What should I do if my progesterone level is low when I first get pregnant?

Everyone knows that the indicators for women in the early stages of pregnancy are very important. One is progesterone and the other is HCG. If the progesterone is low, it will affect the implantation of the fertilized egg and there is a risk of miscarriage. Therefore, progesterone is very important during pregnancy. In fact, if you want normal progesterone, you can take dietary supplements. So what should you do if your progesterone is low when you just get pregnant? Here are some tips for women with low progesterone.

What to do if progesterone is low in early pregnancy

As the saying goes, food supplements are worse than medicine supplements. Female friends are concerned about what to eat when progesterone is low. Experts recommend eating more foods rich in hormones. Eat fruits rich in dietary fiber and pectin, such as strawberries, peaches, kiwis, etc.

Progesterone, also known as progesterone, abbreviated as "P" in English, is also called progesterone, progesterone, progesterone, progesterone, progestin or progesterone. It is a steroid involved in female menstrual cycle, pregnancy and affects the embryos of humans and other animals. It is produced by the corpus luteum of the ovary in early pregnancy. During pregnancy, progesterone is an important hormone that supports the early growth and development of the fetus. High concentrations of progesterone have a significant calming effect on the enlarged uterus and are also very important for supporting early pregnancy.

Progesterone has the following effects

(1) Immune protection

Progesterone has immune protection and can suppress immune responses. A study implanted certain tumor cells into the uterus of animals. Only in animals injected with progesterone were the cells not rejected and implanted into the uterine wall, indicating that progesterone can suppress the immune response. This also shows that when a woman is in a normal pregnancy, the increase in progesterone can prevent the embryo from being rejected by the mother and maintain the pregnancy. When there is a lack of progesterone, the embryo may be rejected by the mother and cause miscarriage.

(2) Blastocyst implantation

During ovulation, under the action of progesterone secreted by the corpus luteum, the endometrium transforms from the proliferative phase to the secretory phase, making the endometrium receptive to embryo implantation. Decidual cells are transformed from endometrial stromal cells and contain glycogen granules, which provide nutrition to the blastocyst. Progesterone can induce the decidualization of endometrial stroma and regulate the expression of various implantation-related factors in an autocrine or paracrine manner.

Progesterone changes in early pregnancy

In early pregnancy, normal progesterone values ​​are as follows:

During the 6th to 14th day of pregnancy (follicular phase), the progesterone level is 0.2-0.6 ng/ml.

During the 15th to 28th day of pregnancy (luteal phase), the progesterone level is 6.5-32.2 ng/ml;

43-49 days (7 weeks) of pregnancy, the progesterone value is 6.5-36.5ng/ml;

At 50-56 days (8 weeks) of pregnancy, the progesterone level is 20.7-32.2 ng/ml;

During the 57th to 84th day of pregnancy (9th to 12th week), the progesterone level is 25-51 ng/ml.

85-112 days of pregnancy (13-16 weeks), the progesterone value is 31.5-59.5ng/ml;

113-140 days of pregnancy (17-20 weeks), the progesterone value is 49.3-77.3ng/ml;

141-168 days of pregnancy (21-24 weeks), the progesterone value is 75.2-146.6ng/ml;

169-238 days of pregnancy (25-34 weeks), progesterone value is 129.6-201ng/ml;

More than 239 weeks (35 weeks), the progesterone value is 155-249ng/ml.

Moreover, adverse pregnancy outcomes will not necessarily occur if the level is lower than the reference value. Currently, progesterone is only used as a reference in research on pregnancy, and more comprehensive considerations such as ultrasound, blood HCG, and serum progesterone are needed.

Is it normal that the progesterone level does not reach the reference value?

As for progesterone, as long as it is not lower than 20ng/ml, it is normal and there is no need to worry. The indicators on the test report only reflect the status of the embryo at the moment of blood drawing, but these indicators actually change 24 hours a day. For example, the progesterone index may be 100 in the morning and only 20-30 in the afternoon. The difference between the two data can be as much as five times.

Obstetricians have made it clear that there is no need to worry too much about this indicator: because there are many factors that can affect progesterone and HCG, you cannot make an absolute judgment on the condition of the embryo based on these two indicators alone. The most accurate way is to have an ultrasound examination at 6 to 8 weeks of pregnancy, and you will know the condition of the embryo at a glance. Moreover, from a clinical point of view, as long as the progesterone level (progesterone) remains above 20-50 and the increase in the fetal chorionic villus hormone (HCG) value is consistent with the gestational age, first-time mothers do not have to be afraid or rush to take medicine.