Do you wonder what causes you to crave certain foods during pregnancy? Do you realise how extreme your mood swings are now that you’re expecting? Guess what, that and more pregnancy symptoms you’re experiencing have something to do with your hormones. And in this article, we’ve gathered all you need to know about pregnancy hormones and their role in this stage of your life.
What Are Pregnancy Hormones
Pregnancy hormones are a group of chemicals your body produces in large quantities during pregnancy. They are responsible for many changes you’ll experience throughout pregnancy and after birth. These hormones also help control blood sugar levels, blood pressure, and blood clotting.
Hormones Pregnancy vs Not Pregnant
Hormones are chemicals produced by the body to help regulate various processes.
During pregnancy, your body undergoes a lot of changes. These changes are triggered by hormones that send signals to various systems in your body.
Hormones during Pregnancy
During pregnancy, you’ll have some pretty incredible changes happening to your body. You might notice that your body is growing larger than normal, and you’re feeling more tired than usual. These are just a few of the signs of pregnancy.
Pregnancy hormones also cause changes to your moods and emotions. Your body releases different hormones during pregnancy, which can cause many emotional changes. Some women may feel more anxious or worried about things than usual, while others may become more outgoing and friendly with others.
Hormones while Not Pregnant
The hormones that cause these changes during pregnancy can also occur when no baby is in the womb. Women who want to start a family usually experience these same changes when they stop taking birth control pills or start using other methods of contraception like condoms or intrauterine devices (IUDs). The main difference between these two situations is whether or not there is an embryo growing inside them at any given time!
Pregnancy Hormones vs Period
Suppose you’re not pregnant yet but still getting a period every month. In that case, chances are good that those monthly cycles are being triggered by rising levels of progesterone or estrogen in your body—which means that if you stop getting those monthly cycles (for example, when you decide not to take birth control pills), then those same hormones will be going through some big changes too!
Image Source: iStock
Pregnancy Hormones and Their Functions
Pregnancy is a roller-coaster of emotions, and the wheels of this roller-coaster are none other than pregnancy hormones. From giving you thick, shiny hair and flawless skin to making you cry at the sight of a puppy and much more, what are the main hormones in pregnancy and their functions?
1. Human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG)
What makes those two little blue lines pop on your positive pregnancy test? HCG! It’s perhaps the most important of all pregnancy hormones and is produced exclusively during this time by what eventually becomes your placenta.
Typically, your levels of HCG will rise eight days after ovulation, peak at 60 to 90 days, and then drop slightly.
During your first two weeks of pregnancy, HCG levels will double every two days. It is present in both your urine and blood, which is picked up by both urine and blood tests, confirming a pregnancy.
The role of HCG
- It stimulates the production of progesterone and estrogen, two other important pregnancy hormones.
- HCG suppresses your immune system to support your developing baby. It announces your baby’s presence to your body and helps your womb get ready for its tiny guest.
- This hormone is also responsible for telling your ovaries to stop releasing and maturing an egg every month.
- It is believed that rising levels of HCG are responsible for morning sickness — which subsides as your HCD levels go down.
2. Progesterone
Progesterone is a regular female hormone produced by a cyst on the ovary known as the corpus luteum. But by about the tenth week of pregnancy, the placenta takes over progesterone production.
This hormone is crucial to establish and maintaining a healthy pregnancy, and levels of it rise dramatically in the first trimester.
Role of progesterone
- Even before you are pregnant, it stimulates the growth of your uterine lining in preparation for receiving the fertilised egg.
- It encourages breast tissue growth in preparation for breastfeeding while preventing lactation.
- Progesterone helps prepare you for labour in late pregnancy by softening ligaments and cartilage.
- It suppresses your immune system to tolerate the foreign DNA of your developing baby.
- This hormone stimulates glands in the endometrium to release nutrients for your tiny embryo to grow.
Many hormones in pregnancy and their functions involve making sure your developing baby is safe and healthy. Image: file photo.
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3. Estrogen
Like progesterone, the ovary also secretes estrogen until the placenta takes over. It steadily increases until the end of your first trimester, after which it plateaus. Estrogen has several critical roles in your pregnancy.
Role of estrogen
- Estrogen helps your uterus grow.
- It regulates the production of other important hormones, including progesterone.
- Plays a crucial role in the development of your baby’s organs. Without it, your baby’s lungs, liver and other organs cannot grow.
- It helps protect your pregnancy by preventing miscarriage.
4. Oxytocin
Also known as the happy and love hormones, this hormone triggers labour by kick-starting contractions.
Role of oxytocin
- This hormone promotes bonding between you and your baby soon after he or she is born.
- It stretches your cervix in preparation for birth.
- Oxytocin stimulates your nipples to produce milk.
5. Human placental lactogen (hPL)
During pregnancy, the placenta starts to produce this hormone around the second week The highest levels of hPL occur during the latter stages of pregnancy.
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Role of hPL
- It helps supply energy to your developing baby to fuel his or her growth. This is done by regulating your metabolism, enabling your body to break down fats better, converting them to energy/ food.
- It makes your body less sensitive to insulin. Insulin is responsible for shifting glucose from your bloodstream to cells. More sugar is left in your blood to nourish your baby.
- Stimulates milk glands in the breasts in preparation for breastfeeding after the baby’s birth
6. Prolactin
This is another important hormone that helps with milk production. In fact, during pregnancy, it increases 10-20 times its normal amount.
Role of prolactin
- It causes your breasts to increase in size, promoting breast tissue growth.
- Prepares breasts for lactation and the release of milk.
7. Relaxin
As its name suggests, this hormone has an important, “relaxing” role on your body during pregnancy. While it is present and produced by the ovaries in non-pregnant women, during pregnancy, the placenta and uterine lining boost the production of relaxin.
Role of relaxin
- Prepares the uterus and its lining for pregnancy.
- Relaxes the uterus wall to prevent contractions, which can obstruct the implantation process of a fertilised egg.
- It prevents early contractions, helping to retain the pregnancy and avoid miscarriage.
- It relaxes your blood vessels to help them cope with the increased blood volume you produce in pregnancy.
- During labour and delivery, relaxin stimulates the softening of the cervix. It also relaxes the ligaments of your pelvis for a smoother delivery.
Pregnant woman looking at her bump
Pregnancy Hormones Mood Swings
Hormones are a big part of pregnancy, and you may feel slightly more emotional than usual.
That’s normal—and it doesn’t mean you should be worried about your mental health.
Pregnancy hormones can cause mood swings, so it’s important to know what’s normal and what isn’t.
Here are some common signs of pregnancy mood swings:
- Feeling anxious or worried
- Having trouble sleeping at night
- Having crying spells or mood swings that come out of nowhere
But what do you do when those mood swings hit?
There are a few things you can try:
- Make sure to get enough sleep. This is the most important thing you can do to stabilise your moods. Staying calm and collected during stressful situations will be much easier if your body feels rested.
- Eat well! Staying hydrated and getting enough protein will give your body what it needs to function at its best, making it easier for you not to get frustrated or angry if things aren’t going how they should be.
- Get some exercise! Physical activity releases endorphins into the bloodstream, which helps reduce stress and anxiety levels in many people—including expecting mothers! So if possible, try taking a walk around the block or hitting up yoga class once a week (or more often!). You’ll feel great afterwards!
Pregnancy Hormones During the First Trimester
Pregnancy hormones during the first trimester are very high. This is why you feel so many different emotions and mood swings. Some women may feel happy, sad, angry and sometimes even suicidal. Some women can also feel extreme anxiety or depression during this time.
The reason for these emotions is that your body prepares for pregnancy. Your body is producing more estrogen and progesterone, which can cause you to have mood swings or emotional ups and downs.
During this time, you may notice that you have trouble sleeping because of all these new hormones in your body. You may also find that you are extremely tired and need naps throughout the day or even at night when your baby isn’t sleeping yet!
Many women find themselves craving foods they didn’t like before pregnancy, like pickles or ice cream!
Some women also find that their bodies change significantly during this time; their breasts become larger than normal (which may cause pain at times), and their ankles swell up sometimes, too, due to fluid retention (this could also cause some discomfort.
Pregnancy Hormones During Second Trimester
During the second trimester, pregnancy hormones can make you feel like a different person.
You might have trouble sleeping, be more emotional than usual, or notice your hair falling out in clumps. You may also feel like your body has changed in ways that make you uncomfortable (like your belly getting bigger).
But don’t worry! These changes are normal and are part of what makes pregnancy unique—and exciting!
Pregnancy Hormones During Third Trimester
During the third trimester of pregnancy, your body prepares for labour and delivery. The placenta is fully grown and working to provide nourishment for your baby. Your uterus will continue to grow until it’s about watermelon size. Your weight gain will also continue to increase. And your baby will be ready for birth by this time.
When Will Hormones Be Normal After Pregnancy
Here’s one more question: when will hormones be normal after pregnancy?
The answer lies in the word “normal.” Women’s bodies constantly change throughout their lives, so they never get back to “normal.” But if you’re wondering when your body will return to pre-pregnancy hormone levels, it’s usually about six weeks after delivery.
After you give birth, your body produces less progesterone than before (which is why some women experience depression after giving birth). It takes about six weeks for the progesterone level to go down enough for you to stop lactating and for your body temperature to return to normal. It takes about two months for estrogen levels to return completely to normal.
Updates by Pheona Ilagan
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