What causes low progesterone during pregnancy?

Many pregnant women require to check their progesterone levels during pregnancy, thinking that if the progesterone level is low, they need to take progesterone orally for treatment. Is this idea correct? First of all, this idea is not completely correct, nor can it be completely wrong. It needs to be sorted and dealt with, which can be mainly divided into the following two situations.

First, for ordinary pregnant women who have no special conditions and have not experienced habitual miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy, there is generally no need for basic progesterone testing. Because under normal circumstances, if the fetal sac develops well, the progesterone value itself will not be low. Low progesterone during pregnancy is often the result of poor growth, not the cause of poor growth. So if low progesterone during pregnancy is the result of poor fetal sac development, oral progesterone treatment will be ineffective.

Secondly, there is a condition called luteal insufficiency, in which the progesterone level metabolized by the luteinizing hormone of the patient during pregnancy is not suitable for the growth and development of the test tube embryo. In this case, if you find that the progesterone level is low, you can consider taking oral progesterone. Therefore, for patients with low progesterone level, it is important to clearly distinguish whether oral progesterone is needed due to luteal insufficiency.

The key to its medicinal value is:

1. In the middle and late stages of the menstrual cycle, the glandular ducts in the uterine mucosa grow, the uterus swells, and the endometrium thickens, preparing for the fusion and insertion of sperm and egg. After the sperm and egg are combined and implanted, they will form an embryo, and the fluid regulation of the pregnant uterus will be reduced, inhibiting its activity, so that the fetus can grow safely;

2. Under the interaction with estrogen, it promotes the adequate growth and development of breasts and prepares for milk production;

3. Close the cervix, reduce and thicken the mucus, and make it difficult for male sperm to penetrate

When used in large doses, it inhibits the secretion of pituitary gonadotropin through a negative feedback effect on the hypothalamus-pituitary gland, resulting in the effect of suppressing ovulation. It is used in clinical medicine for the reflective diagnosis of threatened abortion, habitual abortion, amenorrhea or the causes of amenorrhea. After use, there may be symptoms such as dizziness, headache, nausea, vomiting, depression, and breast pain. Long-term use can cause uterine wall shrinkage, decreased menstrual volume, and is prone to vaginal yeast infection. Patients with liver disease should not take it internally.