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Progesterone levels: normal ranges
Normal progesterone levels depend on where you are in your cycle and whether you're pregnant. Labcorp's ranges are 0.1 to 0.9 ng/mL in the follicular phase, 0.1 to 12.0 around ovulation and 1.8 to 23.9 in the luteal phase. In pregnancy they rise from 11.0 to 44.3 in the first trimester to 58.7 to 214.0 in the third. After menopause, the range is 0.0 to 0.1 ng/mL.
Progesterone ranges in the follicular and luteal phase, in pregnancy and after menopause. Why timing matters and what a low or high result means.
Normal progesterone levels: expectation vs reality
What people often expect
“A low progesterone result means my body doesn't make enough”
What the evidence shows
Before ovulation, progesterone is supposed to be low: Labcorp's follicular range tops out at 0.9 ng/mL. It only rises after ovulation, when the corpus luteum forms. So a test on the wrong cycle day looks low in everyone, and the test is mainly used to show whether you've ovulated. Levels also fall naturally in perimenopause as ovulation becomes irregular.
Progesterone levels by cycle phase, pregnancy and menopause
Progesterone levels during the menstrual cycle
In the first half of the cycle, progesterone stays low. A small rise begins a day before ovulation. After ovulation, the corpus luteum makes progesterone and levels climb through the luteal phase; if you don't get pregnant, the corpus luteum breaks down, progesterone falls and your period starts. Labcorp's ranges: follicular 0.1 to 0.9, ovulatory 0.1 to 12.0, luteal 1.8 to 23.9 ng/mL.
Learn more →Progesterone levels after ovulation
After ovulation, progesterone rises to prepare the uterine lining for implantation. Labs use the test to confirm that a functioning corpus luteum is present, to back up basal body temperature charts and to estimate the day of ovulation. A result in the luteal range suggests you ovulated. The phase after ovulation normally lasts more than 10 days.
Progesterone levels in early pregnancy
If you're pregnant, the corpus luteum keeps making progesterone until the placenta takes over, and levels rise each trimester. Labcorp's ranges are 11.0 to 44.3 ng/mL in the first trimester, 25.4 to 83.3 in the second and 58.7 to 214.0 in the third. There's no single week-by-week cutoff, such as at 4 or 6 weeks; a doctor looks at how levels change over repeated tests.
Progesterone levels in perimenopause
As ovulation becomes less regular, fewer cycles produce a luteal rise. In one study, mean luteal progesterone fell with each stage of reproductive aging, and anovulatory cycles were most common in the late menopause transition. A study of daily urine found lower luteal progesterone in perimenopausal women than in younger women. There's no perimenopause range; results depend on whether that cycle ovulated.
Learn more →Progesterone levels after menopause
With no ovulation, the ovaries stop making progesterone, and Labcorp's postmenopausal range is 0.0 to 0.1 ng/mL. The adrenal glands still make small amounts. If you take progesterone as part of HRT, levels rise, but menopause guidance says hormone blood tests are rarely needed on HRT because doses are guided by symptoms.
What low progesterone levels can mean
Outside pregnancy, low progesterone can mean you didn't ovulate that cycle, or it can be linked to missed periods, PCOS, high stress, perimenopause or low cholesterol. In pregnancy, low levels are linked to ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage or pre-eclampsia, which is why a low result in early pregnancy is followed up quickly.
Learn more →What high progesterone levels can mean
High progesterone is normal after ovulation and in pregnancy. Outside those times, MedlinePlus links it to ovarian cysts, ovarian cancer and adrenal gland problems, including congenital adrenal hyperplasia. In pregnancy, higher-than-expected levels can mean twins or more, or rarely a molar pregnancy.
Learn more →How to test progesterone levels
Progesterone is measured with a simple blood test, also called serum progesterone or PGSN. You usually don't need to prepare, but you may be asked for the first day of your last period, and you shouldn't stop medicines unless told to. Because levels change through the cycle and pregnancy, you may need several tests. Labcorp also advises stopping high-dose biotin supplements at least 72 hours before the blood draw.
Normal progesterone levels by the numbers
1.8–23.9 ng/mL
0.1–0.9 ng/mL
11.0–44.3 ng/mL
0.0–0.1 ng/mL
Ranges differ between labs, so compare your result with the range on your own report.
How to test progesterone levels accurately
Test after ovulation to check ovulation
First stepProgesterone rises only after ovulation, so a test in the luteal phase shows whether you ovulated. A follicular-phase result is expected to be low and doesn't mean deficiency.
Give the date of your last period
First stepThe result can only be interpreted with your cycle day or weeks of pregnancy.
Repeat tests to see a trend
Strong evidenceBecause levels change through the cycle and pregnancy, you may need several tests; in early pregnancy, the trend matters more than one number.
Skip progesterone tests for perimenopause
Strong evidenceFrom 45, perimenopause is identified from symptoms and cycle changes; hormone tests don't add much.
Related guide →
When progesterone levels need a doctor's review
Low progesterone in early pregnancy
Your doctor will follow up, since it can be linked to miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy.
Urgent: Bleeding or one-sided pain in early pregnancy
Call 911 or go to the ER if pain is severe; ectopic pregnancy can be an emergency.
Repeatedly low luteal results while trying to conceive
See a doctor about whether you're ovulating and what might be preventing it.
High progesterone when you're not pregnant
See a doctor to check the ovaries and adrenal glands.
Progesterone levels: questions women ask
What are normal and average progesterone levels?
It depends on the cycle and pregnancy. Labcorp's ranges: 0.1 to 0.9 ng/mL before ovulation, 1.8 to 23.9 after ovulation, 11.0 to 44.3 in the first trimester and 0.0 to 0.1 after menopause.
What should progesterone levels be after ovulation?
In the luteal phase, Labcorp's range is 1.8 to 23.9 ng/mL. Levels climb after ovulation and fall before your period if you're not pregnant.
What should progesterone levels be at 4 weeks pregnant?
There’s no single cutoff for a given week. Labcorp’s first-trimester range is 11.0 to 44.3 ng/mL. In early pregnancy, doctors look at how levels change over repeated tests, especially if you have bleeding or pain.
What are progesterone levels in menopause?
Very low, because there's no ovulation: Labcorp's postmenopausal range is 0.0 to 0.1 ng/mL. In perimenopause, levels depend on whether each cycle ovulates.
What does a progesterone level of 0.5 mean?
0.5 ng/mL is within Labcorp's follicular range of 0.1 to 0.9, so it's normal before ovulation. If the test was done after ovulation, it suggests you may not have ovulated that cycle. Your doctor will read it with your cycle day.
How do I check my progesterone levels?
Ask your doctor for a blood progesterone test. Tell them the first day of your last period so they can time and interpret it.
What are progesterone levels at ovulation?
They start to rise about a day before ovulation. Labcorp's ovulatory range is 0.1 to 12.0 ng/mL; the bigger rise comes after ovulation.
Can you have low progesterone and still ovulate?
Yes. Some cycles have a short phase after ovulation, 10 days or less, called luteal phase deficiency. Fertility specialists say it also occurs in fertile women and hasn't been proven to cause infertility on its own.
Do progesterone levels drop before your period?
Yes. If you don’t get pregnant, the corpus luteum breaks down, progesterone falls, and the uterine lining sheds as your period.
Related →Can stress lower progesterone levels?
It can. MedlinePlus notes that too much of the stress hormone cortisol can affect your body’s ability to make progesterone, and stress can also disrupt ovulation.
What is a progesterone test used for?
To confirm ovulation and a working corpus luteum, to investigate infertility and abnormal bleeding, to monitor fertility treatment and high-risk pregnancies, and to check for ectopic pregnancy or miscarriage risk.
What is a good progesterone level after ovulation?
Labcorp's luteal range is 1.8 to 23.9 ng/mL, and a result in that range suggests ovulation happened. Your doctor will interpret it with your cycle day, since levels climb after ovulation and fall before your period.
Sources
- Labcorp. Progesterone (test 004317): reference range.
- Cleveland Clinic. Progesterone: natural function, levels and side effects.
- Hale GE, Zhao X, Hughes CL, et al. Endocrine features of menstrual cycles in middle and late reproductive age and the menopausal transition classified according to the Staging of Reproductive Aging Workshop (STRAW) staging system. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2007;92(8):3060-7.
- Practice Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine and Practice Committee of the Society for Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. Diagnosis and treatment of luteal phase deficiency: a Committee Opinion. Fertil Steril. 2026;126(4):633-639.
- MedlinePlus, US National Library of Medicine. Progesterone test.
- Santoro N, Brown JR, Adel T, et al. Characterization of reproductive hormonal dynamics in the perimenopause. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1996;81(4):1495-501.
- Women's Health Concern / British Menopause Society. Fact sheet: HRT types, doses and regimens.
- NICE. Menopause: identification and management (NG23). Updated 2024.
- National 911 Program. 911.gov.
- Gordon CM, Ackerman KE, Berga SL, et al. Functional Hypothalamic Amenorrhea: An Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2017;102(5):1413-1439.
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