Progesterone is an important hormone for conception and pregnancy. Some believe that progesterone pills or suppositories improve fertility and increase the chances of a successful pregnancy, but, is this true?
Where does progesterone come from in the body?
Every month, at about mid-cycle, an egg matures within a follicle inside a woman’s ovary. Luteinizing hormone (LH) levels rise sharply and the follicle bursts, releasing a mature egg into the fallopian tube. Fertilization will occur if the egg meets with sperm.
Once the egg is released, the empty follicle shell turns into a yellow body (corpus luteum) that produces the hormone progesterone. This hormone prepares the endometrium (the lining of the uterus) for the possible implantation of the embryo and supports its development until the 12th week of pregnancy.
If fertilization does not occur, the corpus luteum stops producing progesterone; the prepared layer of the endometrium turns out to be unnecessary, so it collapses and is expelled by the body in the form a the bloody discharge we know as menstruation.
Can progesterone pills help achieve an ideal 28-day cycle to increase the chances of pregnancy?
There are no perfect cycles. The average menstrual cycle lasts 28 days but can vary from 21 to 35 days [1]. If you fit into this framework and your cycle is regular, there is no reason to worry. If you have an irregular cycle or are not ovulating, the important thing is not to take progesterone but to look for the underlying cause. For example, polycystic ovary syndrome or hypothyroidism can lead to anovulation.
Can I take progesterone during my cycle to get pregnant faster?
If you are trying to get pregnant, taking progesterone can have the opposite effect. The body does not differentiate between natural (from the corpus luteum) and synthetic (from a pill) progesterone. If you start taking this hormone from the first day of your cycle, its level will rise earlier than necessary. A high level of progesterone tells the body that ovulation has already occurred, and it will stop producing the hormones that stimulate the maturation of follicles in the ovary. As a result, ovulation will happen, making conception impossible.
Synthetic hormones may be prescribed in rare cases, for example, as part of an IVF treatment. In those instances, it is used only on certain days of the cycle, under a specialist's strict supervision.
Do progesterone pills reduce the risk of miscarriage?
There is no definite answer. Some studies show that progesterone helps prevent pregnancy loss in the early stages [2], however, this has not been confirmed by enough research [3, 4].
