Progesterone Cream and Pregnancy

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Questions This Article Answers

Is natural progesterone cream safe to use during pregnancy?
Can I use progesterone cream if I am pregnant?
Is natural progesterone cream safe for pregnant women?
Does progesterone cream pose any health risks for pregnant women?
Is it dangerous for a pregnant woman to use natural progesterone cream?
Should pregnant women use natural progesterone cream?

Progesterone is a hormone found in women. The ovaries produce progesterone during ovulation, when the egg is released from the ovary. Along with estrogen, progesterone is needed for reproduction as it prepares the uterine lining to allow implantation of a fertilized egg. These hormones prepare the body for pregnancy and breastfeeding and play an important role in supporting a pregnancy after conception. When conception does not occur, progesterone levels fall, and menstruation begins. Blood tests taken around the 21st day of a woman’s menstrual cycle to measure levels of progesterone can indicate whether ovulation has taken place.

When a woman becomes pregnant, her progesterone levels increase as the placenta produces levels of this hormone that are about 10 times greater than those found in women who are not pregnant.

In addition to the natural progesterone found in the body, progesterone can also be used as a medicine or supplement, taken orally or as a cream that is absorbed into the bloodstream through the skin. Progesterone is used, for example, to bring about menstruation in women of childbearing age who have stopped having periods. Progesterone is also used to treat premenstrual syndrome and acne and in hormone replacement therapy to treat symptoms of menopause.

Because of its importance for conception and pregnancy, progesterone therapy is also used to increase fertility in women who have had difficulty becoming pregnant. Without sufficient levels of progesterone, the lining of the uterus cannot support a pregnancy. Progesterone deficiency is one of the most common hormone imbalances in women.

Doctors and health care professionals disagree about whether progesterone creams are safe to use, including during pregnancy. The placenta produces progesterone in large quantities during pregnancy, particularly in the second and third trimesters, and the body must maintain certain levels of progesterone to prevent miscarriage or premature delivery.

Because most hormone replacement supplements, including progesterone cream, have not been subjected to extensive scientific testing, including on pregnant women, many doctors caution against using them during pregnancy.

Other synthetic hormone treatments, like Diethylstilbestrol (DES), which were once prescribed for pregnant women to prevent miscarriages and premature deliveries, have been shown to have potentially serious harmful effects, including being linked to certain forms of cancer in women.
Like any medicine, progesterone can also have side effects, which can include serious complications such as blood clots.

Resource by Thrive Med Spa

Thrive Med Spa is a leading medical spa in Chicago that is privately owned and operated by Dr. Barry Summers, a Board Certified General & Cosmetic Surgeon. Thrive Medical Spa, has two convenient downtown locations in Lakeview and the Gold Coast. Thrive is the leading medical spa and rejuvenation center in Chicago ( and Thrive Laser Training School) and is dedicated to providing clients with the highest quality of care and state of the art treatments for cosmetic and skin rejuvenation .

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