The success of embryo transfer can be affected by levels of progesterone in the body. Some studies have identified that optimal progesterone levels can help increase successful pregnancy rates. This shows that progesterone plays an important role in reproductive health.
The goal of this blog is to give an overview of the importance of progesterone levels before embryo transfer. By understanding this importance, people undergoing IVF can consider the procedure’s success rates and prepare accordingly.
Understanding Progesterone
Progesterone is a steroid hormone that regulates many body functions other than the reproductive system. These include:
- Preparing the mammary glands for breastfeeding and supporting the cardiovascular system and bones.
- It also helps in embryo development and maintains pregnancy. They help protect the embryo from immune attacks.
- Progesterone helps prepare the endometrium and uterus for embryo implantation. In the absence of an optimal level of progesterone, endometrium may not be able to support the embryo, leading to early pregnancy loss or menstrual shedding.
Progesterone Levels and Embryo Transfer
Progesterone ensures an embryo attaches and grows well after embryo transfer. Providing extra progesterone improves frozen embryo transfer success. This hormone is needed for the embryo to attach to the uterus and stay healthy in different fertility treatments.
Optimal Progesterone Levels
The hormone progesterone plays an important role in uterus preparation for pregnancy. The levels of progesterone must be at the correct level for a successful embryo transfer.
The optimal progesterone level before the transfer of the embryo must be between 10 and 20 ng/mL. This can provide the best possible environment in the uterus for implantation and embryo growth.
Impact on Success Rates
The optimal amount of progesterone is essential for improving the success rates of pregnancy.
For example, in one study by Albdairi and Hussein (2020), 1107 women got pregnant when their progesterone levels were below 1.5 ng/mL, 127 women got pregnant with levels between 1.5 and 2 ng/mL, and 70 women got pregnant with levels between 2 and 2.5 ng/mL. So, keeping progesterone levels at optimal levels helps in more successful pregnancies.
The women with low progesterone levels on the day before embryo transfer had lower pregnancy and live birth rates. Additionally, it can be a cause of miscarriage.
In the study by González-Foruria and other scientists, it has been observed that factors such as weight, age, and any history of low progesterone concentration can affect progesterone levels before the day of embryo transfer. This shows that maintaining optimal levels of progesterone is essential for a higher chance of success in IVF treatments.
Effects of abnormal levels
The success rate of embryo transfer can be affected if the levels of progesterone are high or low.
High Levels of Progesterone:
Having too much progesterone can also be problematic for embryo transfer success. It can reduce endometrial receptivity. This makes implantation difficult.
Studies have found that women with high progesterone levels on the day of hCG injection have low rates of pregnancy. High progesterone levels may also lead to gene expression changes in the endometrium, thus reducing its receptivity.
Low Levels of Progesterone:
If the progesterone level is too low, then the uterus lining may not be prepared properly to support the embryo. This can cause implantation failure and loss of early pregnancy. The low levels of progesterone can be related to low rates of clinical pregnancy and high rates of miscarriages.
Monitoring Progesterone Levels
Your fertility doctor will perform a blood test to measure progesterone levels. These tests are simple and can give accurate information about hormone levels in your blood. Some clinics may also use saliva tests, but a blood test is more accurate.
One of the important factors that need to be considered is the timing of the test. During the natural menstrual cycle, progesterone levels are measured after 7 days of ovulation at the mid-luteal phase.
If you are undergoing IVF, your progesterone levels are measured on the day of embryo transfer.
Conclusion
Progesterone is an important hormone necessary for successful embryo transfer. Maintaining a progesterone level of 10 to 20 ng/mL may increase the chances of successful pregnancy.
Discuss with your doctor and take the necessary measures to maintain optimal progesterone levels.
High and low levels of progesterone can reduce the chances of success.
Progesterone levels can be managed through hormone therapy and regular monitoring.
Yes, studies show optimum progesterone levels increase IVF success.
Both low and high levels reduce the effectiveness of fertility treatments.
