# CONFUSED ABOUT PROGESTERONE LEVELS?!!!!HELP!!!



## Tinky27

What do your progesterone levels need to be to ovulate?

What is a good number?!

Over Christmas my level was 0.9 VERY low and this month it was 14.4, but I've been told this is still low and inconsistent with ovulation?!

HELP?!


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## staceysm

Hi,

My Dr said anything over 25 but I know other clinic's have said different numbers.

X


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## Rosey78

Hi,
Anything over 25 is ovulation but they normally like it to be above 30.  Of course the test is only valid if you tested prog levels exactly 7days post ovulation xxx


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## Tinky27

Hey,

My levels were 14.4 but had the blood drawn 5 days before my bleeding started, not 7 which its supposed to be. Don't know if that would make a huge difference though? I'm guessing its unlikely I even ovulated then?

I've been spotting since day 31. I'm now on day 37, but no red blood and its virtually nothing?!

I think I've been looking at the US sites, as they all say anything over 10 shows ovulation.

xx


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## Rosey78

The US measure progesterone differently.  Do you know what your result were - ng/l or nmol?  10 ng/l = 30nmol, so yes in the US this would be indicative of ovulation.  They normally use nmol in the UK, but it does depend where you had the test.  If your result was 14ng/l then this is fine    

Again, it depends on when you ovulate and if you have a 14 day leutal phase-if it is short then 5days before may not be ideal (7days before a bleed is fine if you know you bleed exactly 14days after you ovulate which not everyone does).  I think it tends to be more accurate if you are monitoring LH surge (which I assume you are ) and once you get a positive test then arrange the progesterone test for 7 days after.

It is a bit confusing when it is referred to as day 21 progesterone level.  For me I don't ovulate until CD 18/19 so I would need to have the test on 26/26 for it to be accurate.  I would then bleed on CD 32/33.

I did post something about this ages ago, but cant seem to find it xxx


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## Rosey78

Found it:

Progesterone is the hormone that causes the uterine lining (endometrium) to ripen and mature for embryo implantation. A very low progesterone, say less than 10 indicates that you probably did not ovulate in that cycle; between 10 and 17 you ovulated but would not implant and therefore not get a pregnancy, even if you produce an embryo; 17 - 23 you will implant if it is a good embryo, but the lining will probably be too immature to provide the right environment to sustain implantation and embryo/foetal growth such that you may miscarriage either very early on, or have a difficult and unstable early pregnancy with perhaps bleeding then go on to have a miscarriage. 

If the level is over 25 you are out of the danger range in that particular cycle, but values can vary from month to month, with values over 40 being common. 

"In an adequately ovulatory cycle, the mid-luteal (ie D20-22 in a cycle length of 27-29 days) serum progesterone, should be something in excess of 26 nmol/L, (and it can go as high as 70-80). Below this level down to around 16 nmol is suggestive of probable ovulation but there is a likleyhood that the level will be too low for adequate endometrial development, resulting in poor embryo implantation and consequent implantation failure and early miscarriage. Below 16 is probably non-ovulatory. 

Your progesterone can vary from month to month to quite a high degree. The assay of progesterone or any other hormone, in any given cycle, is therefore only a "snapshot" of your ttc cycles over a particular time scale, and which is then being used to assess all of those other cycles. The true value of the observed result will depend upon how typical it is of those months of ttc. Hence a value say of 22 this month could be your highest, your lowest, or your usual value, there is no way of knowing - unless you know some reason why things in that particular month were better or worse than your usual cycles. 

For me to be totally happy that ovulation is not a problem I would want to see two values over 30 nmol/L. I would be confident that even if these were the best of the bunch and others were down to 25 -26, adequate ovulation is probably happening in most months, which is the normal situation. However I would be unhappy with a random value of say 20 nmol/L even though it is ovulatory. Whilst this might be her worst ever and all others months were better - might also be her best ever, and all others much worse. In a pregnancy cycle ovulation has obviously occured even if only poorly, and if not going to last, so the progesterone would have to be over 20 nmol. 

Prolactin can, and should be assayed in the same mid-luteal blood sample as that taken for progesteone. The other two assays are Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) and Luteining Hormone (LH). These are the pituitary hormones sent to stimulate follicular growth and rupture on the ovaries, and they rise prior to and around ovulation therefore. It is the basal level that is important and which is used to assess ovarian sensitivity, ovarian reserve, and PCOD tendency. They should be measured therefore well away from the ovulatory peak which means during the first two days of the cycle, whilst still bleeding. If the blood sample is taken much later than this, and especially in women with very short cycles, then the start of the preovulatory rise will be detected and give falsely elevated (ie menopausal) values. The same type of sample bottle can be used for these as is supplied for progesterone and prolactin - but not the same blood sample of course"


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