# Day 21 Progesterone Blood Test - any tolerance?



## Jowo (Nov 22, 2012)

Blast, I have missed the boat for this test over the last 4 months, once out of ignorance because I didn't know it was a standard pre-treatment test, once because I forgot to diary it, once because I was overseas and now I find that day 21 falls on a Saturday when I couldn't find an appointment for it. 

I ordered a finger prick blood sample test hoping to get around the need to visit a clinic to draw blood this weekend but the instructions clearly state not to undertake this on a weekend as it requires to be posted by next day delivery.

Is there any kind of tolerance for the day 21 test at all or what are the implications? It looks like I can only manage a day 23 test because of this postal service or will have to wait another month.


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## staceysm (Nov 18, 2010)

Hi Jo,

My day 21 fell on a Saturday to.  I just had it done on day 20 which was a Friday at the blood clinic.  It was all fine and the GP said that one day wouldn't really make much of a difference.

X


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## Jowo (Nov 22, 2012)

Thanks. 

My instructions with the finger prick test also rules out Fridays (presumably their office is shut on Saturday despite next day delivery by the post office), as well as Saturdays and Sundays. I wouldn't have bothered purchasing the kit if I'd known that such a time sensitive test 3 out of 7 days per week were considered unsuitable for them!

I did ring round a couple of private hospitals today and was surprised that I needed a GP referrel for a private blood test. After all, I had two separate sets of blood tests with private clinicis, one of which I purchased online via an intermediary and the other formed part of a fertility MOT.

I couldn't find any private GPs that operated on a Saturday.

Ho, hum, my fault for being so poorly organised in the past...


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## Jowo (Nov 22, 2012)

Does anyone have any thoughts on the implications of me submitting a Day 23 test for progesterone? My other alternative is to take the blood on day 21 or 22 and hope that storing it in the fridge stops the sample from being degraded.

I know that day 21 is just a suggested benchmark for those with 28 day cycles like myself  and that the day to take the blood sample is supposed to be 7 days after ovulating. 

Unfortunately, despite using LH sticks, I never managed to identify my ovulation. I know I did ovulate as I had a transvaginal scan 3 days ago and the consultant said I recently ovulated.

I'll be changing my method of tracking my peak fertility in future.


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## Dudders (Jun 18, 2012)

I was always told day 21-23 by my doctor so it shouldn't be a major problem.  It may even be more appropriate depending when you did actually ovulate.  Your progesterone level rises and peaks and typically starts to fall around 10dpo, so there isn't much difference between day 21 and 23 unless you ovulated on day 12 or before.  So I would just submit the sample and not panic about it


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