Dear Sonia,
Using progesterone during pregnancy is both medically prudent and morally acceptable. Progesterone is produced during the second part of the menstrual cycle (after ovulation) to help develop the endometrium for implantation of the growing child. Additionally, a woman will continue to make progesterone in order to maintain the pregnancy. Without the proper progesterone levels, a miscarriage or premature birth will result. By replacing the progesterone at the proper time of the cycle and/or continuing progesterone replacement during pregnancy, a miscarriage or premature delivery can be avoided if low progesterone was the cause.
The proper levels of progesterone through the menstrual cycle and throughout all the weeks of pregnancy have been developed at the Pope Paul VI Institute, an institute fully obedient to the teachings of the Catholic Church. The founders, Thomas Hilgers MD, an Ob/Gyn, and his wife, Sue, began the Institute nearly forty years ago in response to the call to physicians and scientists in the encyclical Humane Vitae to investigate human fertility.
Using progesterone during your pregnancy can help to avoid a miscarriage or premature birth if progesterone levels are low. Progesterone replacement is in accord with Church teachings. Additionally, data from the Pope Paul VI Institute has demonstrated the safety profile of progesterone use in pregnancy.
I hope that this information will help you and your child.
God bless.
Gretchen V. Marsh, D.O.