I'm not entirely convinced by the NICE guidelines, as I think it does help a few extra non IVF women but NICE are all about cost/benefit analysis too. I'm on forums with a lot of US members and they're all advised to stop by 12 weeks at the very latest, most are around 10 weeks from what I recall.

I've been on the blasted things since 16 weeks and will until 34 weeks but that's another usage altogether, to help reduce the chances of preterm labour as I have issues in that area! I can't wait to stop taking them!! Had to take them last pregnancy too from 10 weeks for that reason.

My paperwork says to taper from 11 weeks. So go down to one pessary a day for the first 3 days, then cut them in half and only use half for the last 4 days.

Thank you everyone. Your advice tallies with what I had thought. I will make today the last full dose day and then go down to one a day, which will take me to 13+2, I think. I did some googling and realised that carrying on longer is mainly for incompetent cervix or pre- term labour issues, as you said, Crispy, which I have no history of. Crossed fingers all is well as I come off them, although in many ways I can't wait to stop the horrid messy things! Good luck to all of you who are pregnant at the moment.

I was told to stop gradually at 12 weeks. I was on one a day so went to one every other for a week. Good luck!

Congratulations. My clinic had me stop at 10 weeks, no tapering (all was OK and I'm now 37 weeks). It is a relief but also scary as hell thinking you will be drug free and on your own, isn't it? But as others have said, your placenta will have taken over by now.

Good luck for Monday.

Hi there, I worried about the same thing with my IVF pregnancy, but the conception clinic head nurse told me it would be fine to stop straight away, no tapering, at 12 weeks, which I did. I haven't miscarried before, and am now at 23 weeks. Good luck with it all.
X

I am 13+2 and tapered down to one a day since my scan at 12+4, probably should stop, I did the same with my first Son tapered then stopped around now.

I had an IVF pregnancy and had some complications so I took them until 17 weeks. When I stopped them I tapered though, not a sudden stop.
Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy!

Yep, I have preterm labour AND incompetent cervix issues! Taking it until 34 weeks is a no-brainer with me, and has nothing to do with first trimester miscarriage

I am literally counting down the days until I can stop taking them - it is such a hassle AND messy as you say, but obviously the benefits outweigh that!