Progesterone...

Creating a 5-Star Experience for Your Baby

The life of a movie star - lavish, comfortable surroundings, and opportunities for complete relaxation, free from the cares of the world. Sounds nice, huh? Well, progesterone provides just such a life for your newly-created baby - and it starts before your little-one-to-be even makes a reservation ;)

It's this hormone that begins the preparation of your uterus for the coming baby. It signals the lining of your uterus, the endometrium to build and become a thick, lush padding. When the fertilized ovum floats down your fallopian tube and into your uterus it will implant in the lining progesterone has prepared.

You'll be under the influence of this hormone for the duration of your pregnancy. Your body continues to produce it for awhile after your egg is fertilized, which prevents menstruation from occurring and keeps your newly conceived baby comfortable in your womb.

Your baby's placenta will begin to produce progesterone towards the end of your first trimester and will continue to do so throughout pregnancy.

This is the hormone that causes your basal body temperature to rise. Sustained high temperatures are an excellent "pregnancy test" available to you without peeing on any sticks (don't worry - I know you really want to take all those pregnancy tests anyways. We won't talk about how many I took with my baby...)

What Happens if I Have Low Levels?

Sometimes low levels can cause problems with getting pregnant. Or you could be conceiving successfully - but the pregnancy cannot be sustained. This happens because again, it's the hormone that builds the lining of your uterus and stops menstruation.

Your levels can be tested via blood test, which is generally a good idea if you're having unexplained infertility issues. However, there's a strong chance you can tell on your own if you have low levels. Just take a look at your charts. Are your luteal phases very short? If they are it's probably due to a progesterone issue.

I struggled with short luteal phases myself - and I was able to correct those naturally through charting, nutrition, and night lighting. You can find out more about what I did, and other strategies, by reading about luteal phase defects.