There are about 50 hormones in the human body. As for the regular functioning of the body, some hormones must be secreted by the body for a healthy pregnancy to occur. Progesterone is a hormone produced by the ovary. Progesterone is secreted when an egg is released in the middle of the menstrual cycle.
Progesterone prepares the endometrium (uterus wall) to allow a fertilized egg (embryo) to attach to the uterine wall. If pregnancy does not occur, progesterone levels drop and menstruation occurs. If an embryo attaches to the lining of the uterus, the ovary will produce progesterone for eight weeks. Progesterone is produced by the placenta during the rest of the pregnancy after this period.
Progesterone hormone is determined by the progesterone test from the blood. “How much should the progesterone hormone be?” This is a question that expectant mothers often ask. Progesterone values vary according to the trimester of pregnancy. Normal values for progesterone in a healthy woman should fall within the following range.
In postmenopausal women and at the beginning of the menstrual cycle: 1 ng/mL or less
Women in the middle of the menstrual cycle: 5 to 20 ng/mL
In women in the first trimester of pregnancy: 11.2 – 90 ng/mL
In women in the second trimester of pregnancy: 25.6 – 89.4 ng/mL
In women in the third trimester of pregnancy: 48.4 – 42.5 ng/mL
Progesterone is important for women considering pregnancy because it is a hormone that affects female infertility. In cases where there is not enough progesterone, getting pregnant is more difficult. The progesterone level should rise during ovulation. In cases where less progesterone is secreted, because the uterus (uterus) wall does not thicken enough, it is not possible for the fertilized egg to attach here. In this case, pregnancy cannot occur.
Symptoms of low progesterone in non-pregnant women include:
Once pregnant, progesterone is still needed to protect the uterus until the baby is born. Symptoms such as breast tenderness and nausea, which are already observed during pregnancy, are actually the result of the effects of increased progesterone in the body.
During pregnancy, if for some reason the body produces less progesterone than necessary, this can result in spotting and miscarriage. Low progesterone can also be an indication of an ectopic pregnancy.
Progesterone and estrogen are two hormones that work in opposition to each other. Therefore, when there is not enough progesterone in the body, estrogen becomes dominant and the following symptoms can be observed:
Although the hormone progesterone is normally produced naturally by the person, in some cases external supplementation is required. Getting pregnant with low progesterone is difficult. Therefore, if you cannot have a baby, progesterone will be included in the desired tests. When your progesterone level is low, your doctor may recommend hormone therapy.
In hormone therapy, progesterone is given to the body externally as a drug. Since fertilization takes place outside in IVF treatment, even if you normally produce progesterone well, progesterone is used to synchronize with the period in which the embryo will be implanted.
In addition, in cases of bleeding during pregnancy, progesterone supplementation may be required for the continuation of the pregnancy. However, there is no rule that every progestant use will prevent every miscarriage. If the baby is not healthy, the body will want to expel the embryo, even if the progesterone deficiency is corrected. Such a situation results in miscarriage no matter what drug is used.
Progestan is a drug containing progesterone. In IVF treatment, progesterone hormone is given to prepare the uterine wall for the embryo to be implanted. Progestan injection or progestan suppository are effective forms used in progesterone replacement therapy.
It is recommended by doctors to take progesterone until you are 8 weeks pregnant. You may need to take progesterone until your pregnancy reaches the 12th week.
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