Hey Friends,
This blog is going to be all about us finding out we were pregnant and getting the news that I have low progesterone. Once again we find ourselves at a crossroad of good news that comes along with bad news. What does this mean for my first trimester? Read on to find out how this affected me. FYI there is some very real but graphic information about Progesterone in this blog.
So let’s start where we left off last time. I’m in the Target bathroom and I’ve just taken the first box of pregnancy tests that came back postive. I call one of my close friends to ask what to do next. I am seriously shaking at this point. Shaking because I’m excited, shaking because I’m nervous, shaking because there’s no way this could be true. At this point I’ve taken many, many, many pregnancy tests that all came back negative. I was in shock to see a positive. My friend tells me to grab a box that is a different brand and to get the digital kind this time. That way there is no possibility for “line-eyes”. I go and get the second box, but have to leave Target afterwards to head to work. So I stuck the box in my purse and snuck it into work. I go and take the first of two test in the box and of course I mess it up somehow and 20 minutes later it still isn’t showing a result. So I downed some water and took the second one. This one immediately said YES+. So after I calm my nerves some I called my doctor’s office who said to come in right away for a blood test. I go in a few hours later and get my blood drawn for what felt like the millionth time. They told me I would get a call the next day. I can’t explain to you how long these next few hours were. I decided to distract myself with trying to come up with a way to tell Phillip. That story is to come later.
The next morning I get the phone call that we are pregnant. Yay! She then goes on to explain to me though that my progesterone levels where low. Progesterone (or The Pregnancy Hormone), is a natural female hormone that is essential before and during pregnancy. Before pregnancy Progesterone prepares the uterus for pregnancy. It does this after ovulation has occurred. The ovaries will produce this hormone that then will cause the lining of the uterus to thicken. This is very important for the implantation of the fertilized egg. During pregnancy Progesterone helps nurture the fetus until the placenta can take over. The placenta can not take over until the start of the second trimester.
So I have low progesterone. If you have read my other blogs, then you know that we already knew that. The doctor was under the impression that since my levels where low that I wouldn’t be pregnant the cycle I got pregnant on. This right here to me is a sign from God. We weren’t supposed to have gotten pregnant this cycle. The science said no. My progesterone level was low. I had found out I had a blocked Fallopian tube this cycle as well. Anyways some how we were pregnant, but I had low progesterone. We had to do something about that. So I got put on progesterone suppositories at 5 weeks pregnant.
THIS NEXT SECTION CONTAINS GRAPHIC INFORMATION ABOUT PROGESTERONE
What is a progesterone suppository? Every night from 5 weeks pregnant until 13 weeks pregnant I had to take one progesterone pill. This are not taken by mouth. You guessed it, I had to take this pill vaginally. Anyone who knows me knows I can’t even take pills orally, so this was freaking me out. I tried to do it myself but I just couldn’t. So I turned to my amazing, loving, caring husband and asked him to. I know TMI, but I am keeping it real with you guys. There’s nothing that will do more for your sex life then having your husband put a pill up in your vagina…did you catch my sarcasm there?
So nightly for the first trimester this was our routine. Nightly inserts. Even while on my birthday vacation. The downside to this medication, like having to shove something in you wasn’t enough of a downside, was the aftermath in the mornings. Ladies who are just starting progesterone, please wear a panty liner all the time for the first trimester! You will leak the coating from the pill out, not to mention if you irritate any part of you in there you may cause some bleeding to happen. If you’re “lucky” like me then your pill is pink and every morning you will wake up thinking that you are bleeding and freak yourself out that something has gone wrong with your baby, only to realize that nope, it’s just the red coating from your progesterone pill last night. Who came up with that color for this pill?!
So this was my life for the rest of the first trimester. I eventually got used to it. It never became fun, but you just do it because you have to. Finally at 13 weeks I was able to come off the progesterone. Yay! Or at least that was part of the emotion I was feeling. I was so happy to finally be done taking this annoying medication, but I was also so scared to leave my safety net behind. This medication is what had gotten us to this point. It helped our sweet baby survive the first 3 months of its life in my womb. I was terrified that once I stopped this my body would fail me again like it had so many times before. Once again here I was at this cross road of having to trust God. I knew I had to let go of the control. So I came off the progesterone. I am happy to say that this time my body did not fail me.
Baby Dust To All,
Cynthia
Joy Comes In The Morning 