Progesterone Levels During Pregnancy
Progesterone is produced by the corpus luteum that is found within the ovaries of women and in trace amounts by the testes of males. However, progesterone plays a more pronounced role in sustaining the sexual and reproductive functions among women, most importantly-Pregnancy. Most fertility specialists believe that keeping a check on the progesterone levels during pregnancy is vital to ensuring a hassle-free pregnancy. It has been established that the chances of a successful pregnancy and that of hormonal balance in the female body are directly proportional to each other. Along with Luteinizing Hormone and Estrogen, Progesterone forms the most critical of reproductive hormones in females. Most women who seek infertility treatment are provided progesterone supplementation for the sake of helping them conceive. This further underlines the importance of progesterone for establishing and sustaining pregnancy.
Understanding Importance of Progesterone Levels During Pregnancy
Progesterone Levels During Pregnancy are often repeatedly checked since progesterone is at the core of bodily functions aimed at regulating the progression of pregnancy. In fact, among women who are menopausal or those who have a history of difficult in conceiving, regulating the ovulation/menstrual cycle using progesterone supplementation is begun to ensure that ovulation and survival of the fertilized egg is ensured. Further, progesterone plays an even more critical role in regulating the amount of estrogen level. This is vital for averting 'estrogen dominance' which is a state of the estrogen hormone dominating the female metabolism.
When this happens, the overall menstrual cycle is compromised and there is a greater chance of ovulation failing. Thus, progesterone plays a critical regulatory role in ensuring the balance of reproductive hormones. Progesterone is also vital for producing a uterus lining that is vital for the implantation of the fertilized egg. This is the layer that supports the developing embryo. This uterine layering is also called the Endometrium and is absolutely necessary for the sustenance of the fertilized egg.
Progesterone Levels During Pregnancy in Maternity Care
Most fertility specialists tend to repeatedly check the progesterone levels during pregnancy across various trimesters. This is because now some indicative values have been established. This means that progesterone levels that are higher or lower than this range are indicative of an underlying hormonal problem. The common range for progesterone levels during pregnancy considered by most healthcare specialists across the world are as follows:
- During the First Trimester-progesterone levels should be between 9 and 46 ng/ml
- During the Second Trimester-progesterone readings should be between 17 and 147 ng/ml
- During the Third Trimester-progesterone levels should peak and be about 55 to 200 ng/ml
Please Note: Progesterone levels in the blood during a normal pregnancy can be almost 10 times higher than a normal woman.
Please note that many of the problems in the progesterone levels are indicated during the pre-pregnancy phase. This is because if the female shows progesterone levels below the normal range that is measured across various phases of menstrual cycle, it is diagnosed that some degree of progesterone-based supplementation might be required once the female is pregnant. For instance, among women who have progesterone readings less than 2 nanograms/milliliter (before ovulation) are most likely to need progesterone aids.