When it comes to tracking fertility and understanding your body’s reproductive health, many women have questions about PdG levels after ovulation. PdG, or Pregnanediol Glucuronide, is a metabolite of progesterone, a key hormone that helps maintain the uterine lining during the luteal phase of your cycle. Tracking PdG levels after ovulation can provide valuable insights into your fertility, especially if you’re trying to conceive.
What are PdG Levels?
PdG stands for Pregnanediol Glucuronide, a breakdown product of the hormone progesterone. Progesterone is essential for the maintenance of the uterine lining and for preparing the body for pregnancy. After ovulation, the corpus luteum (the follicle left behind after the egg is released) produces progesterone. When the body metabolizes progesterone, it converts it into PdG, which is then excreted through urine. By measuring PdG levels in urine, you can assess your body’s progesterone production after ovulation and monitor whether your luteal phase is sufficient to support pregnancy.
How Do PdG Levels Change After Ovulation?
After ovulation, progesterone levels rise significantly, peaking around the middle of the luteal phase. As progesterone rises, so do PdG levels in the urine. If conception occurs, these levels remain elevated, supporting the thickening of the uterine lining to facilitate implantation of the fertilized egg. If pregnancy does not occur, progesterone and subsequently PdG levels drop, signaling the start of menstruation. PdG testing is particularly helpful for tracking this rise in progesterone to ensure that a healthy luteal phase is occurring, which is essential for conception.
PdG Levels if Pregnant: What to Expect
If conception occurs, PdG levels will stay elevated throughout the luteal phase and into early pregnancy. Progesterone and PdG levels continue to rise through early pregnancy to support the growth of the embryo and the development of the placenta.
When Does PdG Drop if Not Pregnant?
If conception does not occur, PdG levels typically start to decline around 10-14 days after ovulation. As progesterone production decreases, PdG levels follow suit, signaling the onset of menstruation. This drop marks the end of the luteal phase and the beginning of a new menstrual cycle. Women experiencing consistently low PdG levels after ovulation may have a luteal phase defect, which can hinder conception. If you’re trying to conceive and notice low PdG levels, it’s important to speak with a healthcare provider about potential treatments or lifestyle adjustments.
How to Track PdG Levels
At-home PdG tests measure the urine metabolites of progesterone, giving insight into hormone activity during the luteal phase. Premom’s Easy@Home PdG tests work best when used daily, starting five days after a positive ovulation test and continuing daily until you get a positive result before your next period. Regular testing helps show whether progesterone is rising as expected after ovulation—a key sign that ovulation likely occurred.
The Premom app brings all of your fertility data together in one place. You can scan each PdG strip with your phone, and the app automatically reads the result and plots it alongside your LH surges and basal body temperature (BBT) chart. Viewing PdG, LH, and BBT on the same chart makes it easy to compare the predicted ovulation window with the hormone changes that follow.
With PdG testing, a positive result is actually the absence of a visible test line, which indicates PdG levels above 5 ng/mL. Watching those test lines fade from visible to nearly invisible over several days becomes a visual cue that progesterone is likely rising and staying elevated—a helpful way to see the luteal-phase pattern without needing lab work.
Tips for ovulation tracking with PdG tests:
- Start testing 5 days after achieving a positive result with an ovulation test.
- Test your urine in the morning for more consistent results.
- Follow the full testing window so you capture the full luteal-phase pattern, not just a single result.
- Scan each test strip in the app to automatically record results and view them next to your LH and BBT data.
Why Do PdG Levels Matter When Trying to Get Pregnant?
Identifying whether ovulation actually occurred is one of the most important steps when you’re trying to conceive—without ovulation, pregnancy simply can’t happen. PdG levels provide insight into this part of the cycle because they reflect the rise in progesterone that follows the release of an egg.
After ovulation, progesterone typically increases to support the uterine lining and prepare it for a potential pregnancy. PdG is the urine marker of this progesterone rise, so testing for it can show whether progesterone levels are behaving as expected during the luteal phase. If PdG levels stay consistently low—producing negative results cycle after cycle—it may point to a hormone imbalance or a luteal phase issue that can make conception more difficult.
While LH ovulation tests help predict when an egg might be released, they cannot verify that ovulation actually happened. Tracking PdG in the days following the LH surge fills that gap by indicating whether ovulation was likely successful and whether progesterone levels increased afterward.
Using PdG tests alongside ovulation predictor kits (OPKs) offers a more complete picture of your cycle and can help identify potential issues early, giving you and your healthcare provider useful information for next steps.
Learn more about foods that naturally support progesterone production.
Bring Your Fertility Data Together
Tracking PdG alongside LH and BBT gives you a fuller picture of your cycle and helps you see when ovulation likely occurred. The Premom app brings these pieces together in one chart, so you can scan PdG strips, log LH tests, and watch your temperature trends in a single view. Whether you’re just starting to track or looking for clearer insights into your luteal phase, using one platform to connect all of your data makes it easier to spot patterns and discuss them with your healthcare provider.
Download the free Premom app to start charting your own cycle.
Frequently Asked Questions About PdG Levels
A PdG test measures the amount of Pregnanediol Glucuronide (PdG), a metabolite of progesterone, in your urine. By tracking PdG levels, you can assess if your progesterone levels are sufficient during the luteal phase, which is crucial for implantation and supporting early pregnancy.
The most reliable method is a blood test that measures serum progesterone. A healthcare provider orders this test to see whether progesterone is rising appropriately to help maintain the uterine lining in early pregnancy. Results are interpreted in the context of your overall health and other hormone levels, so follow-up with your provider is essential.
Yes. If pregnancy occurs, the corpus luteum continues producing progesterone, and blood levels remain elevated to support the uterine lining until the placenta takes over hormone production later in the first trimester. A healthcare provider can monitor these levels through serum progesterone tests if there’s a clinical reason to do so.
Progesterone levels should be between 10-20 ng/mL for successful implantation. PdG levels, as a metabolite of progesterone, should also be high during this time to support a thick uterine lining and successful implantation.
References
- Mesen, T. B., & Young, S. L. (2015). Progesterone and the luteal phase: A requisite to reproduction. Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinics of North America, 42(1), 135-151. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4436586/
- Wegrzynowicz, A. K., Eyvazzadeh, A., & Beckley, A. (2024, June). Current ovulation and luteal phase tracking methods and technologies for fertility and Family Planning: A Review. Seminars in reproductive medicine. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11837971/
- Bulletti, C., Bulletti, F. M., Sciorio, R., & Guido, M. (2022, November 16). Progesterone: The key factor of the beginning of life. International journal of molecular sciences. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9692968/
