Understanding Progesterone and Pregnancy
Progesterone’s role in PMS prevention
Proper use of progesterone during and after pregnancy offers hope to prevent PMS from reoccurring for around half of previous sufferers. It is a well-recognized fact about PMS that most sufferers are free of their monthly problems when pregnant, or at least during the second half of pregnancy. The placenta generates substantial levels of progesterone to maintain a calm environment for the baby. And progesterone's effects help in sustaining the pregnancy. The placenta may raise the level of progesterone in the blood to 40 or even 50 times the greatest amount found in non-pregnant women. However, there are a few women who continue to experience their PMS symptoms daily during later pregnancy, and these women are the ones who are most at risk of developing pre-eclampsia
For women with PMS aiming to conceive, starting their regular progesterone therapy a few days after planning to conceive and continuing until pregnancy confirmation is recommended. Upon confirmation, calling for further advice is suggested, especially if experiencing common early pregnancy symptoms like nausea, vomiting, headaches, fatigue, or depression. Increasing the progesterone dosage might help alleviate these symptoms.
If pregnancy symptoms aren't present, gradually reducing the usual progesterone dose week by week is advised. On the flip side, if experiencing these symptoms, increasing the progesterone dose every few days until feeling better is recommended until symptoms stabilize, often requiring progesterone support until around the fourth month when the placenta starts producing sufficient amounts. For women who’ve had estrogen dominance, depression, or miscarriage history, it might be beneficial to continue taking progesterone throughout pregnancy. While the placenta supports the baby’s needs, the mother might still require additional progesterone support.
Progesterone and miscarriage-
Recent ultrasound advancements reveal that conception can occur but might not lead to the fertilized egg embedding in the womb lining, resulting in an early miscarriage even before realizing pregnancy. Unexpectedly heavy bleeding or increased pain during a period might be the only signs of such occurrences.
Progesterone, the pregnancy MVP! So, when there's a super short time between ovulation and your period—called a defective luteal phase (less than 12 days)—it means there's not enough progesterone. That shortfall might lead to an early miscarriage 'cause the fertilized egg struggles to snuggle into the womb lining. To dodge this, making sure there's plenty of progesterone after ovulation until the placenta kicks in enough on its own is key. Usually, this means keeping up with progesterone therapy till around the fourth month of pregnancy.
When a woman's had multiple miscarriages, she naturally wants to do everything possible for a smooth, full-term pregnancy. Often, docs might suggest progesterone therapy to help out. Miscarriages can be due to various reasons like chromosomal issues, or sometimes it's anatomical stuff, like a loose cervix, which can be stitched up before labor kicks in. Some women get hit hard with vomiting and other pregnancy signs right from the start—those ones might benefit from higher doses of progesterone to ease the symptoms.
When bleeding happens early in pregnancy, it's nerve-wracking. If it's light and doesn't have clots or fetal tissue, taking it easy might help things continue normally, especially if it aligns with when the first period was missed. If the bleeding comes with intense vomiting and early pregnancy symptoms, progesterone therapy might help ease things.
Progesterone and morning sickness.
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