GSE
PROGESTERONE MENUBAR
PROGESTERONE Aids Conception / Prevents miscarriage / Maintains pregnancy
PROGESTERONE ( "For Gestation") - Aids pregnancy Aids conception / prevents miscarriage /
maintains pregnancy in the common case of luteal phase deficiency (LPD)
To better understand the role of the ovarian corpus luteum,
see this short description of how an egg becomes a fetus "Journey
of an Egg - From follicle to uterus "
PROGESTERONE is a steroid hormone vital
to the reproduction process. Produced by a
corpus luteum
in one
During pregnancy, corpus luteum
continues to produce
PROGESTERONE until close to the end of the first trimester.
At which time the placenta
PROGESTERONE , is significantly increased during pregnancy, especially by
the third trimester.
Insufficient
PROGESTERONE during pregnancy
can result in:
Uterine contractions.
May cause miscarriage or premature laborGrowth inhibition of new blood vessels.
Needed to provide nourishment to the fetus.
What does PROGESTERONE do for
conception and pregnancy?
PROGESTERONE production /availability is crucial for development of the
fetus. A sufficiency of PROGESTERONE production by the ovarian
granulosa cells of the corpus luteum in the early stages of pregnancy performs several necessary functions (which could be lacking with
a luteal phase deficiency (LPD) , where the
corpus luteum is not producing sufficient
PROGESTERONE ):
Stimulates growth of and maintains the uterine lining (endometrium).
Where fertilized
egg attaches itself; prevents premature shedding; thickens to a max. 4-6 mm Aids secretion of nutrients from endometrial
(of uterine lining) glands .
Maintains adequate blood circulation, stimulating growth
of cells which feed the embryoTempers immune system reaction to presence of
"foreign body" :)
- Prevents
mother's immune system from responding to fetal antigens and rejecting the "new
arrival". It does this by stimulating secretion of immune system Th2 and reducing
secretion of Th1 cytokines.
- Overrides uterine contractions.
Controls hypercontractility of smooth muscle cells in the
middle layer of the uterine wall (myocytes);
PROGESTERONE up-regulates HLA-G gene expression in first trimester trophoblasts.
These cells are the first to differentiate from the
fertilized egg, forming the outer layer of a blastocyst, which provides
nutrients to the embryo and develops into a large part of the placenta.
Evidence suggests that HLA-G also plays a
critical role in maternal immune tolerance to the fetus; Prepares breasts for milk production Maintains proper function of the mother's organs Controls blood pressure in later pregnancy .
Higher
serum concentrations of PROGESTERONE
(but not ESTRADIOL)
in early pregnancy were related to
lower mean systolic blood pressures in the 2nd and
3rd trimesters ;
PROGESTERONE supplementation can aid conception and
prevent early miscarriage in women with a luteal phase deficiency (LPD)
PROGESTERONE therapy/supplementation
provides a "tool" to aid conception
and maintain a pregnancy in a woman with
estrogen
dominance or
whose
corpus luteum
is not producing sufficient PROGESTERONE (termed luteal phase deficiency (LPD)).
E ither during the luteal
phase of the menstrual cycle (latter half of cycle in humans) and/or after
conception. Supplementing natural
PROGESTERONE at the right time and dose can:
Aid conception.
Due to LPD, some women
start bleeding before the 14 days after ovulation as the cause of failed conception. If this is the case, using
PROGESTERONE
at ovulation PROGESTERONE before ovulation could prevent ovulation occurring and
therefore any chance of becoming pregnant. i.e.
PROGESTERONE acts as a contraceptive before ovulation.
Significantly lower levels of PROGESTERONE
are found in women with
PCOS in the early luteal phase which may contribute to their delay in
conception. LPD in PCOS may
explain the anovulation and miscarriage that occurs in these women;
Prevent miscarriage during luteal phase of
menstrual cycle and after conception. By countering
estrogen presence after fertilization. T oo much
estrogen compared to
PROGESTERONE during the luteal phase
can cause
miscarriage i.e. when
follicles ovulate normally, but
fail to continue their PROGESTERONE production at levels necessary for successful
implantation of the fertilized egg and development of the embryo
Maintain sufficient PROGESTERONE to maintain
pregnancy until placenta takes over production.
PROGESTERONE
has many necessary roles in pregnancy - from controlling mother's immune
response (e.g. preventing untimely contractions) to providing nutrients for
growing fetus.
The placenta usually takes over the job of producing
PROGESTERONE 10 weeks after gestation
(which begins Day 1 of last period) - i.e. when fetus is 8 weeks old.
Supplementating PROGESTERONE for
Conception / Pregnancy problems related to Luteal Phase Deficiency
Other related notes
The effects of
Estrogen during pregnancy are:
Enlarges the uterus Enlarges genitals Stimulates the milk glands and enlarges breasts Increases blood volume by 30% and causes fluid
retention;
