Progesterone (luteal phase support)

Progesterone is the hormone that prepares and maintains the endometrium, the lining of the womb, so that an embryo can implant and a pregnancy can hold. In a natural cycle the ovary makes it after ovulation. In IVF and frozen transfers the body's own supply can be low or absent, so extra progesterone is given. This is usually called luteal phase support.

Who needs it and when

Progesterone support is standard after egg retrieval in IVF and through a frozen embryo transfer cycle. It is usually started around the time of retrieval, or a few days before a frozen transfer, and continued until the pregnancy test. If the test is positive, it is often carried on into early pregnancy on the clinic's advice.

The forms it comes in

Progesterone can be given as a vaginal gel, pessary, or insert, as an injection into muscle, and in some protocols by mouth or under the skin. Vaginal and injected forms are the most common. The clinic chooses based on the protocol and on what you tolerate well, and it is fine to say if a form does not suit you.

Side effects

Effects are usually mild: tiredness, breast tenderness, mild cramping, or some discharge with the vaginal forms. Injections can leave the site sore. These sensations can also feel like early pregnancy, which is one reason the two-week wait can feel so uncertain. Try not to read the symptoms as a result either way.

What to keep in mind

Keep to the schedule and do not stop progesterone on your own. If you have started it and want to change anything, ask your clinic first.

Progesterone in India

It is inexpensive next to the rest of a cycle, though the injectable forms cost more than pessaries. It is used within registered ART clinics, which you can look up in our directory.