Is pregnancy possible without progesterone? What indicators should be in order to successfully conceive a child and carry it to term? These questions can be answered by understanding the functions of the pregnancy hormone.
Every hormone in the female body affects the ability to become a mother; progesterone plays a special role in this matter. When its indicators are far from normal, it affects the development of the fetus and also leads to premature birth. Therefore, it is important to know whether it affects pregnancy and what level is considered normal.
How does progesterone affect pregnancy?
One of the tasks of progesterone is to build up the endometrium so that the fertilized egg has a place to gain a foothold. And for 9 months, reduce the contractile activity of the uterus to maintain pregnancy. Thanks to progesterone, the uterus grows and the mammary glands enlarge, preparing the woman for the process of lactation.
Low progesterone levels prevent the fertilized egg from moving through the fallopian tubes. Therefore, for a favorable pregnancy, it is recommended to get tested. To obtain an accurate and truthful result, you must comply with a number of conditions for submitting this analysis.
Why is progesterone needed?
Progesterone plays a very important role in a woman’s reproductive function, not only during planning, but also during pregnancy.
Progesterone helps create an environment in the uterus favorable for conception, and also helps to increase the survival of the fertilized egg and its normal implantation.
Progesterone strengthens and preserves the secretory endometrium in the uterus , which supports the embryo during pregnancy.
Progesterone prevents premature rejection of the secretory endometrium.
Since progesterone prevents the rejection of the endometrium, in which the fertilized egg is implanted, low progesterone levels during the first few weeks of pregnancy can lead to miscarriages.
What should be the level of progesterone in women?
When a woman is healthy, and she ovulates on time, there is no discharge, then everything is fine with hormones. But when planning pregnancy, pay attention to the progesterone level.
Hormonal levels depend on the day of the cycle, and a number of other factors that are paid attention to when taking tests, including progesterone.
Indicators before conception
In the follicular phase, the range of hormone concentrations is from 0.34 to 2.24 nmol/l, in the ovulation phase, progesterone production is higher - from 0.49 to 9.42 nmol/l, in the luteal phase the values reach a critical level - 6.98 to 56.64 nmol/l.
To complete the picture, a woman is tested for progesterone up to three times per cycle. Since a change in indications may adversely affect conception.
Critically low levels: is it possible to get pregnant with low levels?
Critically low levels of progesterone occur due to:
- endocrine diseases;
- abortions;
- frozen pregnancy;
- polycystic disease;
- pathologies of the uterus.
The main consequence of a decrease in hormones is the inability to get pregnant. Since with a low level of progesterone, ovulation does not occur. In addition, menstruation will fail, which will ultimately lead to uterine bleeding, as well as hormonal imbalance.
Norm for conception
Since you can conceive with a regular cycle on almost any day, the rate of progesterone should also be considered depending on the day of the cycle.
| Day | Level |
| 1–5 days | 0.34–2.24 nmol/l |
| 6–8 days | 0.38–4.42 nmol/l |
| 8–13 days | 0.42–4.82 nmol/l |
| 14–15 day | 0.48–9.41 nmol/l |
| 16-–8 day | 0.42–9.68 nmol/l |
| 19–21 days | 6.99–56.94 nmol/l |
| Day 22–23 | 6.99–56.94 nmol/l |
| 24–28 days | Hormone levels drop |
Exceeded performance
Elevated levels of progesterone are characteristic of female diseases, if this is not associated with pregnancy. This is either a malfunction of the ovaries, or the presence of cancer. Symptoms of an increase in a woman are individual, but they are immediately noticeable and difficult to tolerate.
An increase in the hormone provokes:
- headache;
- mood changes;
- irregular periods;
- hairline changes;
- the occurrence of acne;
- obesity.
What adverse symptoms deserve close attention?
On various forums, many representatives of the fair sex complain about low progesterone during pregnancy. The following symptoms may indicate the presence of a hormonal imbalance:
- The appearance of scanty bleeding from the vagina.
- The occurrence of nagging pain in the lower abdomen. Pain may radiate to the lumbar region.
- Partial placental abruption, which can be diagnosed by ultrasound.
The following signs indicate low progesterone during pregnancy:
- Sudden change of mood;
- Irritability;
- A feeling of dryness in the vaginal area;
- Increased activity of the sebaceous glands;
- Sudden jumps in blood pressure;
- Deterioration of thermoregulation in the body, accompanied by an increase or decrease in temperature;
- The appearance of unpleasant sensations during intimacy.
If progesterone levels are high during pregnancy, the following adverse effects may occur:
- Headache;
- Fatigue;
- Bleeding;
- Drowsiness;
- Problems with digesting food;
- Nausea.
When to take a progesterone test?
Before pregnancy, hormone tests are not prescribed immediately. And after trying for a long time to get pregnant. A woman takes this test if she has:
- irregular ovulation;
- hair loss;
- acne;
- obesity;
- previous pregnancy was unsuccessfully terminated;
- age exceeds 35 years.
It is better to get diagnosed 6 months before conceiving a baby, so that there is time to change the hormone level with pills.
On what day of the cycle should I take it?
The complexity of the analysis lies in the fact that, depending on the symptoms, it is taken on different days of the cycle. If menstruation fails, blood is donated three times: a week after the start of the menstrual cycle, on the 15th and 20th day.
Without any suspicious symptoms, it is recommended to take the test on days 20–23 of the cycle.
Submission rules
A couple of days before the test, it is advisable to avoid stressful situations, physical activity, and temporarily abstain from sexual intercourse. A couple of days before the study, they give up alcoholic drinks, coffee, medications, and also do not smoke for three days. You should not eat on the day of the test.
At low level
It’s easy to increase progesterone levels; the main thing is to identify the problem before pregnancy. To prescribe the correct treatment, the cause of the hormone deviation from the norm is identified, after which symptomatic treatment is prescribed.
When possible
You can plan a pregnancy only after the onset of regular ovulation and menstrual cycle. An increase in progesterone levels occurs in cycle 6 with properly selected treatment.
Contraindications
When the amount of the hormone is low, in addition to problems with fertilization, a number of other pathologies develop. These include tumor growths and bleeding. Pregnancy with low progesterone is dangerous because embryo rejection may occur.
Consequences
The consequences of deviation from the norm are often fatal. If we exclude the fact that the failure of this hormone leads to sudden weight gain, aesthetic changes in the skin and hair.
What to increase?
Thanks to medications, it is possible to quickly increase progesterone levels both before conception and after pregnancy.
They produce medicines of both natural and synthetic origin. However, the doctor prescribes treatment only after a complete diagnosis and taking into account test results.
Traditional methods
Duphaston and Utrozhestan are considered popular drugs among gynecologists for normalizing progesterone levels. They contain synthetic progesterone, an analogue of natural one. Duphaston is taken as part of joint hormonal therapy when progesterone levels change.
To achieve the desired result, Duphaston should be taken according to the instructions only in the luteal phase and at the same time.
Folk options
In order for medications to work, you should not forget about traditional methods. Vitamins E and B, as well as zinc, affect the concentration of progesterone. A high content of these vitamins is found in beef liver, beans, bran, seeds and rabbit meat.
Raspberry leaves are considered a good remedy. An infusion of them is taken orally once a day.
Prutnyak fruits, mantle and plantain seeds increase the level of the hormone. These herbs can be crushed, poured with hot water, left for 24 hours, and then consumed after each meal, 1 tablespoon.
Why are pharmacological drugs used for infertility?
If a woman has problems with her hormonal levels, it has to be adjusted.
To get pregnant, not only radical methods are used, such as IVF and surrogacy. To begin with, they try pharmacology. Doctors recommend how to take Duphaston correctly in order to get pregnant for a woman who has had a negative experience when trying to conceive. Folk remedies - herbs that stimulate reproductive function. Modern drugs are well balanced, their side effects are minimized. However, it is important to know when and how much you need to take Duphaston tablets to get pregnant - taking it will give a good result.
Before you decide to take “chemistry,” it is important to have a complete understanding of the action of the main substance in the tablets. In this case, it is an analogue of progesterone, a female hormone. Drugs that are intended to stimulate fertilization and implantation of the fertilized egg into the uterine mucosa.
On women's forums, women recommend each other to take Utrozhestan, and also advise on what regimen to take Duphaston in order to get pregnant. But this should not be done bypassing the antenatal clinic and the appointments of the treating gynecologist. The active component of these drugs is the same chemically synthesized hormone. But medical practice notes positive results when taking them.
Forecasts for pregnancy
There are many opinions about the effect of progesterone on the ability to conceive and maintain a fetus, but the theory of direct dependence has not been proven. Only our gynecologists prescribe this hormone to expectant mothers to maintain pregnancy, although taking the drug is not required if the woman’s body is functioning normally. In Europe, fetal death in the 1st trimester is not associated with insufficient hormone levels.
When it is not possible to get pregnant for a long time, women undergo a large number of examinations and operations. But sometimes it’s enough just to get tested for hormones. After all, they are an important link in the functioning of the female reproductive system. A timely detected deviation from the norm in the level of the most important pregnancy hormone will help you get a couple of steps closer to the possibility of conception.
Deviations from the norm, what to do?
If a deviation from the norm is detected, the doctor prescribes medication to adjust progesterone levels. In this case, hormonal drugs are prescribed. In this case, the doctor will select the course for you individually, based on test results and the general condition of your body. Before prescribing your treatment, your doctor will tell you about all the positive and negative aspects of hormone therapy.
Under no circumstances should you prescribe treatment for yourself! Our body is a very fragile and strictly balanced system. Hormonal drugs affect not only the organs of the reproductive system, but also the entire body. They, like all medications, have their own clear indications and contraindications, and self-medication can achieve the opposite of the desired result.
Especially for the site Babyplan.ru Olga Loginova, obstetrician-gynecologist at the European Medical Center, Ph.D.
