What is Progesterone Hormone and how it is related to Pregnancy

Various factors influence pregnancy. Men and women both need to be ready physically to conceive and get pregnant and for the pregnancy to be healthy and to avoid any risk of miscarriage. Masculinity and femininity are highly affected by hormones.

The two main types of hormones in women that regulate female sexuality are estrogen and progesterone, and the hormones that regulate male sexuality are testosterone. Although testosterone is a male hormone, it is found in females in some quantities.

Hormonal balance is very important in a woman. The puberty, menopause, sexual desires, ovulation cycle, and menstrual cycles are all affected by the hormonal levels in the body. Both, in natural pregnancy as well as assisted pregnancy methods, opted from the best IVF specialist in India, the doctors have stressed enough on how important hormonal balance is in a woman.

Let us have a look at the different hormones in women and their functions:

1. Estrogen:
Estrogen is a female hormone that is a major sex hormone in the female. This hormone is produced by ovaries, and some parts are produced in adrenal glands, while pregnancy, the placenta is also responsible for producing estrogen.
The estrogen hormone is responsible for puberty, menstrual cycles, pregnancy, and also menopause.
The hormone also affects the brain, cardiovascular system, hair and skin, urinary tract.

2. Progesterone: Progesterone is another hormone that is very important in women that regulates the sexuality of women. The role of estrogen is important as the functions are: to make the uterus lining strong and favourable for fertilization of the egg.
It supports fertilization and nurtures the egg. Helps in regulating the estrogen production to support the pregnancy.

Both the estrogen and the progesterone need to support each other and strike a balance to make sure that the body functions well. The hormone that is responsible for infertility is progesterone. Women having a disturbed progesterone level are often seen to have fertility problems.

Progesterone is an important hormone that prepares the body for pregnancy. It prepares the uterus for fertilization and also supports the body during pregnancy. In a different phase of pregnancy, progesterone has different roles to play:

Pre-pregnancy functions:
The progesterone is responsible for maintaining the overall fertility health of a woman. After every ovulation cycle, the ovaries begin the progesterone production. The progesterone then thickens the inner lining of the uterus (called as endometrium). The thickened uterus lining creates an environment that nurtures the eggs and makes the uterus strong. A thick uterus lining is ideal for fertilization.
If the uterus is not ready, it can lead to problems like endometriosis, PCOS. These medical conditions lead to infertility and also increases the risk of miscarriage if at all the woman can conceive. It is important for the uterus to offer a safe environment to the embryo in both, natural pregnancy as well as assisted pregnancy cases like IVF treatment.

During Pregnancy functions:
Once conceived, it the progesterone hormone that makes the uterus a hospitable place for the embryo. In pregnancy, as the uterine walls thicken, the uterus gets filled with fluids that nurture the embryo. It is due to the thickened uterus that the fluids can sustain in the embryo and get nourished. The Progesterone hormone also helps the cervix to thicken. This protects the embryo from bacteria and a foreign body which may harm the uterus.
If the uterus is not a safe environment for the embryo to develop, then there are high chances of pregnancy failure. It is important that the for the progesterone levels to be adequate when the IVF treatment has opted. Since the embryo is artificially inseminated in the uterus, if the progesterone levels do not support the uterus to nurture the embryo, there can be pregnancy failures.
Doctors lay importance in maintaining the right levels of progesterone through external medications in case the progesterone is not produced naturally. If the progesterone is produced naturally, patients can be relaxed as they will get the best reasonable IVF cost in India.

Some women who are unable to secrete the progesterone hormone in the right quantities in pre-pregnancy and post-pregnancy periods and during the pregnancy period can have a high risk of infertility and miscarriage. Thus, the doctors from the best infertility clinic in India prescribe products that either stimulate the progesterone production or products that contain progesterone hormones that get delivered directly to the uterus.

1. Medicines: Several medicines are prescribed to increase the levels of progesterone. The medicines can be:
· Food Supplements
· Injectables
· Or tablets and capsules

2. Vaginal products: These products are inserted through the vagina which directly delivers the progesterone to the desired place. These products can be:
· Vaginal gels
· Vaginal suppositories
· Vaginal inserts
· Oral capsules inserted vaginally.

Progesterone is an important hormone in a woman’s body for her to experience a successful and healthy pregnancy.