One of the most common tests conducted among women who are trying to conceive or those who are pregnant is checking for progesterone levels during pregnancy. Most fertility doctors opine that pregnant women above the age of 40 years or those who have conceived via a fertility treatment and those who have a history of miscarriages are ideal candidates for repeatedly checking progesterone levels during pregnancy.
This is because progesterone levels in the body of a woman and her chances of conceiving successfully are directly proportional to each other. Progesterone is the main reproductive hormone that plays an important role in pregnancy, starting from ensuring the creation of a health female egg to the implantation of the fertilized egg in the uterine tissue. Thus, in the lack of progesterone, there is an increased risk of a failed pregnancy or miscarriage. Today, most fertility centers follow a range that is looked upon as ‘normal progesterone levels during pregnancy’.
The following values are an approximation of the same:
- Normal progesterone levels during 1st trimester: 9 — 47ng/ml
- Normal progesterone levels during 2nd trimester: 17 — 147ng/ml
- Normal progesterone levels during 3rd trimester: 55 — 200ng/ml
Please Note: these are merely indicative values and the final decision in terms of recommending a progesterone cream is taken by experienced fertility healthcare specialists only.