Hello I have gone through your questions. I can understand your concern. Water retention is also known by its more medical term, edema. This is a condition that results when water leaks into the body tissues from the blood. In normal circumstances, the fluid is drained from the body tissues through the lymphatic system. Water retention problems arise when fluid is not removed by the lymph system properly; it is retained in the body tissues where it causes swelling (edema). Anyway ,don t worry!It is very common for even healthy adults to experience weight fluctuations due to water retention, which account for many day-to-day fluctuations on the scale. This situation is most common especially in menopause. So,my answer for you is :Yes, Fluctuating hormone levels, hormonal imbalances, and a loss of progesterone can attribute to water retention especially in menopausal women. Unless the weight gain is excessive, it should not be a cause of concern and can be self-managed. So,my advice for you is:Try to focus on health and maintaining an active lifestyle and water retention and bloating will generally resolve itself within a few months. Ps. If you are not in menopause than i suggest to consult physically your doctor because the are some medical conditions like:Hypertension,thyroid problems ,kidney diseases that can be the culpit of your water retention and it is necessary to investigate for the right diagnose and treatement. Hope this is helpful. If you have other queries,feel free and ask. Best regards.