Why Do We Give Progesterone During Pregnancy?

We give progesterone during pregnancy primarily to support and maintain a healthy pregnancy. Progesterone plays several crucial roles, most importantly supporting the uterine lining.

The Role of Progesterone in Pregnancy

Progesterone is a vital hormone during pregnancy. Here's a breakdown of its key functions, according to the reference:

• Thickening the Uterine Lining: Progesterone is critical in supporting a pregnancy because it thickens your uterine lining. This thickened lining is essential for the implantation and nourishment of the fertilized egg. A thin uterine lining can make it difficult for the embryo to implant successfully.

• Supporting Embryo and Fetus Development: The thick uterine lining created by progesterone provides a nurturing environment for the fertilized egg to grow into an embryo and then a fetus.

• Preventing Ovulation: High progesterone levels during pregnancy prevent ovulation, ensuring that no new eggs are released. This is important to maintain the ongoing pregnancy.

Situations Where Progesterone Supplementation Might Be Necessary

While the body naturally produces progesterone during pregnancy, supplementation may be recommended in specific circumstances, such as:

• Threatened Miscarriage: In cases of threatened miscarriage, where there's bleeding or cramping, progesterone may help support the pregnancy.
• History of Miscarriage: Women with a history of recurrent miscarriages, especially those related to luteal phase defects (insufficient progesterone production after ovulation), may benefit from supplementation.
• Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART): Progesterone supplementation is often part of ART protocols like IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) to support implantation and early pregnancy.

Progesterone's Crucial Actions Summarized