progesterone: how long after IVF should it continue, and does it affect SPD?

[MamaChris]

With my first pregnancy, I had SPD from about 24 weeks. Now I am 8 weeks pregnant with twins after IVF, and my clinic has suggested that I continue taking progesterone gel till 90 days (as is routine in their protocol). But the last few days I have been getting SPD symptoms, with the pain so severe last night that I just couldn't sleep. This is quite scary with the thought that I have 32 weeks to go! I've found online that progesterone is a muscle/ligament relaxer, and I wonder if the progesterone is contributing to this early onset? Also, I've heard some clinics don't prescribe progesterone for as long as 90 days. Does anyone have any experience? I am considering coming off the progesterone in the hope it will lessen the pain. Any advice appreciated.

My clinic says to take up to 12 weeks as after that the placenta takes over and produces the hormomes - 90 days sounds like a long time. ANd yes exogenous progeseterone may well make SPD worse or start earlier as one of its efffects is to relax muscles. Can you tell your clinic about the SPD and ask them why they make you take it for so long.

COngratulations by the way - am currently waiting for my viability scan after a pos test from IVF. Terrified.

Congratulatons MamaChris and Peanuthead on your pregnancies!

I'm 39 weeks (40 weeks on Tues!) pregnant after IVF and I was on progesterone until 9 weeks.

Different clinics vary in terms of how long they prescribe progesterone, for instance women I know from MN treated at the Hammersmith Hospital were given progesterone only until their BFP, as the embryo does produce progesterone as well. But my clinic has good success rates (and it worked for us first time!) so I was happy to stay on progesterone for 9 weeks.

I don't know anything about the SPD side of things, but it sounds like it could be having an impact. I think the fact that you're carrying twins, even at this early stage, may also be having an impact (just a guess - I know very little about SPD).

Good luck though - really hope the SPD calms down soon.

Thanks both. Perhaps I'll phone clinic and ask them to clarify the risks of stopping earlier. 9 weeks would be only one more week, so seems manageable. 90 days is 12weeks, 6 days, so not much more than 12 weeks. Congratulations Peanuthead. The wait for the viability scan is awful. Just know that once you see that heartbeat, you're over the riskiest part. And good luck too Caitni - almost 40 weeks - how exciting!

Good idea MamaChris - SPD sounds awful (there are women on my antenatal thread who suffered from it) so hope you can get whatever relief you can.

Peanuthead fully agree that the wait for the viability scan is awful - hope it's not too much longer before you can see that little heartbeat(s) and start to believe you're pregnant

My first baby is an icsi baby. Fell pregnant with her 7 years ago but only took progesterone (sp) pessaries until bfp. Only took them for two weeks after transfer of embryo's. All was fine with the pregnancy.

Sorry don't know anything about progesterone and chances of spd. Funnily enough I never had spd with my first pregnancy which was an ivf pregnancy. Following 3 pregnancies (non ivf and non progesterone pessaries) I have had very painful spd and each one it has started earlier in the pregnancy. Spd started in this pregnancy when I was just weeks pregnant! Obviously gadually getting worse.

Hope you get an answer from the clinic with regards to connection to spd.

Congratulations Mamapig and peanuthead on your pregnancies.