The Role of Estrogen and Progesterone

Along with progesterone, estrogen works in the female body to regulate all that happens in a woman in association with her monthly period and prepares the uterus for pregnancy. Each of these hormones plays specific roles in women:

 

·        Estrogen: This hormone helps shape the female body, helping to develop breasts and hips. It also causes the vagina, uterus and other female organs to mature. Estrogen helps to maintain healthy bones and heart and veins. Estrogen may also enhance sexual drive.

·        Progesterone: This is the second most important hormone in a woman’s body. It causes the growth of a cushioning lining in the uterus so that a fertilized egg can implant and grow into a baby. It also helps to maintain the pregnancy and causes the breasts to produce milk.

These two hormones are produced primarily by the ovaries. Therefore during menopause the amount of these hormones in the body are reduced dramatically. Since the adrenal glands also produce a small amount of both of these and the liver, kidneys and fat cells produce bits of estrogen, there will still be low amounts of these hormones in the postmenopausal woman.