Trouble conceiving? Are you missing something? Progesterone the baby making hormone...

That act of conceiving a child should be a wonderful & passionate experience shared between a couple. However, many healthy couples experience difficulties conceiving which adds stress, pressure and unnecessary strain to their lives. At present in Australia one in six couples will take longer than 12 months to fall pregnant or carry a pregnancy to full term.[i] Inability to conceive after the 12 months defines the couple as being infertile. In 40% of cases the cause of infertility rests with the male, 40% with the female and 10% is unknown.

The rise in infertility has been increasing dramatically over recent years – much of course attributed to the delay in childbearing and other contributing factors such as increased chemical exposure and reproductive abnormalities. Infertile couples find themselves jumping through hoops and undergoing extensive medical intervention & treatment in order to conceive. However, one of the simplest things that tends to be overlooked in the mad craze of trying to fall pregnant are the females progesterone levels – the key hormone for conception and the key hormone for sustaining a healthy and vital pregnancy.

Progesterone literally translates to “Pro-Gestation” or “Pro-Life”. It also plays an important role in preparing a woman’s breasts for lactation along with altering the ligaments and muscles in a woman’s body to facilitate birth. In a woman with a healthy reproductive system progesterone levels will surge after ovulation and if the woman conceives her levels of progesterone will remain at a heightened level until twelve weeks gestation. This is when the placenta will take over and supply this important hormone. The progesterone’s role; once conception has occurred, is to prevent the lining of the uterus from shedding and therefore supply a lush, healthy uterine environment for the embryo to implant and develop into a fetus. If conception does not occur, progesterone levels will drop and another menstrual cycle will pursue.

Numerous women who have trouble conceiving or who have suffered a miscarriage in the early months of pregnancy have a progesterone deficiency. In order to discover whether you have a progesterone deficiency Hormone level testing needs to be performed. This will enable you, along with your healthcare provider, to accurately monitor progesterone levels and ensure that they remain within optimal physiological range.

However, not all hormone testing is equal. Hormone testing is done in three ways via the blood, urine or saliva. The best, most reliable, cost effective way to get your hormones tested is via salivary hormone tests. Saliva hormone tests are considered to be the gold standard for hormone analysis by the World Health Organisation (WHO). They measure the free, biologically active form of your hormones, thus providing an extremely accurate picture of what your body is currently doing. If you are concerned about your hormone levels or worried that a progesterone deficiency may be hindering your chances of conceiving and are not quite ready to take the step to use Assisted Reproductive Technologies to try and conceive make a time to see a Naturopath who can use accurate Saliva Testing to determine what your progesterone levels and other hormones are doing. Once these are assed Natural Therapies such as Herbal Medicine and Nutritional Therapy can aid in re-balancing your body’s hormones and raising your progesterone levels along with a thorough pre-conception diet plan.

Hormone Saliva Testing is available from Tessa Roberts N.D. at Eyre Naturopathic Clinic. Phone 0422259754 to make an appointment

.[i] Australian Institute of Health and Welfare National Peri natal Statistics Unit 2011

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