Progesterone plays an important role in conception and maintaining a healthy pregnancy. Progesterone builds the lining of the uterus to allow a fertilized egg to implant, and progesterone levels continue to rise during the menstrual cycle after ovulation in case conception occurs. According to the website Baby Hopes, women with low progesterone levels may have a condition called a luteal phase defect, which can cause recurrent miscarriages. Progesterone cream delivers progesterone through the skin, and may be useful in helping women with low progesterone to maintain an early pregnancy.
Step 1
Buy an over-the-counter progesterone cream. Dr. John Lee recommends creams that contain 450 to 500 mg of progesterone per oz., which equals a strength of 1.6 percent by weight, or 3 percent by volume.
Step 2
Apply 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. of progesterone cream to clean skin. Lee says that progesterone cream is fat-soluble and is most effectively absorbed in areas where the capillaries are close to the skin, such as on the face, chest, inside of the arms, breasts and neck.
Step 3
Repeat application of progesterone cream twice daily for at least 14 days. Discontinue use if your next menstrual cycle begins. If pregnancy occurs, Baby Hopes recommends that you continue use of the progesterone cream for the first 10 weeks of pregnancy.
Tips and Warnings
- Progesterone cream is most easily found at health food and natural health stores.
- Be cautious about wild yam creams. Some believe that the body may convert wild yam into progesterone, but no evidence exists to prove this claim.
Things You'll Need
- Progesterone cream
