What to do if hormone levels are low in early pregnancy

I believe that many people must know about the issue of progesterone during pregnancy in their lives, because normal hormones after pregnancy can maintain the smooth development of the fetus, and at the same time can make the organs develop more normally. However, if the progesterone level is too low in the early stages of pregnancy, this is likely to affect normal delivery and fetal survival, which may also cause miscarriage. Let’s take a look at some relevant knowledge about progesterone.

What is Progesterone

Progesterone, also known as progestin, is the main biologically active hormone secreted by the ovaries. It plays a very important role, especially during pregnancy. It can be said that if there is a problem with progesterone, pregnancy will be difficult. Even if pregnancy occurs, miscarriage or premature birth may occur, causing women to lose their fertility.

Under normal circumstances, before ovulation, the human body produces about 2-3 mg of progesterone per day, mainly from the adrenal glands. After ovulation, the amount of progesterone produced increases to 20-30 mg per day, most of which is secreted by the corpus luteum in the ovary.

What are the symptoms of low progesterone in pregnant women? How much does progesterone testing cost? What should I do if my older pregnant woman has low progesterone?

Effects of progesterone

Physiologically, the main effects of progesterone are:

1. It relaxes the uterine muscles, reduces their mobility, and reduces their ability to respond to external stimuli, thus reducing the sensitivity of the pregnant uterus to oxytocin. This change is very beneficial for the growth and development of the fertilized egg in the uterine cavity without causing any problems.

2. Progesterone transforms the proliferative endometrium into the secretory endometrium, preparing for the implantation of the fertilized egg.

3. Progesterone closes the cervix, reduces mucus, makes it thicker, and reduces stringiness;

4. Inhibit the amplitude of rhythmic contraction of fallopian tube muscles;

5. Progesterone accelerates the shedding of vaginal epithelial cells;

6. Promote the development of mammary gland alveoli based on the influence of estrogen;

7. Affect the secretion of pituitary gonadotropin through negative feedback on the hypothalamus;

8. Progesterone can also play a role in raising temperature through the central nervous system. The basal body temperature of normal women can rise by 0.3℃-0.5℃ after ovulation. This change in basal body temperature can be used as an important indicator of ovulation, that is, the basal body temperature is low before ovulation, and the basal body temperature rises after ovulation due to the effect of progesterone.

9. Progesterone can promote the excretion of water and sodium in metabolism.

From the above functions, it can be seen that the role of estrogen is mainly to promote the development of female reproductive organs and breasts, while progesterone further promotes their development on the basis of the role of estrogen to prepare conditions for pregnancy. The two have a synergistic effect; on the other hand, from the perspective of uterine contraction, fallopian tube peristalsis, changes in cervical mucus, keratinization and shedding of vaginal epithelial cells, and excretion of sodium and water, estrogen and progesterone have an antagonistic effect.