17P Progesterone shots anyone?

[ash313]

Due to a previous preterm birth my doc is suggesting weekly progesterone shots to prevent another preterm birth.
I have done some very basic research on the subject but I was just wondering if anyone has any experiences to share? Does it really work?

[k8lyn]

i can't tell you whether it works or not, but i'm doing the same thing. i went into pre-term labor at 33 weeks. they managed to stop it and put me on strict bedrest. 2 weeks later my water broke and DS came into the world via emergency c-section (he was breech) at 35.5 weeks. he's a big, healthy 15 month old now.

i'm 19 weeks and have been doing the progesterone shots (1 cc once a week) for 3 weeks now. i've got doctors in my family (dad's a surgeon, sister's a neonatologist) who say it makes sense. progesterone is apparently used regularly in early pregnancy to prevent miscarriage, so the theory is that it will work in late pregnancy to prevent pre-term labor. the jury's out as to whether it will work, but their consensus is that it certainly can't hurt.

can't say the same for the shots though. they're intramuscular, so every thursday morning my husband shoots me in the butt. the progesterone is very thick and oily and has to be injected slowly and it hurts. but if it means keeping DS2 in to term, it'll be worth it.

hope this helps!

[ash313]

Oh, I didn't know you could do it yourself. My doc told me I'd have to come to the office once a week to get them.

[LDS Angel 19]

I've been on them since week 16. I have mine done at my drs office, but that's only because they want to see me every week anyway, they did say I could do them myself if I had to.
I can't say for sure it's because of the 17p, but I haven't had a single contraction thus far.