What is progesterone exactly?

I hear lots of talk of it and i remember getting blood tests done for it but really... i have ZERO idea what it is.

Thx

Re: What is progesterone exactly?

Here's a pretty good explanation, but they check your progesterone levels to ensure that it is high enough to sustain a pregnancy. It needs to be over 10 in order for it to be able to sustain. If you become pregnant and you're levels aren't high enough, they can give you progesterone suppositories, progesterone in oil (which is a shot) or oral progesterone.

Progesterone is a hormone produced in the body which helps to regulate the menstrual cycle of women. Men also produce a small amount of progesterone, but it is less important to sexual maturity in men than is testosterone. Chemical forms of progesterone are widely used by women as part of birth control. The unique aspects of progesterone tend to explain their effectiveness as a birth control method.

In women, progesterone is produced just before ovulation in order to enhance the possibility of becoming pregnant. Rise of progesterone levels prior to ovulation increases the body temperature slightly, creates more vaginal mucus which makes sperm more likely to survive to reach and fertilize an egg, and makes the uterus muscles less likely to contract. If a woman does become pregnant, main production of progesterone switches over to the developing placenta around the eighth week of pregnancy.

Re: What is progesterone exactly?

From what I understand, it also helps with the lining of the uterus - helps keep it nice, thick and enriched to assist with implantation and the growing embryo until the placenta takes over, at about 11 weeks or so.

5 days after my IVF, my progesterone levels were pretty low, at around 9. That day I was put on the progesterone shots, and I ended up getting my BFP and all seems good so far. So, starting out with a low level is not the kiss of death, as long as you get some kind of supplementation soon.