Progesterone and Fertility
Progesterone has many important jobs! Not only is it vital for carrying a baby, it is key to cycle health. More progesterone means less PMS and easier periods by balancing estrogen, reducing inflammation, promoting sleep, and even calming our nervous system for a happier mood!
Signs of low progesterone include:
Luteal phase < 10 days
Heavy prolonged periods
Poor sleep
Irritable
Painful periods
Spotting before period
Nutrition and lifestyle play a big role in nourishing progesterone production! You see, progesterone production is a result of the health of a maturing follicle. The full maturation cycle of a follicle is 90-100 days! After a follicle is mature it has the chance of being chosen for ovulation. Once ovulation occurs, the follicle turns into a progesterone secreting organ called the corpus luteum. If the follicle didn’t receive the necessary nutrients throughout the maturation cycle or was impaired by frequent high stress hormones, the corpus luteum will struggle to produce progesterone.
The time frame of follicle maturation is also the time frame that is required for significant changes in egg quality. So while you are working on improving progesterone levels, you can also improve the genetic programming of the eggs that will become your future tiny human!
Estrogen can overshadow progesterone, so it is also important to support healthy estrogen metabolism & elimination for progesterone to do its job. Many of us need a little support in getting rid of excess estrogen for progesterone to really shine. Our cruciferous veggies like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, and bok choy support the liver in detoxing estrogen so we can eliminate it efficiently.
Another key food for healthy progesterone is fat! Fat provides the building blocks to make progesterone. Fat is your friend, kick low-fat, no-fat to the curb and focus on nutrient dense fats like avocado and avocado oil, olives and olive oil, ghee, whole fat yogurt, wild caught fatty fish and grass fed beef.
You have to ovulate to have progesterone if you need support making this happen, let’s chat! Investigating WHY progesterone is low is key. Targeted nutrition and lifestyle can support your body in creating quality follicles and ovulation so you can create a healthy corpus luteum to boost your progesterone production.
Progesterone levels can be tested in blood or urine, but it must be tested at the right time in your cycle to be accurate. Ideally, you want to test progesterone in the middle of your luteal phase or 5-7 days after ovulation. If you cycle is text-book this would be about day 21. If you have an irregular cycle, testing progesterone on day 21 means nothing because you may not have ovulated yet. This is where tracking your cycle, specifically your basal body temperature (BBT) comes in handy. An ovulation predictor kit (OPK) can be helpful, but still won’t confirm ovulation (only BBT or an ultrasound can do that). OPK’s test LH surge, which is a predictor of ovulation but does not guarantee that ovulation happens.
Brooke Boskovich, MS, RD, LD The Fertility Dietitian
Medical Disclaimer:
The information provided in this blog is intended for general informational purposes only and should not be considered as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your healthcare provider or qualified medical professional with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this blog.
