Progesterone - Vitality Hormone Center

What is progesterone?

Progesterone is an important hormone that plays a vital role in the female menstrual cycle and pregnancy. Here's a quick overview:

Key Functions

• Regulates the menstrual cycle and prepares the body for pregnancy
• Maintains pregnancy by supporting the developing fetus
• Balances effects of estrogen in the body

What Does It Do?

• Prepares the uterus lining for implantation of a fertilized egg
• Thickens the uterine lining so it can support growth of the embryo
• Inhibits muscle contractions in the uterus to prevent miscarriage
• Stimulates breast tissue growth during pregnancy

Some key effects of progesterone include:

• Working with estrogen during the menstrual cycle
• Controlling the build-up of the uterus lining
• Allowing for egg implantation
• Preventing early childbirth by keeping the uterus relaxed

"Progesterone plays a vital role in not only fertility and pregnancy, but also development of the baby," says Dr. Sasha Myers of Vitality Hormone Center.

Testing Progesterone Levels

Doctors may test progesterone levels via blood tests to check for:

• Ovulation problems
• Risk of miscarriage
• Effectiveness of fertility treatments

Low progesterone can signal issues like infertility or increase chance of miscarriage. That's why tracking levels is useful while trying to conceive or during early pregnancy.

The experts at Vitality Hormone Center specialize in fertility and can provide progesterone testing and supplementation treatments to help patients struggling to conceive.

What Affects Progesterone?

Many factors influence progesterone levels, including:

• Menstrual cycle timing - Levels peak after ovulation
• Birth control pills - Can contain progestin, a synthetic progesterone
• Perimenopause - Levels decline as women near menopause
• Pregnancy - Levels steadily rise during pregnancy
• Stress - High stress is linked with low progesterone

In summary, progesterone is an integral reproductive hormone that plays a key role throughout a woman's life. Tracking levels provides insight for fertility or potential pregnancy complications. Reach out to specialists like Vitality Hormone Center for any concerns!