How do I use an over the counter progesterone cream?

Question

I've been trying to get pregnant and I went to the doctor to get tons of exams, there's nothing wrong with me..so before i try any expensive method I want to try this cream...any thoughts?

Answer 1

I used progesterone cream. It helped me regulate my cycles and ovulate normally. It helped me sustain my pregnancy as well.

Basically, you use physiologic doses of the cream, which means you only use what your body is normally supposed to make. I used between 10 mg and 25 mg a day. You don't want to use more than physiologic doses. That's what's wrong with drugs like Provera, which is a synthetic progesterone, or progestin. Progestins are not good - natural is always preferable.

I bought mine at an organic/health food store, but you can buy progesterone cream online. Good stuff is $25-30 a jar for 2-4 ounces. Expensive stuff, but oh so worth it if you have a hormonal imbalance, which I did.

You can read about progesterone cream in "What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About PreMenopause" by Dr. John Lee. Here is a page on his site that talks about progesterone: http://www.johnleemd.com/store/faqs_progest_crm.html.

And here is a list of progesterone cream manufacturers: http://www.johnleemd.com/store/resource_progesterone.html

I myself used natural progesterone cream that had no parabens in it. I used Restored Balance. I used another kind sometimes, but I can't remember the name of it.

I used a little bit of it, just like a little glob on my finger, once in the morning and once at night. You rub it on your skin in an area that absorbs fat well - breasts, chest, neck, inner arms. Try to rotate where you put it. You use the cream between ovulation and your next period. My cycles were very irregular, so I had no idea when really to start using it at first. I just randomly started it, used it for 13 days, and then I started my period right after. If you know when you ovulate, start using the cream that day.

Progesterone is necessary to a healthy pregnancy. In fact, many miscarriages occur because of low progesterone. So, when you are trying to conceive, you'll want to take a pregnancy test around the time your period is due. If it comes back negative, stop using the cream until the next ovulation. If it comes back positive, keep using the cream until you are about 13 weeks. At 12-13 weeks, the placenta takes over making progesterone and you no longer need to supplement it. I am a worrier, so with my current pregnancy I kept using it until about 15-16 weeks but slowly dwindled it off.

Like I mentioned before, I had very irregular cycles for years. I was overweight, had a lot of headaches and my periods were very light. I actually had a miscarriage about a year before I started using progesterone cream. When I wanted to get pregnant again, I started using the cream and went on a low GI (Glycemic Index) diet, which basically means I avoided anything with sugar. I started taking Vitex, EFAs (Essential Fatty Acids), Zinc and a pre-natal vitamin. I drank raspberry tea, and I massaged my feet and hands every day (reflexology). I drank only organic milk, since regular milk has excess estrogens in it. Within 2 or 3 months I was pregnant. I had lost weight and I felt much better. I am currently 27 weeks pregnant with a little girl.

If I knew more details of your situation, I might be able to help more. Your thinking is excellent - go natural. Doctors are great, don't get me wrong, but oftentimes their methods aren't the best way to go.

Best of luck to you!