Progesterone Support

Progesterone support can improve fertility treatment success

At our Newport Beach fertility clinic, we offer advanced fertility solutions to help our patients achieve their family-building goals. Robert Anderson MD and Don Royster MD deliver exceptional fertility care and support to our patients during this challenging time. Through the use of trusted therapies, including progesterone support during fertility treatment, our doctors help make parenthood possible.

Understanding the role of progesterone in female reproduction

Naturally produced by the ovaries, progesterone is a female hormone. Estrogen helps thicken the uterine lining and progesterone helps prepare the uterine lining for embryo implantation. When a pregnancy occurs, the ovaries continue to make progesterone until about the eighth week. At that point, the placenta takes over for the remainder of the pregnancy. If implantation fails, progesterone levels decline. The uterus then sheds the unneeded lining, resulting in a period.

Why our doctors recommend progesterone during treatment

Low levels of progesterone can result in failed IVF cycles and contribute to recurrent miscarriage. As part of a complete fertility evaluation at our Newport Beach fertility clinic, our doctors order extensive blood tests. One of these tests assesses progesterone levels. However, because levels can vary each day, we generally prescribe progesterone supplements during fertility treatments.

Our Newport Beach fertility clinic experts believe progesterone support improves results for those undergoing fertility treatments. It can also help our patients who have experienced recurrent pregnancy loss.

Not all forms of progesterone, however, are created equally. In the past, injectable progesterone supplements were considered the standard of care. Research now indicates that vaginal delivery of progesterone support also produces the desired results. There is considerable evidence that injectable progesterone supplementation results in higher pregnancy and live birth rates than vaginal delivery of progesterone in frozen embryo transfer (FET) cycles. Generally, our fertility experts discontinue progesterone support around the tenth week of pregnancy.

We welcome our patients and their partners at the Southern California Center for Reproductive Medicine. Using advanced technology and clinical expertise, our doctors provide the top-notch fertility treatments you need in a warm, welcoming environment. Contact our office for more information on progesterone support or to make an appointment