Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Most of these reviews are for menopausal women trying to get relief from their symptoms. I used this cream for a very different reason. I am not a doctor but I would like to share with you my TTC journey. Im 27, never been pregnant, was on the pill for 10 years and came off of it in Dec '14. My hubby and I tried to get pregnant for 3 cycles and nothing. I'm a worrier so I went to my OB to get my hormones tested, but they refused saying, "Your young, healthy, and we don't start testing unless you have been unsuccessful for 12+ months." I was using ovulation predictor smiley faces and I knew exactly when I was ovulating, which for me was usually the 17th day of my cycle, then I would spot on day 24, period by day 25 (so only a 7 to 8 day luteal phase). I started doing a ton of research online and found that progesterone cream can lengthen the luteal phase, so I said, "Hey, I was on hormones for 10 years to prevent myself from getting pregnant. I am sure my body will balance itself out with time, but I am eager to get pregnant now! Whats the harm in trying hormone cream for a couple months to see how it goes?" So I did. I bought this stuff on CD 8, received it on CD 10. Kept using my ovulation predictor which told me to BD on CD 15 to 18 (I should also mention that I used PreSeed lubricant). Then I started using the cream after I had confirmed ovulation (which was again CD 17); cream started in the morning on CD 19. I used the cream 1 pump in the morning to my breasts and 1 pump before bed to my abdomen (whatever I had left over on my hands I rubbed into my thighs.) Things started happening. Within 5 days my breasts were slightly tender and larger. By CD 25, I didn't notice any spotting/ bleeding. Then I got frantic and thought, well what if this progesterone cream makes me miss my period but I'm not pregnant? When do I know to stop it so I can get my period and start the miserable monthly wait all over again? But what if I stop and I am pregnant but I loose it because the progesterone cream was the only thing keeping me pregnant? I told you in the beginning that I am a worrier!! So what did I do? I kept using the cream because I know implantation can take 10 to 14 days to occur. So by 8 DPO without any signs of my period (other than sore breasts) I took a pregnancy test... negative :( On days 10 and 11 DPO, i had some spotting :( I thought, "damn it! here comes my period." But I kept using the cream because I read that for most women, even if you are using the cream, your period will still come. On 12 DPO, no period, kept using the cream. By now I was very confused, could that spotting have been implantation bleeding that I read only 25% of women experience? Did I get IB because of my beautifully thick and fluffy uterus lining thanks to the progesterone cream? COULD I BE PREGNANT? Ok, ok, calm down. Lets wait just 2 more days to take a pregnancy test. You can do it, just wait it out a little longer. Tick, tock, tick, tock, the hours crept by. On 14 DPO, Day 31 of my usually 25 day cycle, I still hadn't gotten my period. I woke up, and peed on a stick. I sat there on my toilet staring at the stick as my husband was getting ready for work (and I should have been getting ready for work too). 2.5 agonizing minutes pass as I see 1 strong line appear....... and then a 2nd slightly lighter line appear. It happend, I got pregnant! After 5 months of unsuccessful cycles with only 7 to 9 day luteal phases, I WAS PREGNANT!!!!!!!!!!!!! This was my first cycle using the progesterone cream, and I continued to use it twice a day until I was 12 weeks pregnant, and then once a day for a week. I am now 14 weeks pregnant and not using the cream and still going strong! I bought a fetal doppler to check the baby every 3 days or so and I still hear a very strong heartbeat around 155 bpm. I of course cannot replace a MD for any of you ladies who are trying to increase your luteal phases, but I can tell you that this stuff worked for me. I ended up only having to buy 2 bottles to get me through my 13 weeks of using it, so for less than $30 a bottle, it was defiantly worth it. Oh and about my OB, once I confirmed my pregnancy in their office and told them that I was using OTC progesterone cream, she just looked at me like, "What? You are? Ok, well since your already using it, it won't hurt the baby to continue it until around 12 to 13 weeks." And when I asked if now they could check my hormone levels, they still wouldn't do it! What crap! Oh well, I guess sometimes we just have to listen to our gut instincts and do research on our own. As far as the cream goes, it has a mild, kind of odd smell that I didn't love. It would take several minutes to absorb so when I rubbed it into my breasts I wouldn't be able to put my bra on for about 20 min. I loved the pump feature so you know EXACTLY how much to use. I also liked that it was bio-identical which made me feel safer about using OTC hormones that aren't FDA regulated. (at least I don't think they are). Ok, I know that was long but I hope it was informational to you if you are in the same boat that I was in. Good luck to all you ladies TTC, baby dust to you :)