Why cannot a woman who is pregnant continue to ovulate?

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SUMMARY

A pregnant woman cannot continue to ovulate due to the suppression of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). During pregnancy, the corpus luteum initially produces progesterone to maintain the uterine lining, preventing menstruation. As the pregnancy progresses, the placenta takes over progesterone production, aided by human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) secreted by the blastocyst. This hormonal environment effectively halts the maturation of follicles and ovulation.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of reproductive hormones: FSH, LH, and progesterone
  • Knowledge of the menstrual cycle and ovulation process
  • Familiarity with human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and its role in pregnancy
  • Basic concepts of corpus luteum function and placental development
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the role of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in early pregnancy
  • Study the hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle and their impact on ovulation
  • Explore the physiological functions of the corpus luteum and its hormonal outputs
  • Investigate the mechanisms of how pregnancy tests detect hCG levels
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Students of biology, healthcare professionals, and anyone interested in reproductive health and the hormonal regulation of pregnancy.

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Homework Statement


Why cannot a woman who is pregnant continue to ovulate?

Homework Equations


no equation
FSH matures the egg
LH releases egg

The Attempt at a Solution


I do know that during ovulation fsh matures the egg and Lh releases the egg and after that the remains of the folical which is corpus luteum produces progesterone which helps thicken the lining of the uterus and keep the woman from going into menstruation. And once that dies the placenta produces progesterone to keep the woman from menstruating.
My question is what about LH and FSH?
It should be low right? Because that will keep the follicles from maturing and ovulating
 
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lioric said:
My question is what about LH and FSH?
LH and FSH both spike right around ovulation and then decrease. If an egg is fertilized, the blastocyst begins to secrete human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) at around day 5 or 6 post-fertilization. This is functionally identical to LH, and thus maintains progesterone production by the corpus luteum which prevents menstruation. And, yes, eventually the corpus luteum degrades and the placenta takes over progesterone production--the trophoblast layer in the blastocyst that secretes hCG eventually becomes the placenta.

Interesting side note: most (all?) home pregnancy tests monitor hCG levels, since it's quite easy to detect even only a few weeks post-fertilization.
 
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