Progesterone Injection For Pregnancy: Benefits Explained

Estrogen is known as the female hormone, and the role of progesterone in the life of pregnant women cannot be unseen. You must have often heard of women taking progesterone-induced medications or injections during their pregnancy period, haven’t you? Have you ever thought about the progesterone injection used in pregnancy?

If you have had one or more miscarriages or pre-mature delivery, your doctor is most likely to recommend you a progesterone-inducing medication starting from the second trimester of your pregnancy. Babies born early are more prone to health conditions including abnormalities in their breathing, learning, and vision. Since you cannot take a risk to your baby’s health, you better listen to your doctor. And take the approximate amount of progesterone when required.

In this article, we are going to discuss almost everything about progesterone injection for pregnancy. If you are someone looking to learn more about it, let us assure you that this article will be of great use.

What is Progesterone?

Progesterone is a hormone that is naturally released by your body. Regardless of your gender, it plays a crucial role in the smooth functioning of your body. Approximately, men and women have the same levels of progesterone, but they tend to vary during the menstruation cycle of women. However, the major difference in the progesterone level is reported during the pregnancy period.

When you are pregnant, your body produces adequate amounts of progesterone to support the pregnancy. The levels of the hormone are traced during the early trimester. During this period, progesterone prepares the uterus to receive the fertilized embryo and also ensures that the embryo is being fed. The feeding continues until a placenta is formed.

Besides strengthening the walls of the uterus, and feeding the fetus, there are a lot more functions carried out by progesterone. Have you ever wondered why a woman is not producing milk until the baby is born and how she immediately starts to feed the baby right after the delivery? It is progesterone that is ensuring that a woman does not lactate before her delivery. It also helps grow the breast tissue and contributes to the overall health of the maternal body.

The Role of Progesterone Injection in Pregnancy

The role of progesterone during pregnancy is non-negligible. Your pregnancy journey would have been entirely different without the presence of progesterone. Lack of progesterone often leads to miscarriage, and hence, some doctors recommend giving women extra progesterone to support their pregnancy.

According to a study made in the early 1950s, women advised with miscarriage delivered healthy babies after they were given with sufficient amount of progesterone. The research also discovered that women who underwent one or more miscarriages in the past also ended up completing their pregnancy period when provided with progesterone treatment.

Following the study, progesterone treatment became so popular. It was advised to pregnant women to help them carry to term without any serious side effects. However, today this study is being questioned after another research conducted by the New England Journal of Medicine found that no significant change was noted in woken provided with progesterone therapy. Since there have been no serious side effects, some doctors give it a shot anyways.

Generally, hydroxyprogesterone caproate injection (artificial progesterone hormone) is suggested by doctors for women who have had a preterm delivery or a miscarriage in the past. According to doctors, this medication is capable to lower the risk of preterm birth by stopping unwanted contraction of the uterus. A contraction is only necessary when you are about to give birth. Early uterus contractions can lead to preterm delivery or miscarriage. The man-made progesterone hormone doe sits job well when taken as per directed. Take special note that this medicine should only be taken under the proper supervision of your doctor.

Who Should Not Take Progesterone Injection?

While progesterone medication is said to have a number of benefits during pregnancy, it is not ideal for everyone. In this section, we are going to learn who should abstain from progesterone injections. So read on.

Individuals Allergic To Certain Medication

While consulting a doctor, you should make clarity about your condition and should discuss your entire medical history. Tell your doctor if you are allergic to any kind of medicines or foods so that they may get an idea of what medicines to suggest for you and what not.

Breastfeeding Women

Progesterone certainly plays a key role in helping lactation. However, progesterone dosage is supposed to be taken before childbirth and it is strictly not directed while breastfeeding. This may put the health of your baby in question.

For Children

You may get pregnant once after your menarche. However, your body cannot support medicines like hydroxyprogesterone caproate if you are too young. And therefore, these medications are not advised for individuals under the age of 16, even if they are conceiving.

For Aged Women

Aged women are also more likely to react differently to progesterone induction medicines and hence, they are not recommended for them.

Drug Interaction

Certain medications are not supposed to be taken along with some others. So, always disclose your medical history, or currently obtaining treatments with your doctors, so that they can at least alter the dosage.

Not only the medicines, but the presence of certain health conditions may also lead to major medical problems when you take progesterone injections. So, a disclosure is a must.

Precautions To Be Taken

Once you finally get the progesterone therapy, make sure that you stay alert to any sudden abnormalities occurring in your body. See whether or not you experience pain in the groin, legs, or calves, following the injection. Some women also experience difficulty breathing after they take progesterone medications. Slurred speech and severe headaches are the other two major side effects of the treatment.

Sometimes, progesterone injections may cause serious allergic reactions such as angioedema. People react differently to different things. While a class of women does not find any sort of difficulty, others might feel itching, unusual tiredness, weakness, loss of appetite, and others. So, always make sure to check with your doctor every week, or as and when you experience difficulty. Sometimes, they will recommend you a blood test to see whether or not your body is adversely reacting to the medicine.

Conclusion

The Role of progesterone injection during pregnancy is of great significance and today, most women are taking these medications to avoid any potential risk. While it is effective top a group of women, progesterone therapy remains a failure in others. It fails to sustain the pregnancy or prevent miscarriage. Only miscarriages caused due to the deficiency of progesterone hormone can be expected to solve with progesterone injection. It may not be able to solve unexplained miscarriages. However, all you can do is thoroughly communicate with your doctors to assist them in your treatment. Listen to what they are saying and if not risky, follow their instructions when required.

Progesterone Injections for Pregnancy Support: Facts and Benefits.