How to Use Progesterone Cream for Fertility

Progesterone is a hormone that women naturally produce after ovulation. It is sometimes called the "warm" hormone, because it causes a rise in basal body temperature (i.e., temperature when the body is completely at rest). Using a progesterone cream can help increase fertility in women who have naturally low progesterone levels, because progesterone is involved in helping the uterus prepare to receive a fertilized egg.

Pregnant woman on the couch. (Image: Photodisc/Photodisc/Getty Images)

Step 1

Start using the cream after ovulation. If you start to use progesterone cream before you have ovulated, it can prevent ovulation---essentially the exact opposite of what you are trying to do. There are a number of ways to know when you are ovulating, but the simplest is to count fourteen days from the start of bleeding. Wait for a day or two after this time period to ensure that you have ovulated.

Step 2

Apply between 100 and 200 milligrams of progesterone per day. If you are using a cream that is 3 1/3-percent progesterone (such as Natpro), this means that you will need to apply between 3 and 6 milliliters of cream per day.

Step 3

Apply the cream twice a day. Split up whatever daily dosage you decide upon into two separate applications. This will provide optimal results, though the applications do not need to be of the exact same amount.

Step 4

Massage the cream thoroughly into your skin. The progesterone cream can be applied anywhere on your skin, but you should try to vary where you put it in so that you don't irritate your skin.

Step 5

Use progesterone cream for 14 days (starting after ovulation) and then stop. Menstruation should occur within 1 or 2 days. If you begin to menstruate while using the cream, stop using it and then wait another 14 days before starting again. If you experience mild spotting, on the other hand, continue to use the cream.