Would anyone know if this progesterone level is good in early pregnancy?

[JasmineBloom]

So I know progesterone level isn’t routinely tested for here but my doctor ordered the test for me as I had a miscarriage over the summer- it came back at 19.1 ng/ml or 60.7 mol/L. My doctor admitted herself she isn’t familiar with progesterone and what’s considered normal in early pregnancy so I’m wondering if anyone here can help me. Does this level sound ok? I was 4 weeks 4 days when the blood test was done. Thanks so much

Why did she order the blood test if she wasn't sure what levels are normal?! 🙄 can she refer you to the early pregnancy unit so they can tell you?

@JuniperandI so it was a different doctor who ordered it but I suspect she may not have known the answer either. She only agreed for me to have the blood test done after I begged her following my recent miscarriage and the fact that I worry that I have signs of low progesterone outside of pregnancy. I had some brown spotting today at just over 5 weeks so she’s referred me to the early pregnancy unit. I’m waiting for a call from them and hoping they might be more familiar with progesterone levels in early pregnancy 🤞🏼 it’s a bit stressful trying to figure it all out myself!

aw that sounds stressful. a quick google seems to say you're in a normal range, but then what's normal for each individual would vary. My progesterone was bizarrely high early on, but it was ectopic. Thats the only time i've had it measured in pregnancy (i've just started by third pregnancy but no children yet), so for me having higher progesterone did not lead to a good outcome. The ranges across a few different sites are very broad, indicating ' normal' could be many things. But maybe bleeding is a more reliable indicator that your progesterone could use some help.

The EPU are definitely the best people to go to for this kinda thing. Maybe even giving them a call and emailing over your results will get them to respond quicker?

@aLogLady I just spoke to a midwife from the early pregnancy clinic but unfortunately she didn’t know either as she said they don’t test for progesterone, she just said their guideline is that if you’ve had a loss and have bleeding in your next pregnancy they’ll just start you on progesterone anyway without checking your levels. She did book me in for a scan next Wednesday so fingers crossed I’ll get good news 🤞🏼 I’ve been having some brown spotting since yesterday so trying not to worry.

Hi,

I had a loss at the end of June and, at the beginning of this new pregnancy in September I paid for my progesterone testing privately. I think I was around 5 and a bit weeks and it came back around 72.8 n/mol.

From my own googling, progesterone levels can vary quite significantly during and day to day, so please keep this in mind.

I called the GP regarding my levels to seek guidance on if they could advise on progesterone and they were very hesitatant. They did eventually come back to me saying they had checked and the levels were typical.

Nonethelss, I had a private scan at 7 weeks and asked the private doctor about progesterone. Once he had seen the pregnancy was in the right place, he was happy to prescribe me progesterone in a ‘can’t hurt, won’t hinder’ mentality. You wont get a prescription before this has been observed to make sure it’s not ie an ectopic.

If you are concerned, perhaps consider a private appointment (not a high street clinic but with a private doctor) before next Wednesday.

wishing you all the best!

@Catmum92 Hi! Thanks so much for your advice, it seems to be so hard to find a doctor who understands the importance of progesterone and is willing to test it never mind write a prescription for it. Were you concerned that your level was low? I did some ringing around and found a clinic who will prescribe it but as you said have to have a scan first. I had a lot of internal scans after my miscarriage so had hoped I’d manage to avoid having one this pregnancy and get far enough on for abdominal.

Based on a Google search, my level seemed ok, but at the same time I had a shorter luteal phase pre-pregnancy, so I wondered if I potentially had lower levels, and I was also trying to ‘control the controllables’ after the loss in June it made me feel like I was doing something productive.
I think it is the case that you would need to go to a private doctor for this.
im not sure where you’re based but I have been to a clinic local to me in Kent on the outskirts of London and they’ve been amazing. They did an abdominal scan at 7 weeks and didn’t need a full bladder either, so they must have some good tech. And the Dr at the clinic is a specialist in fetal medicine and an OB so he was very helpful answering questions and was able to prescribe. Happy to share details privately if you’re at all near Kent.

that's so strange @JasmineBloom , my epu did test my progesterone, and in fact when i called to report my hcg yesterday (just beginning an ivf pregnancy) she asked if the clinic had checked progesterone (which they hadn't as I'm on progesterone pessaries so itll be high anyway). This is Scotland, so maybe different protocols. But I find it odd that the midwife wouldn't comment on the level. maybe her point is that if you're not spotting, she's not currently worried, which sounds fair. like the other poster said, levels can vary widely, and remain variable. i totally understand your fears though, ive had a mmc and an ectopic within a year, and am doing everything i can to mitigate (or at least rule out) these risks.

great that you'll get a scan next week. that will provide good reassurance.