Anyone have progesterone shots during their pregnancy?

I have my first visit at the OB office on Friday (it was just the nurse's consult). I asked them if this pregnancy was automatically flagged as HIGH risk b/c of my expereience with PTL with the twins. Odds are my PTL and early dilation was because I was carrying multiples, but you can never be 100% sure. So, the nurse said that my OB will discuss this with me during my first u/s and apt (August 20), but she said with someone who has had PTL in a previous pregnancy, they sometimes will have them get progesterone shots from like weeks 16-36 (I think that's what she said) in order to try and prevent PTL again.

Has anyone had these with their pregnancy(s)? Just curious. I had never really heard of them. What has been your experience?

Oh and remember how I said my OB only does a routine u/s at 9 weeks? Well, apparently the rules have changed since I was told that back in November 2004...lol. They now do TWO routine u/s. One at 9-10 weeks and then one at 18-20 weeks. YAY!!!

Only 30 more days...I'm not counting LOL!

 

Hi Becky - I did them but it was b/c of doing IVF to get pregnant. Hopefully someone can chime in and be helpful. I know that you can use the small subcutaneous needles now for doing them. Not the big huge intra-muscular one my husband had to jab into my butt every night for 6-8 weeks. joy.

Congratulations on your pregnancy!

 

I had progesterone shots from the beginning...from 4 weeks until 9 or 10 weeks to keep the babies in. I guess I had such a rough time getting pregnant (7 IUIs with injectibles) and maybe my hormones were out of whack that they decided to give me the shots. I don't know if this helps at all. I was a high risk pregnancy person too...twins, age 40, and high blood pressure.

The shots were ok tho, I was used to a lot of shots in the butt from trying to get pregnant!

Bridget

 

*GIGGLE Becky I just recognized what your ticker is! A positive pregnancy test stick. LOL!! Too funny!!!

OMG, if I ever meet you in person I don't think I'll ever get off the floor because I would laugh myself to death!!

Too funny girl!

:rotflmbo: :rotflmbo: :rotflmbo: :rotflmbo: :rotflmbo: :rotflmbo: :rotflmbo: :rotflmbo: :rotflmbo: :rotflmbo:

 

QUOTE(bridget nanette @ Jul 22 2007, 01:34 AM) [snapback]340185[/snapback]
*GIGGLE Becky I just recognized what your ticker is! A positive pregnancy test stick. LOL!! Too funny!!!

OMG, if I ever meet you in person I don't think I'll ever get off the floor because I would laugh myself to death!!

Too funny girl!


You crack me up!!! What other picture did I have to put next to it Actually, I think I should put up my resume there since I'm desperately searching for a job even harder now LOL!!! Glad I caused a giggle for you today. I would love to meet you in person someday too...we'd have a good time, that's for sure!

 

I had progesterone the whole time I was pregnant with the girls. For the first trimester, i took it vaginally (which I hated). Then I was off it at 16 weeks for about 2.5 weeks. I started having PTL at 19wks. Got put on weekly prog shots and had them for the remainder of the pregnancy. It wasn't so bad. I did have to go to the doc each week for the shot, because DH didn't want to do it. I can't blame him and as much as he'd wince just watching me get a shot, I didn't want him to do it! When I was on bedrest, it was great because it was an excuse to leave the house!

Congrats on your new baby! I wish you all the best!!!

 

QUOTE(Laura in Alaska @ Jul 22 2007, 01:56 AM) [snapback]340210[/snapback]
I had progesterone the whole time I was pregnant with the girls. For the first trimester, i took it vaginally (which I hated). Then I was off it at 16 weeks for about 2.5 weeks. I started having PTL at 19wks. Got put on weekly prog shots and had them for the remainder of the pregnancy. It wasn't so bad. I did have to go to the doc each week for the shot, because DH didn't want to do it. I can't blame him and as much as he'd wince just watching me get a shot, I didn't want him to do it! When I was on bedrest, it was great because it was an excuse to leave the house!

Congrats on your new baby! I wish you all the best!!!


Thanks!!!!

They told me that if I had them that more than likely a nurse would come to the house to do it (if my insurance would cover that) or I would have to just go into the office.

 

QUOTE
Oh and remember how I said my OB only does a routine u/s at 9 weeks? Well, apparently the rules have changed since I was told that back in November 2004...lol. They now do TWO routine u/s. One at 9-10 weeks and then one at 18-20 weeks. YAY!!!


Be sure to check with your insurance. Most will only pay for 1 routine u/s. You might get a pass because of the previous PTL, but be sure to check so you don't get stuck with a large bill to pay.

 

Ditto the advice on the u/s! I bet you are dying to know how many are in there!!!

I had progesterone shots from around 28 weeks until I delivered. These were part of my doctor's med cocktail that I took to help with my own PTL issues. I received shots two times a week. The last few weeks of my pregnancy, I had a home nurse that would come in to give me the shots.

If you do a search on this topic, you may find a little more info. A lot of the women here have had the shots at the beginning of their pregnancies due to IVF, but you will find that just as many have had the shots during the second half of their pregnancy to 1) help prevent PTL or to 2) treat/respond to PTL that is already present.

 

Um, I did these for weeks and they were horrid. Maybe the pp's shot goop were different...

I did progesterone in oil. The needles were mighty thick and I did one shot per day. I would put an ice pack on my behind for about 20 minutes and then DH would give me the shot. I had lumps beneath the skin forever and it itched like crazy. I was always unknowingly itching my rear at work for months.

I hope your shots are different from what I had to do. I don't regret doing them and I was faithful in doing them because I would do anything to keep those little embies growing.

Good luck

 

QUOTE(first_second_and_last @ Jul 22 2007, 12:05 PM) [snapback]340525[/snapback]
I did progesterone in oil. The needles were mighty thick and I did one shot per day. I would put an ice pack on my behind for about 20 minutes and then DH would give me the shot. I had lumps beneath the skin forever and it itched like crazy. I was always unknowingly itching my rear at work for months.


I had to do these with my son, and yes they itched so bad! I hope the person that says you can do them subcutaneous is right, it would not have been as bad. My husband was kind enough to do them for me every night- but we only had to do them until 13 weeks. I also had to do 2 suppositories a day and get a long acting shot in office every two weeks!
This time around all I had to do was a pill as a suppository twice a day until 12 weeks- and glucophage. Don't know why levels were better but they were!
Good luck with the progesterone! It is always worth it if it helps the babies!

 

Hi Becky,

Congratulations on your pg! I did them with my son. The above pp is right if you search you will find some information on them. I think I started a topic or someone else did when I was pg with my son. Anyway the 17 P ( progesterone shots) are different than the shots associated with IVF. I did progerstone suppositories after my IUI's when I concieved the girls. The 17 P hydroxy shots are to prevent PTL. Here is a link that you will find more information on them. http://www.marchofdimes.com/peristats/whatsnew.aspx?id=10

I had PTL with my girls also and had to be on hospital bedrest from 23 weeks till I delivered them at 34 weeks. So when I started contracting again with my sinlgeton pg they put me on them starting at week 16 till 33 weeks. I had to go to the doctor's office every week for them to administer the shots to me or my insurance wouldn't pay for it. They charged me an office visit for the shots. Some insurances may not cover these shots. So you will have to check with your insurance ahead of time. They really didn't stop me from contracting so I took terb as needed but ended up stoping that too. I went full term with my singleton. They think now it was probably carrying twins that caused my ptl. But at that time I didn't know not having been pg with a singleton before and I didn't want to take that chance. I do have an irritable uterus but I was closed till my water broke with my son at 39 weeks and 4 days. I think if you are at risk then I would take them. The only side effect I experienced was soreness at the site. Good luck.

Elizabeth

 

I had PIO shots twice a day until 13 weeks (due to IVF), but also did the P17 shots once a week from 16 to 32 (I think) weeks as part of a study for preventing PTL in multiple pgs. The P17 shots have been proven beneficial in singleton pgs, there just needed to be research to prove the same in multiple pg. What ever the case, I carried the twins to 38 weeks, with no signs of labor when I went in for a scheduled s/c. Anyways, I ramble off topic...The shots are a b***h, but probably not a bad idea if you had previous issues with PTL. They are thick and pretty painful. DH gave them to me, (he was in nursing school during my IVF and pg, so he got lots of shot giving practice!!). We warmed the vial in warm tap water first, while I laid on a heating pad. After the shot I kept the heating pad on, supposedly the heat helps dispurse the medication and prevent knotting up, which is terrible painful. It does itch pretty bad, and it will stay a bit sore. Good luck with you pregnancy!!!