How to Save Money on PreSeed Lubricant

The other day I FINALLY was able to find some Pre-Seed  in a drugstore - Walgreen's, of all places (they do not have it at Target or CVS - at least not in my neighborhood - though they used to carry it at CVS).

This stuff is NOT CHEAP.  The total for one (1) 1.4 ounce tube, with tax included, was $27.05.  Which is equivalent to about $1.93 for every tenth of an ounce (less than one application), when you include the tax.

First of all, I want to say - although the stuff is expensive, I know it's worth it, and I'm very grateful to Dr. Joanna Ellington for coming up with this stuff, and for figuring out that a substance called Arabinogalactan can actually help sperm survive longer than they normally would. She's a genius!

That being said, however, there are people like me who are in our 40's, who have been trying to have a baby for several years, and have gone through a couple dozen tubes of this stuff.  So in my opinion, some of us deserve a break in the price!!!  Sadly, though, the baby gods don't really care about our poor TTC dilemmas - just like Aunty Flo doesn't really care about the fact that we chicks have to cough up extra money to buy feminine products every month, just because we're women. Men traditionally have to cough up money to pay for a first date. Who said that's fair? Life just isn't fair, period.

So it's up to us to figure out our own ways to save money.


My biggest Pre-Seed  tip on how to save money: I mentioned this in an earlier post, but am going to mention it again in case you missed it.  You can actually save money on Pre-Seed  by combining it with Astroglide NATURAL.  (you can get a free sample of Astroglide Natural by clicking here: http://www.astroglide.com/FreeSample.asp... just be sure to click the dropdown to select Astroglide natural, as the default is the regular Astroglide). If you want to buy a whole tube, you can find it here on Amazon.

Yes, this really works. At least, it really worked for me (for anyone who has never read any of my other blog posts, I got pregnant at age 43, for the first time, after 5 years of TTC). I didn't use PreSeed in it's full-strength. I used a combination of half Pre-Seed , and half Astroglide NATURAL. Basically, I just dumped a tube of Pre-Seed  into about half a bottle of Astroglide natural (It's true, I was doing a lot of other things to maximize my fertility, but wanted to mention again that I did not use Pre-Seed  at its full strength). You can read about the other things I did, to get pregnant, by clicking HERE.

I also want to note that, you can save even more money by ordering the 2.5 oz. tube of Pre-Seed  (aka Pre') instead of the small (1.4 oz) tube.  The larger tube is marked "for external use" but I found out the ingredients are the same, and the "external" Pre-Seed has the same concentration of arabinogalactan (the antioxidant that prolongs sperm life), as the small tube does! The smaller tube just costs more because  you are getting the plastic applicators, but I have plenty of those and would rather have more product instead. You may have to order this product online, though. Walgreens only carried the smaller tube.

UPDATE 10/11/14: Sorry ladies, it looks like they no longer carry the Pre'.... I think it's been discontinued. Bummer!

When I combined the Pre-Seed  with the Astroglide natural, it turned a kind of milky color, and stayed that way (I don't really understand why it did that, since both are clear when they come out of their respective bottle / tube). I did created more of the mixture the other day (photos below) and for some reason, it didn't stay that "milky color." But whatever the case - that's the stuff I used when I got pregnant. And I used a decent amount of it.

I decided to take pictures when I combined the Pre-Seed  with the Astroglide natural. It helps if you are working with a half a bottle.  I had one almost-empty bottle, so I poured half the contents of  my new bottle, into the old bottle, and then poured the pre-seed equally into both bottles, then shook them up. At first, you will see the "top layer" is milky looking, but when you shake it up, it turns clear. The first time I did this, it stayed a milky color, but this time it went back to clear.

 Pouring the astroglide into both bottles (you can see they changed the packaging, slightly, but it's the same stuff)...

 You can see the top layer looks "milky"...

 Just after shaking.... there were big bubbles at first...

 (eventually even the tiny bubbles - in this photo - disappeared, and it now looks clear). 

I also took a photo of the ingredients, which you can read  here. 

Pre-Seed  Ingredients:   Purified water, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Pluronic, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Phosphate, Carbomer, Methylparaben, Sodium Hydroxide, Arabinogalactan, Potassium Phosphate, Propylparaben.

Astroglide Natural Ingredients:  Xylitol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Potassium ascorbyl tocopheryl phosphate (Vitamins C & E), Pectin, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract (Chamomile), Hydroxyethylcellulose, Phenoxyethanol.

Here are the ingredients listed again, side by side, so you can compare  (as you can see, Purified water and Hydroxyethylcellulose are the only 2 common ingredients).  I'm no scientist, but most of the ingredients do sound pretty safe.

Astroglide Natural Ingredients:  Purified Water, Xylitol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Potassium ascorbyl tocopheryl phosphate (Vitamins C & E), Pectin, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract (Chamomile), Hydroxyethylcellulose, Phenoxyethanol.

Preseed Ingredients:   Purified water, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Pluronic, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Phosphate, Carbomer, Methylparaben, Sodium Hydroxide, Arabinogalactan, Potassium Phosphate, Propylparaben.

WHERE TO BUY:

I went online to find the cheapest places to buy PreSeed.

If you have Amazon Prime, that is the cheapest way to get it. If you get a 2 pack, that makes it about $16.50 per tube (shipping included... though I am not sure if there is tax). You can find the 2-Pack on Amazon HERE 

You can get one box through Amazon Prime (sold by the PreSeed company) HERE.

Other places you can get Pre-Seed online (please note pricing may be subject to change):

Walgreens.com: $22.99 (free shipping over $25)  http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/pre-seed-fertility-friendly-personal-lubricant/ID=prod6052640-product

CVS.com: $20.99 (free shipping if your order is over $49 and weighs less than 10 pounds)  http://www.cvs.com/CVSApp/catalog/shop_product_detail.jsp?filterBy=&skuId=794443&productId=794443&navAction=jump&navCount=3 

Early-Pregnancy-Tests.com $21.50 (love these guys... they used to have the best pricing, but I just learned if you have Amazon Prime that is slightly cheaper): They do have FREE SHIPPING for this product in the US and Canada, even if all you're getting is this one box, PLUS they give you two free pregnancy tests with your order. http://www.early-pregnancy-tests.com/preseed-multi-use.html   You can also buy the much larger tube - the pre-seed external type, for much the same price (it's twice as much product for about the same price: http://www.early-pregnancy-tests.com/preseed-external.html).

Ebay (Variable) (There are several different sellers listing this product, and some pretty decent deals, some with free shipping. You can see them by clicking this link):
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=preseed&_sacat=0&_odkw=presed&_osacat=0

I'm seriously thinking about selling this stuff myself... will let you know if I do! (I used to make my living selling on ebay, but took a break).  Please check the main page for this blog site, and if I do start selling it, I will be sure to mention it on the main page.  Maybe I could even throw in a sample of Visalus!

Ellebelle

The POSITIVE side of a Miscarriage

Today I did a Google search to see if anyone else had written anything, on the positive side of a miscarriage. I know that may sound insane to some people, but I have always been a big believer that for every bad thing, there is a good thing that comes out of it. Even if it doesn't seem possible at the time. To my surprise, I couldn't find a single post on the subject. You can usually find just about anything on google, but I didn't find anything about there being a single positive effect of having a miscarriage. I guess I do understand it, but... it just seems like a shame, because if you can't look at the positive side of the situation, then it's like, that poor little baby died completely in vain, and I don't want to see it like that.

I want to look at it like, that baby - small as it was, and as short-lived as it's life was -  helped me in some way.  It did not die in vain. It just had a tiny chance to be here on earth, and it made the world a better place in the short time that it was here.

Several years ago, a friend of mine had a miscarriage, in her second trimester, and was pretty traumatized. My sister pointed out to her that, that tiny baby boy did a lot of good for her, during its short life. That baby boy, that never got the chance to walk or talk, actually got his mother to quit smoking. He got his mother to eat healthier. And he brought his mother and father closer together. I was really touched and inspired by my sister's perspective on the whole situation, and it helped our girl friend, too.  She now has two beautiful, healthy kids and is a very proud mom!

It's been about 2 months since my miscarriage, and I am feeling great. My body feels really good, I feel healthy and strong and ready to try to get pregnant again. My last period was actually a really "good one." I bled a lot, but I was happy about it, because I haven't had a period like that since my 20's or early 30's, and it made me feel young again. It was kind of a strange period... there was a lot of slipper stuff that came out during the first week. I think I was actually ovulating. I had very noticeable sharp pains in my ovaries - just like I get when I ovulate, only these were a little stronger than usual - and it was while I was in the middle of my period. So I guess I shouldn't have been surprised that my period arrived today.  Yes, I was a little disappointed. I had still been hoping for some sort of miracle, that I could get pregnant right away after the miscarriage, and even have a baby born in the year of the Dragon. But it just wasn't meant to be.

My last period lasted for about 8-10 days - maybe even a week - honestly, I can't remember the exact number of days it was, but I remember telling my husband it was unusually long, and heavy. I remember answering the door at my workplace and escorting a guest to the person they were supposed to meet, and feeling myself bleeding heavily and praying that the pantyliner I was wearing, would be enough for me to make it from the front of the building to the middle, where I was escorting the guests. I didn't expect it to be so heavy.  But I was glad. Because I knew it was my body's way of getting rid of some of the "extra" stuff I'd been carrying around, since I opted not to have a D & C.

The doctor at Planned Parenthood was very much against me skipping the D & C. She took a look at my ultrasound and said I have a lot of stuff left in my uterus, and said there's a very high chance of infection, which I refused to believe. Seriously? Women have been having miscarriages for millions of years - do you really expect me to believe that there's over a 50% chance I'm going to have some kind of life threatening infection by me having just one? I decided to let mother nature take her course. Yes, I was a little concerned, but not that concerned. Especially after talking to my granola hippie sister, who opted to have her two births without any kind of medical intervention. She doesn't trust doctors or their intentions, and I usually tend to agree with her.

Anyway, a few days ago I was starting to think I might be pregnant. I didn't feel pregnant, but I was having pretty heavy white discharges, as I did when I was pregnant in January. And also, the thing I really noticed was that I didn't have any pain with orgasm, even though I seemed to be due for my period (as it was around day 30 of my cycle). Which is very unusual for me. For the last three years, I've had to endure intensive cramping almost every time I have an orgasm, if it's within a few days of me getting my period. I just had an orgasm a couple of days ago, but there was no pain whatsoever. And I just started my period today. The thing that made me realize I was pregnant, 3 months ago, was the fact that I didn't have any pain with orgasm. Something must be up!

So, I can't help but believe that there is something positive that has come out of this pregnancy. I'm not sure if my past "orgasm pain" was caused by a fibroid, or polyp, or excess old tissue, or what, but somehow, I feel like, my uterus is now healthier than ever. I feel like my periods are getting back to how they used to be, and I want to thank my last baby - tiny as it was - for that.

I am also feeling very grateful that, at the very least, I know what it's like to get pregnant. For the longest time, I had no idea, and it was just this thing that everyone else talked about and knew about, except me. Well, now I know.  And although I never got to know the joys of delivering a full term baby, I feel like I have an understanding that I never used to before.

This past month has been a hard one for me. I am no longer working at the temp assignment I was before - but I am feeling more positive than ever. I have a completely different career that I am pursuing, and I feel GREAT about it.  Good things are happening for me right now, and I am starting to train for a marathon again. I just bought a ton of healthy food the other day, from Costco, and am back to drinking my veggie shakes. Things are looking good.

For anyone who's been through a miscarriage - I really feel your pain. It just sucks, there's no way around it. But if you can find it in you to look for anything positive that's come from it - even if it's just that you have more of an appreciation now, for the fact that you were able to get pregnant at all (which some people can't, no matter how hard they try), you will surely be a better person for it.

Trying Again...

Time to get back on the saddle.

I took an ovulation test this morning and it was positive.

Unfortunately, I'm not so positive, about a few things:

a) I'm still a little scared to get pregnant, because I still don't have health insurance. But I'm working on it. I'm at a temp job and am hopeful that they will bring me on as a permanent employee.

b) Even though the test strip says I'm ovulating, I don't know if there are any viable eggs ready for the sperm right now. For some weird reason, I had miettelshmerz (I know I must have spelled that wrong) DURING my period (which was very heavy), about 2 weeks ago. And the pain was pretty strong, so I'm guessing I released some pretty good eggs... only it was way too early. I think this must be a symptom of still getting over a miscarriage. My body is still out of whack. I haven't experienced any ovulation pain (like I did with the cycle before I got pregnant) so I am guessing that my system may still be a little "off" and it might be several months before things are back to normal. I'm not sure what it is that causes the ovulation test strips to darken, but... the cynical side of me says this could be a false alarm.

c) The quality of my eggs may not be as great as they could be. I've probably been drinking a little too much caffeine this month (just decaf mochas at work, and a coke here and there...but still...). And I'm not taking my visalus vitamins as regularly as I should be. I have been pretty decent about taking coenzyme q10, vitamin d and pycnogenol. But the problem is, the vi-paks don't fit into my pill minder, and then I forget to take them - or I can't take the day paks because I forgot to grab them, rushing out the house in the morning, on my way to work. I'd say I've been taking the Visalus about 70% of the times when i should (the ones I tend to forget are the night packs). But, hopefully, I would think the amount of Visalus pills and shakes I have taken consumed over the last 6 month has helped to improve my overall health and egg quality.

As for the hubby... I think even he was getting a little forgetful about taking his vitamins in the last month. He's usually pretty good about the Visalus, because it's easy and the box is right in his bathroom, and he's a man of method. My hubby is the most methodical dude ever. But if I don't fill up his "pill minder" in the bathroom with the vitamin D and CoEnzyme Q10, he just won't take it. I'm not going to complain about this much because I am just so grateful that he's willing to take them at ALL!!!

So, regardless of whether I'm ovulating or not, we had some really great sex this morning. TWICE. And it's been over a week, so my DH had a good amount of sperm built up. I was really happily surprised to see he was willing to go a second time. I thought he was joking when he suggested it, but nope! I was seriously impressed!

I had decided to take the day off because I was planning to go to an animal rights protest (my first day I've ever requested off work). My boss was really cool with it. But I decided not to go because I couldn't get anyone else on board and it would be a 4 hour drive. I decided to take the day off anyway since I was seriously sleep deprived and had a ton of housecleaning, but then I got caught up on my laptop and haven't gotten out of bed, and it's already 5:30 pm (I woke up at 12:30 pm!). I'd normally be irritated with myself, but I look at it overall like a good thing.

I remember that when I did get pregnant in January, I stayed in bed for a LONG time, just resting and letting the sperm do their thing. I went and bought more Astroglide Natural yesterday, and when I was applying it with my fingers, I could tell my cervix was definitely in the "open" position... it's just a question of, is there a viable egg up there to fertilize? I guess I'll find out. I didn't even use the type of astroglide with Pre-seed in it, because a) I was too tired to hunt down an applicator tube or instead cup and insert it, and b) it seemed like I had a decent amount of lubrication without it. Usually that's NOT the case... especially if we are in the doggie position. But I didn't need any extra this morning. And I also had an orgasm, so things were pretty wet down there.

Again... I am not really expecting to get pregnant this cycle, because I just haven't been doing all the things I was doing the first time I got pregnant. I'm not excercising, not avoiding caffeine entirely (I'd say I consume about 300-500 mg per week), not taking Fertil Plus regularly (I've taken about 5 pills total in this last month) - and I figure I probably will need that stuff in order to get pregnant again.

But it can't hurt to try, right?

The thing that makes me want to go for it now, is... I'm embarrassed to admit this, knowing how stupid it will sound.... but if I got pregnant in this cycle, then my baby would be born in the Year of the Dragon. Which just sounds SO much cooler than the Year Of The Snake, which is the next cycle. I know, pretty silly, right? But I can't help it. My good friend, whom I'll call Jessie, brought it up when I told her I was pregnant. She said, "Oh, the baby will be born in the year of the dragon!" and it sounded so cool... and I was really psyched about it. It doesn't help that I gotta keep seeing pictures of Zena and her damn Dragon Baby all over Facebook!

To console myself, I looked up celebrities born in the Year of the Snake, and the people seem exceptionally beautiful: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FejIm4y7DAE. So there! Take that, Zena and your little Dragon baby (you watch now that I've said that, she's gonna have a THIRD baby in the year of the snake).

I'll be happy with any baby, born in any year. Dragon, snake, or whatever comes after it.

That is all for now.

Is it just me or is everybody else pregnant right now?

I just saw a headline on AOL, that Megan Fox is pregnant.  And when I clicked on the article, all these other links about pregnant celebrities popped up under the article.

I'm wondering if this is a normal thing that happens when you've had a miscarriage. It suddenly seems like EVERYONE ELSE is having a normal, healthy pregnancy! As if I don't have enough real life friends with babies, whose pictures I see daily on Facebook. Oh and I forgot to mention, all the baby photos that are being posted on our online "employee social network" at work. There are only about 100 employees at work, but it seems like a good 10 percent of them have newborns!

I am very happy for Drew Barrymore - though I'm also pretty envious. We would have been pregnant at the same time, if I was able to stay pregnant. But I guess it just wasn't meant to be. It's ok though - I'm planning to try again! And I can't wait to see pics of Drew Barrymore and her baby, because I know she's going to make a fantastic mother!

Can CoEnzyme Q10 help you get pregnant?

Found an interesting article on CoEnzyme Q10, and how it can help some women get pregnant.

The part of the article most worth noting:

"Half the mice in the experiment got a placebo, while half got coenzyme Q10; the animals that got the vitamin produced more egg follicles, and more and healthier eggs."

On the downside, the mice were treated with the supplement for the equivalent of a decade in human years.

Still, you never know...

http://www.conceiveonline.com/articles/could-coenzyme-q10-help-you-get-pregnant

CoEnzyme Q10 and Fertility

I've been reading a lot about fertility and the positive effects of taking CoEnzyme Q10, prior to getting pregnant. Pretty amazing stuff!!!

Not only does it help a man produce "better" sperm, but it also seems to improve egg quality in women, and helps them develop more follicles.

Here is an article I found... I'm copying and pasting it here, but you can find the original on THIS PAGE.

Coenzyme Q10: Fertility Energy for Older Eggs and Sperm

by Rachel Lehmann-Haupt, Dec. 28, 2009

For years, doctors have been proscribing Co-enzyme Q10, a supplement that helps to better produce energy in the mitochondria of cells, to patients with congestive heart failure and diabetes, and athletes have been taking it to improve their performance. Ninety-five percent of the body’s energy is generated with Co-enzyme Q10, and therefore, the organs with the highest energy requirements like the heart and the liver have the highest concentrations. Now some fertility doctors believe that the supplement may also improve female and male fertility.

Dr. Yaakov Bentov, an Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto's Center for Advanced Reproductive Technology, says that as a woman ages, her eggs become less efficient during fertilization because the chromosomes don’t replicate as well. “The egg needs to complete a demanding process and often when a women reaches her late 30s and early 40s, there is not enough energy in the cells,” he says.

In a 2009 study published in The Journal of Fertility and Sterility, Bentov and his colleagues found that taking up to 600 milligrams a day of Co-enzyme Q10 -- which can be purchased at any drug store -- actually helped to improve egg quality in older women and improved fertilization rates.

“It may improve the quality of eggs by correcting their energy which improves the division of chromosome during fertilization,” Bentov claims.

Studies have also found that Co-enzyme Q10 may also improve male infertility. A July 2009 study in The Journal of Urology looked at 212 infertile men who took the 300 mg of the supplement for 30 weeks, and found that it improved both sperm density and motility.

You may want to ask your doctor what she thinks about this supplement.

Read more about "rejuvenating" aging eggs in Fertility Authority's Aging Eggs: Exciting Research Is on the Horizon article

Here is the other article I read:

http://www.conceiveonline.com/articles/could-coenzyme-q10-help-you-get-pregnant

Loved this part:  "Half the mice in the experiment got a placebo, while half got coenzyme Q10; the animals that got the vitamin produced more egg follicles, and more and healthier eggs."

I should probably mention that the mice were treated with the supplement for the equivalent of a decade in human years.  Still, you never know...

Whatever the case, I plan to be taking CoQ10 regularly for the next year!

EB

UPDATE 10/11/14:  I just wanted to make a comment that although I have "sort of" taken a break from TTC, I have been taking this Coenzyme Q10 (300-400 mg/day)  for the last few months (I started, then stopped for about a year) to improve the quality of my eggs, so that if and when I am ready to TTC again, I will be in better shape. If I "actively" try to conceive I will increase the Coenzyme Q10 to 600mg/day.

I've also been taking this brand of  Astragalus (6 pills a day), which is known in Chinese medicine to reverse the effects of aging. And I have definitely noticed a difference. I am producing a lot more cervical mucus (to the point where sometimes it feels like I peed in my pants), my skin texture is a lot clearer, I am looking younger, and I can feel when I am ovulating (I get pangs in my ovaries, which had stopped for a while since for the last year I've taken a serious break from TTC).

I have also been using a PEMF Machine, which is shown to help improve the energy production from your mitochondria, which can improve the quality of your eggs. You can read more about that by clicking HERE. Since I've been doing these three things I've noticed an improvement in my menstrual cycle. It's longer and my blood looks better (more of the bright red kind).



Another thing I noticed is, my hair gets oily a lot faster. I used to be able to go a whole week without washing it, and now that I have added these 2 supplements, my hair actually starts to smell after 2 days! I wouldn't necessarily say this is a great side effect, but it makes me feel good because oily hair is something I experienced when taking DHEA, which is known to produce better quality eggs. If my body is going back to doing things it used to do when it was younger... I'm all for it. I used to have really oily hair in my 20's... couldn't go more than 2 days without washing it.

I did a little more research on Coenzyme Q10 and fertility, and discovered this discussion online.. it seems that there are a good amount of women out there, who feel that it helped them:

These are the brands I've been taking:
Coenzyme Q10
Astragalus

Have a great day!

EB

Using Progesterone cream to maintain a pregnancy

I couldn't help wonder if I had been experiencing problems with progesterone, since, when I first found out I was pregnant, I took my temperature and there seemed to be no rise. I used two different thermometers. Apparently the pregnancy was strong enough so that I was able to make it to 7 weeks and show an HCG level of 114,000. But now I can't help wondering if there is something I might be able to do differently the next time, to increase my chances of carrying a baby to full term.

For anyone who is considering using progesterone cream, I went through the amazon.com reviews for "ProGest" cream and copied and pasted all the positive reviews that were pregnancy related. There were 19 pages of reviews (mostly from women going through menopause) so I really had to dig through them, but here they are (listed at the bottom of this post).

Also I would like to note that there is some debate about whether Progesterone cream causes Cancer (for the record, I don't believe it does, and you will see why if you keep reading). But I live in California, where Proposition 65 mandates that ALL companies selling a product with ANY type of "known carcinogen" MUST make the public aware of these facts, often with big warning signs on packaging and in stores. When you live in California, you see these signs everywhere. They're at every gas station, and even the STARBUCKS here have to put the signs up (see below a picture from Starbucks... nice way to enjoy your coffee!).  Because of this, you can't even buy progesterone cream on Early-Pregnancy-Tests.com, or GNC stores, if you live in California! 

That being said, I did some research about Pro-Gest, because it has the Prop 65 warning on the box, saying it contains a known carcinogen. It was part of the reason I decided not to purchase it recently (the other reason is that it cost 37.99 for a 4 oz. tube at the health food store, versus $21.96 through Amazon.com... and you can get free shipping if you buy over $25.)

I found a great article that disputes the carcinogenic qualities of progesterone cream. You can read it here: http://www.virginiahopkinstestkits.com/pgcreamlabelwarning.html

Here are some very notable parts of the article:

"California’s Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, also known as Proposition 65 (“Prop 65”), contains a list of over 800 chemicals identified as carcinogens. Prop 65 mandates that warnings be given to consumers of products that contain certain chemicals identified by the state of California as hazardous. Progesterone was added to this list in 1988 based on summaries from the National Toxicology Program (NTP) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Both of these programs only evaluated progesterone given to animals already predisposed to cancer. Progesterone was then given to these high risk animals in very high doses. Also, these animals were given known carcinogens in addition to the high doses of progesterone.

The NTP’s Tenth Report on Carcinogens even acknowledges that “no adequate human studies of the relationship between exposure to progesterone and human cancer have been reported.” Progesterone is a naturally occurring hormone produced by all humans, unlike most of the chemicals listed in Prop 65, which are not naturally present in humans.”

I’d like to add that most of the research originally cited by the NTP to justify adding progesterone to the list of carcinogens was largely based on synthetic progestins—apparently they didn’t realize that progesterone and progestins are very different. Progesterone cream companies that don’t add this label in California become vulnerable to lawsuits from a particularly nasty group of attorneys who are using Prop 65 to make millions of dollars. Meanwhile, there are 799 other chemicals out there, most of which probably do pose a risk of cancer."

I am really relieved to have found this article, because I really do think Progesterone cream could help me with my next pregnancy, and don't want to be worried the whole time, that I'm exposing myself to a known carcinogen. It's true... maybe there just isn't enough research done and maybe it's not as safe as people think... but after reading the article, I feel a lot more assured that it probably is a lot safer than the warning label implies.

Here are the positive reviews (pregnancy related) for ProGest, listed on Amazon.com (you can always go to Amazon.com and see them for yourself):

4.0 out of 5 stars It works for hormone balance, February 12, 2012

My husband and I have been trying to get pregnant 6years and I happened to come across some TTC blogs where people mentioned their doctors perscribing them progesterone to balance hormones. I decided to find out if I could buy it otc and came across this cream on amazon. I must say that I love how calm it makes me feel. I mistakenly used it one day before my ovulation and it spiked my temperature, which lets me know that it does work. The next day I didn't use it and my temp returned to normal. I haven't gotten pregnant yet but my cycles have returned to a consistant schedule starting on the same day each month. I can't say that my cramping is any less as I do still take aleve upon my cycle return. However. I've only been using it for 2 months, so hopefully we will see the results we're looking for soon:)

5.0 out of 5 stars I'm PREGNANT!, February 8, 2012

My husband and I were trying to get pregnant for 9 months. We were having problems, so I did tons of research and I was trying everything! I realized we probably weren't getting pregnant because I probably was producing too much estrogen because I was obese. I bought this thinking, if all else fails, it could help with my pms symptoms right? Well I started using it right after my period in December, ovulated and conceived Dec 14... I am now about 10 weeks pregnant! I'm not saying that if you use this you will get pregnant, but it did help me because of my situation. So good luck!

5.0 out of 5 stars HELPED ME CONCEIVE AFTER ONLY ONE MONTH, October 2, 2011

i BEGAN USING THIS PRODUCT AFTER 3 MISCARRIGES, i READ A FEW ARTICLES SUGGESTING PROGESTERONE DEFIENCY BECAUSE I HAD AT LEAST SIX OF THE SYMPTOMS I READ ABOUT. I STARTED USING THE CREAM FROM OVULATION DAY ON. wHEN MY PERIOD DIDN'T COME I CONTINUED TO USE THE CREAM TWICE A DAY UNTIL MY GYN APPOINTMENT. WHEN I TOLD MY DOCTOR ABOUT THE CREAM SHE TOLD ME TO CONTINUE TO USE IT AND GAVE ME A SCRIPT FOR PROGESTERONE SUPPOSITORIES TO USE ALSO. I STOPPED USING BOTH AFTER MY 12TH WEEK OF PREGNANCY. I HAVE NO DOUBT THET THIS PRODUCT HELPED ME NOT ONLY CONCEIVE, BUT ALSO PREVENTED A MISCARRIAGE. MY BABY IS NOW A HEALTHY, HAPPY 3 MONTH OLD BOY AND I HAVE THIS PRODUCT TO THANK.

5.0 out of 5 stars It helped me get pregnant, August 5, 2011

I tried to get pregnant for three years. I tried everything. I even went to a fertility doctor for a month of monitoring and diagnosis, but they found nothing. I only got the idea to take progesterone supplements because the doctor gave them to all patients after they ovulated. They didn't even bother to test me to see if I needed it. The dosage at the office was much higher. I couldnt afford to see the doctor long term. So a few months later, I started using this cream. The very first month I used it, I finally did get pregnant. My OBGYN did a blood test and found that my progesterone levels were still too low even with using this cream. So they switched me to a prescription. Still, my daughter wouldn't be here if I didn't try it. I didn't have any side effects. I would recommend this product to anyone trying to get pregnant with a short luteal phase in their menstrual cycle.

5.0 out of 5 stars Worked great for me, June 5, 2011

I started using progesterone cream as a way to lengthen my luteal phase. Worked like a charm on the first cycle I began using it....got pregnant right away after trying for 6+ months. I saw no side effects and will continue to use throughout my pregnancy. I have also tried prometrium pills and I don't think they worked as well.

5.0 out of 5 stars Works well for proesterone related fertility problems!, November 5, 2010

When I started getting my progesterone levels checked, I was at 0.12 instead of 10 or above like the doctor wanted me at. I went on Clomid and it only brought my levels up to 0.4. I purchased this product after reading all of the reviews and started using 200 mg of prrogesterone a day. (Yes, this is well above the recommended levels but it is the amount that I read many fertility patients with low numbers like mine were taking.) After using 200mg of this product for 1 month, my progeterone level was 11.86! Which means that I actually ovulated after using this cream. I am definately happy with the results I am having with the cream and prefer using it over the pills that the doctor had prescribed.

5.0 out of 5 stars Miracle cream!, April 27, 2010

I used it due to a diagnosed Luteal Phase defect and it worked!! I got pregnant after the first time using it! (from Ovulation day on) It sustained my pregnancy long enough to get on prescription progesterone. AWESOME product!!

Whatever the case, I am DEFINITELY going to be using this stuff if I ever (knock wood) get pregnant again!!!

EB

PS, Please PLAN AHEAD to get it online.  I just tried to order it but not only did the price go up about $4, but the place that carries it on Amazon says it could take 5 days of extra processing, so I feel like I'd have to brace myself to wait two weeks for it arrive.

This is what I was quoted, to buy it in the stores: 

GNC: Note: their online store will not ship to CA either. I checked a local store just to see if maybe it was in stock and the guy said it was sold out. 
Whole Foods charges $27.99 for 4 oz of Source Naturals brand, $30.99 for 2 oz of Emerita brand.
Called another health food store that charges $15.49 for 4oz Source Naturals, $28.99 for 2 oz of Emerita brand, or 4 oz. $43.99, Life Flow brand is 2 oz for $24.95, 4 oz. for $34.95.  

I am tempted to try the Source Naturals brand since I'm a big fan of their Wellness Formula and they seem like a really good company. I will probably get their brand at Whole Foods this weekend. 

Update: I checked through the 120 Amazon reviews for the Source naturals brand to see if it helped someone conceive, but couldn't find any posts that said it helped someone with that particular thing : (.  So, I am tempted to just throw down the extra money and get the Emerita brand. Bummer because I really love the company Source Naturals, but if I'm 44 I don't have time to experiment with different products, I need to just get the one I think is most likely to work. 

Last Interesting factoids about progesterone cream: I just read today that it can help women who have endometriosis.  


You can find a lot more info on google, regarding how progesterone cream can help you with endometriosis.  Here is a great video by Heather Rodriguez, which explains how progesterone cream can help. I loved this video: 

 



Progesterone cream also can help men who have BPH (urinary retention  
problems).  Check out this review from this guy who had BPH as an issue: 

OK, most men will eventually have difficulty urinating at some point in their lives due to BPH. The thing you don't often read is that BPH is worsened by the conversion of Testosterone to Estradiol in a process called Aromatase. Apparently, progesterone is an effective aromatase inhibitor, and since I have been using 1/8 tsp of this daily, the flow, which was a trickle, is a healthy stream again! I am on my third jar and will probably use this for the rest of my life...

Of course, this has nothing to do with fertility, but I still had to share. If my hubby ever gets this issue, I want to remember this! : )

Good luck to everyone who is TTC and using progesterone cream!

EB