Hormones are biologically active chemicals released by the endocrine system of the human body. They are carried by the bloodstream and have a significant effect on various processes in the body. They are extremely important for the normal conception and easy bearing of a child. That is why pregnant women need to take hormonal tests and monitor their health status in the most thorough way.
One of the so-called pregnancy hormones is progesterone. The norm during pregnancy of progesterone should be optimal - if its level in the blood is too low, this can lead to termination of pregnancy. Too high a value is also extremely unfavorable and can lead to disastrous consequences.
The presence of progesterone is necessary in the body of a woman in order for fertilization to occur. This important hormone helps attach the fetal egg to the uterine wall. It is produced by the corpus luteum in the ovary after the egg has matured. If fertilization occurs, the corpus luteum produces progesterone within three and a half months. Further, this function takes on the placenta, which had matured by then.
Under the influence of progesterone, the nervous system of the expectant mother is reorganized to the process of bearing the baby and subsequent childbirth. It is he who is responsible for the entire preparatory process in the body aimed at a safe pregnancy. Also, progesterone in pregnant women regulates the processes by which the uterus stops contracting and begins to increase. The influence of this hormone helps to prepare the mammary glands for the beginning of the lactation period.
The ovaries and, in a small proportion, the adrenal glands are responsible for the production of progesterone. In the body of a healthy woman, the amount of the hormone "progesterone" varies. The norm during pregnancy should be at the same level, without hesitation.
The maximum level is achieved at a time when the body is ready for fertilization or if the pregnancy has already taken place. The amount of progesterone increases shortly before ovulation. If the level does not reach normal levels, the pregnancy breaks down, or the fetus is underdeveloped, because it is for this that the hormone progesterone is responsible. The norm during pregnancy may be insufficient, this may entail a delay in the delivery, which is extremely undesirable for the child. It may also indicate chronic inflammatory processes and possible uterine bleeding.
There are cases when an increase in the indicator indicates problems with the placenta, renal failure, the presence of a cyst on the corpus luteum, malfunctioning of the adrenal glands and other problems in the body of the expectant mother. The use of various medications can also change the level of progesterone during pregnancy. That is why the analysis to detect hormone levels is an important element in the diagnosis of the fetus in the second part of pregnancy.
So, during the first twelve weeks, a pregnant woman needs to be tested for progesterone. The norm during pregnancy is considered to be from 9 to 47 cu per ml. After the fetal egg is fixed to the wall of the uterus, that is, in the period from twelve to twenty-eight weeks, the rate from 17 to 146 cu can be taken as the norm. per ml. Further, and until the birth of the child, the indicator rises and is 55-200 conventional units per milliliter.
In order to correctly pass the analysis and get a reliable result on the level of progesterone in the blood, it is necessary to take into account the recommendations of the endocrinologist or gynecologist. Hormone testing is given on an empty stomach in the morning. The time between eating and giving blood should be at least 8 hours.