Normal Progesterone Levels
If you are a woman struggling to decide whether a Natural Progesterone therapy should be initiated, the following information is bound to ease your anxieties. There are many reasons why Natural Progesterone is not commonly recommended as a part of typical, medical diagnostic treatment. This is mainly because supplementation with Natural Progesterone is often dubbed as 'alternative therapy' and is not considered a part of conventional medicine. However, the presence of a large number of Natural Progesterone products in the market suggests the large interest such products have created in terms of consumers and pharmaceutical brands that are continuously striving to provide better, patented forms of Natural Progesterone. However, very few pharmacists or practitioners realize the difference between artificial progesterone supplementation and treating patients with Natural Progesterone.
Progesterone is produced by the ovaries and is central to preparing the female uterine tissues for pregnancy. Progesterone levels tend to vary considerably throughout the life of a woman. Some of these changes are natural and are a part of the sexual and reproductive development in women. However, when the progesterone levels tend to exceed or dip below a certain level, serious health problems can arise. This is because Progesterone is among the primary sexual health hormones and it is responsible for regulating, initiating and sustaining many critical reproductive functions. This is why Normal Progesterone Levels is regarded as the first, most critical criterion for sustaining pregnancy or fertility.
Maintaining normal progesterone levels are further required for:
- Regulating overall menstrual cycle
- Thickening of uterus for sustaining pregnancy
- Helps uterine lining to develop for implantation
- Raising body temperature towards end of ovulation
Progesterone levels tend to shoot-up during puberty, i.e. when the first phase of development of sexual characters surfaces and from here on, Progesterone levels tend to rise rapidly until the female reaches the age of 35. From this stage onwards, Progesterone levels tend to dip with every passing year. It is usually believed that around the age of 45 years, there is a serious dip in the Progesterone levels. This is often referred to as the onset of Menopause. This is also the phase when the fertility levels dip seriously and there is an increased risk of developing other health problems.
Progesterone levels tend to rise during the mid-luteal or second-half of the menstrual cycle among non-pregnant women where it measures between 8 to 10 ng/ml and among the pregnant women it can be anywhere between 18 and 20 ng/ml. It has been established that a pregnancy cycle cannot be sustained if the progesterone levels falls below 10 ng/ml, i.e. Progesterone Supplementation is required. However, these are just suggestive readings and a medical supplementation in the form of hormonal injections or creams cannot be started without taking a professional medical opinion.
In order to restore normal progesterone levels, supplementation can be administered in the form of shots, pills and suppositories, including skin patches that help to deliver natural or synthetic progesterone in a slow and sustained manner. The need for supplementation is felt more when a woman is trying to conceive or between the pregnancy cycles. Most fertility specialists opine that a reading of at least 10 ng/ml, i.e. pregnancy-related normal progesterone levels, should be established during the first three weeks of pregnancy. If these levels are not maintained there is a threat of miscarriage.
Average Normal Progesterone levels during the Menstrual Cycle:
- Between Day 1 and 14 should be between 1 and 1.5 ng/ml
- Between Day 15 and 28 should be between 2 and 28 ng/ml
Average Progesterone Levels during Pregnancy:
- During First Trimester: 9 to 47 ng/ml
- During Second Trimester: 17 to 147 ng/ml
- During Third Trimester: 55 to 200 ng/ml
Disturbances in the progesterone levels where the readings are more than the maximum range level indicate the threat of many problems including Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) and LH-suppression that are equally threatening in terms of inducing infertility and extreme menstrual disturbances.