Uterine Cells Produce Estrogen In Pregnancy

Estrogen Produced In Uterus

Ovaries produce estrogen right? Well yes, but according to this article, the uterus may be the newest endocrine gland.
See www.getpregnantover40.com for more on pregnancy, fertility and miscarriage 
Surprisingly, the uterus has been found to produce it's own estrogen which helps to support a pregnancy. Read more:

CHAMPAIGN, lll. – For decades, scientists assumed that the ovary alone produced steroid hormones during pregnancy. In a new study in mice, however, researchers demonstrate that once an embryo attaches to the uterine wall, the uterus itself actually synthesizes the estrogen needed to sustain the pregnancy.

This is the first time that the uterus has been identified as an endocrine organ, said University of Illinois veterinary biosciences professor Indrani Bagchi, who led the study with doctoral student Amrita Das. Their findings appear this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.
from:
news.illinois.edu

Estrogen in Pregnancy and Child's future fertility

Pregnancy Over 40 and Hormones

I found an interesting study done by the University of Maryland School of Medicine which found that low estrogen levels in pregnancy could affect the fertility of the offspring.
See: www.getpregnantover40.com for more on pregnancy hormones 
 Although this study was done on baboons, it may translate to humans. Read more:

A team of researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore and the Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk has shown that low estrogen levels during pregnancy can impair fetal ovary development and reduce the number of follicles (eggs) a female is born with.

"Low estrogen levels during pregnancy mean the female baby will be born with fewer eggs," says Dr. Gene Albrecht Ph.D., professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and co-investigator for the study. Because women are born with all of the eggs they will ever have during their reproductive life, the findings may help to explain adult fertility problems and the early onset of menopause.
from:  (www.umm.edu)