The hormone progesterone - the most that is a female hormone, which is responsible for a woman's ability to conceive, awakens femininity and maternal instinct, is responsible for the normal course of pregnancy.
The effect of progesterone on a woman's body does not end there. From the level of this substance in the blood even our mood depends. If in the second phase of the cycle it is lowered, then the mood will be appropriate - you will be annoyed by trifles and may even become depressed.
The female hormone progesterone is produced in the ovaries with a yellow body . There is approximately the following: a mature egg leaves the ovary, tearing at the same time the follicle in which it is ripe. And it is during this period that active progesterone production begins, as the follicle turns into a yellow body and begins to produce the so-called pregnancy hormone.
What else is the hormone progesterone responsible for?
As for procreation, the hormone of the yellow body progesterone contributes to the preparation of the epithelium of the uterus to receive a fertilized egg. In addition, this hormone inhibits the contraction of the muscles of the uterus, which is necessary to prevent miscarriages.
Menstruation and menstrual cycle during pregnancy also stops due to progesterone. The hormone is responsible for the growth of the uterus, the increase in sebum and the preparation of the mammary glands, which is necessary in pregnancy for the normal development of the baby and for the further lactation period .
Progesterone in different phases of the cycle
The level of progesterone in the blood directly depends on the phase of the cycle. So, in the follicular phase, with the onset of menstruation, this hubbub is produced in small amounts. But approximately on 14-15 day of a cycle, in an ovulatory phase its level starts to grow. And when the follicle bursts and the egg leaves the egg, the luteal phase begins, when the progesterone reaches its maximum values.
Increased progesterone in the blood in the luteal phase is the norm. This is a kind of signal to the beginning of active preparation of the body for a possible pregnancy. And this happens every month for many years, while the woman is of childbearing age.
If the pregnancy has occurred, the level of progesterone during pregnancy increases tens of times. Up to 16 weeks it is produced by the yellow body, after - the placenta. The hormone is necessary for the successful implantation of the embryo, as well as for the normal development of the fetus up to the very birth. His level may drop a little in the last days before childbirth, and before that throughout the entire pregnancy he has been steadily growing.
Symptoms of a lack of progesterone
The hormone progesterone in women should correspond to the period of the menstrual cycle. But when the body is deficient in this hormone, it causes a number of symptoms. Among them - breast tenderness, bloating, mood swings, cycle disorders, bleeding from the genitals, which have nothing to do with menstruation.
If you suspect a lack of this hormone, you need to turn to a specialist and pass the appropriate analysis. They give it in the period after ovulation, when its concentration in the blood is high.
Like all tests for hormones, blood should be taken for progesterone on an empty stomach in the morning, not earlier than 6-8 hours after the last meal.
A female hormone progesterone gives a woman unique moments of affection when she sees small children. He prepares a woman for upbringing and caring for the baby, programming for a responsible attitude of a woman to her children. So let him always be normal and do not bring trouble!