If you are struggling to conceive but unable to, your doctor may prescribe you IVF treatments. IVF, known as in-vitro fertilization, is a process for childless couples. Progesterone injections is one such IVF treatment.
Progesterone – the term isn’t new, right? It is actually a female reproductive hormone, which is essential for a pregnancy. How progesterone injections help in IVF treatments, and how they help you in staying pregnant? Keep on reading this article to find all about progesterone injections IVF treatment.
Table of Contents
Why is Progesterone Essential for Pregnancy?
Progesterone is known as ‘The Pregnancy Hormone’. It is necessary to help the uterus prepare for pregnancy and the implantation of an embryo.
Progesterone is produced by the ovaries during ovulation. During ovulation, a mature egg gets released from the ovary.
If you dig deeper, progesterone is produced by the ovarian follicles. These follicles are actually cysts that contain the egg before ovulation occurs.
The hormone progesterone prepares your uterus lining known as Endometrium for implantation of a fertilized egg. If due to any mishap, the fertilized egg is unable to implant itself in the uterus, the levels of progesterone drop and the menstruation begins.
But if you are lucky, and implantation happens successfully, pregnancy occurs. About 10weeks of pregnancy, the placenta forms and starts producing progesterone until your baby comes to the world.
How Progesterone Can Help Treat Infertility?
If God forbid, you are infertile, or unable to conceive through natural methods, progesterone injections are an IVF treatment option.
The question is: how does progesterone treat infertility?
Well, your progesterone levels are lowered during IVF due to several reasons e.g.
- Medications used to slow down premature ovulation may reduce the production of progesterone following collection of your eggs
- At the time of follicle aspiration to obtain mature eggs, many progesterone-producing cells may also be removed due to the mechanics of the IVF procedure
For the conception of a baby, it’s essential to ensure proper levels of progesterone in your ovaries and uterus.
Read more about home remedies for pregnancy tests.
Progesterone Oil Injections: Which Options to Choose From?
Up until recently, you could take your progesterone three ways: orally, vaginally or intramuscularly. Now there’s a fourth way: subcutaneous application. Each has its pros and cons, but oral and vaginal use is the most common.
Let’s get to know about these progesterone injection methods in detail:
Oral Pills
Oral pills containing progesterone e.g. Utrogestan is okay for you to pop. These pills can cause sedative and nauseous side effects. Most doctors warn against the use of oral pills for progesterone IVF treatments.
It’s best to take your Utrogestan vaginally. They’re less messy than gels. You can use it even if your product application is silent on vaginal application. With Utrogestan, it’s also easy to adjust dosage.
Vaginal Progesterone Injections
Vaginal progesterone is more effective. It is presented in two forms: gel or pessaries. They are readily absorbed in the uterus. The best thing about vaginal progesterone is they bypass your liver, and you feel more yourself.
You may not like the vaginal insertion of progesterone due to the shyness element. But trust me, it’s more beneficial. Studies show that the vaginal progesterone method has greater implantation, delivery and birth rates as compared to other progesterone IVF methods.
Intramuscular Injections
This form of progesterone injections for IVF treatment is taken by less than 10% of patients. Intramuscular injections e.g Gestone, Prontogest, Agolutin are injected in your muscle. The body then absorbs it slowly and evenly. It can be good at limiting light spotting and bleeding in early pregnancy.
One shot and you’re done for the day.
Despite its great credentials, intramuscular progesterone injections may not be everyone’s cup of tea. Some people may use it as a supplement to vaginal progesterone but it doesn’t improve the ongoing pregnancy rates.
Subcutaneous Progesterone Injections
Last, but certainly not least, are subcutaneous progesterone injections e.g. Prolutex and Lubion. They’re not intramuscular, so you can do it yourself. You might get fewer skin reactions.
You may prefer a simple injection into your lower abdomen each day than staying horizontal for 30 minutes after vaginal progesterone.
But A WARNING!!! Lubion and Prolutex are quite expensive. A doctor can help you choose which form of progesterone oil injections are best for your pregnancy treatment.
Are There Any Risks Involved With Progesterone Oil Injections?
Possible side effects of progesterone treatment include increase in appetite, back pain, mood swings, fluid retention, and gastrointestinal disturbances. Some other symptoms include tender breasts, brown spotting, weight gain/loss, vaginal itching, changes in menstrual flow etc.
Takeaway!!!
This was a general summary of progesterone oil injections during IVF treatment. Whichever one you choose, don’t miss a single dose.
Your baby needs progesterone more than you think.
If you want to know more information about progesterone injections for IVF treatment, make sure to consult a well-known gynecologist in Lahore. You can book an appointment via Healthwire.pk or call at (042) 32500989.
