Use of progesterone therapy as a content booster is still a matter of debate among experts. Some say it is effective, some say the opposite. Why is that so? Let's look at the various facts below.
Progesterone hormone therapy is one of the treatment options commonly given to women who have had a miscarriage. This is done because progesterone therapy is believed to strengthen the uterus so that it has the opportunity to prevent recurrent miscarriage.
Why Progesterone is Important in Early Pregnancy
Progesterone is a naturally occurring hormone in the body. This hormone has an important role during pregnancy, especially in the first trimester, starting from building and maintaining the inner lining of the uterus where the egg is attached, providing nutrition to the fetus, to strengthening the uterine lining.
Given the importance of the role of the hormone progesterone in early pregnancy, pregnant women with low levels of progesterone are considered more at risk of miscarriage. This is the reason for doing progesterone therapy to prevent miscarriage.
It's just that the effectiveness of progesterone as a pregnancy booster is still debatable. A recent study states that progesterone therapy in the first trimester does not completely help prevent miscarriage.
In fact, there is some evidence that women who receive progesterone have higher rates of miscarriage.
Even so, the results of other studies show that in some cases, there are also women who successfully achieve pregnancy with progesterone therapy. In fact, not only prevent miscarriage, the administration of progesterone therapy is considered effective in preventing premature birth.
How to Do Progesterone Therapy
In general, there are three ways to do progesterone therapy that can be done based on a doctor's recommendation, namely:
Progesterone Supplements
Some doctors prescribe progesterone supplements in the form of oral medications, if during an early pregnancy examination, low levels of progesterone are found in the patient's body.
Progesterone injection
The hormone progesterone can also be given by injection. The doctor or nurse will give this injection around 16-20 weeks of gestation and will continue to be given every week until the baby is born. After receiving the injection, the patient's skin may feel sore and red at the injection site.
Suppository tablets
Progesterone therapy can also be done in the form of suppository tablets or soft drugs that are inserted into the vagina. This procedure can be done alone with a dose of once a day, usually before going to bed by lying down for about 30 minutes. Patients are usually advised to use pantyliner or pads to absorb any fluid that may come out of the vagina.
Although its effectiveness is still being debated, some doctors still prescribe progesterone drugs because there are not many other options to strengthen the fetus and prevent miscarriage.
However, pregnant women need to be careful about the risk of blood clots after progesterone therapy. If you experience symptoms of shortness of breath, swollen and painful legs, or a red area appears on your feet after undergoing progesterone therapy, pregnant women need to be treated immediately.
For pregnant women who are receiving progesterone therapy, do not hesitate to ask your obstetrician further about the benefits and risks. Also do regular check-ups with the doctor so that the health condition of pregnant women and fetuses can be monitored continuously.
