Progesterone nervous tissue, especially in the brain, and in adipose (fat) tissue, as well. During human pregnancy, progesterone is produced in increasingly high amounts by the ovaries and placenta. At first, the source is the corpus luteum that has been "rescued" by the presence of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) from the conceptus. However, after the 8th week, production of progesterone shifts to the placenta. The placenta utilizes maternal cholesterol as the initial substrate, and most of the produced progesterone enters the maternal circulation, but some is picked up by the fetal circulation and used as substrate for fetal corticosteroids. At term
Menstrual cycle of the menstrual cycle, regardless of fertility. Behavior towards potential mating partners changes during different phases of the menstrual cycle. Near ovulation, women may have increased physical attraction and interest in attending social gatherings with men. During the fertile phase of the cycle, women appear to prefer males who are more masculine. The intensity of mate guarding differs across the phases of the cycle, with increased mate guarding occurring when woman are fertile. During the fertile phase, many women experience more attraction, fantasies and sexual interest for extra pair men but not for the primary partner. They also engage in