Learn What is Going on With Six Key Hormones in Pregnancy

From emotions that change frequently to pain in the tummy and loose ligaments in pregnancy, if you are wondering why pregnancy has sent you daily craving fits, The answer is hormones. Pregnancy hormones are a thing and are considered amazing as well as mysterious as they can take you for a ride.

As per Dr. Elsa, a Mediclinic Obstetrician and Gynecologist, hormones in pregnancy play a massive role by influencing things, affecting moods, helping the baby grow, and several other changes in the body. Changes in hormones can also affect growth, development, metabolism, sexual function, reproduction, and others.

Hormones at play when you are pregnant

Both the good and the not-so-good things that happen to you and your body during your pregnancy can be directly or indirectly linked to pregnancy hormones. There are several pregnancy hormones that get the baby ball rolling and prepare you for labor, delivery, and other things.

1. HCG :- Abbreviation of human chorionic gonadotropin, HCG is a hormone that gets to shine as it is only developed in pregnancy. The major role of HCG is to amp up the production of estrogen and progesterone. It also helps to tell the body that there is life growing in the womb and others.
2. Progesterone :- A hormone produced in early pregnancy and made mostly in the ovaries after each month of ovulation is one of the biggest and most important hormones. It also helps regulate the menstrual cycle. Progesterone along with the hormone relaxin results in causing heartburn, indigestion, constipation, and bloating. It also helps soften the ligaments and cartilage and helps loosen the joints for labor.
3. Estrogen :- It is a mirror of fetal well-being that supports the baby until the placenta takes over. It is the main female hormone that contributes to sexual development, including the growth of the breasts, and kickstarts a woman’s menstrual cycle. Estrogen is one of the main hormones that get the pregnancy party started. In pregnancy, estrogens are produced in the ovaries and later by the placenta that helps the uterus to grow, maintain the uterine lining, and regulate other key hormones.
4. Relaxin :- Not detectable in men or nonpregnant women, relaxin is a peptide hormone produced by the corpus luteum during pregnancy and rises in the first trimester. The hormone in pregnancy helps make your ligaments softer and lengthens the cervix as well as your pelvic area.
5. Prolactin :- Another hormone that is made by the pituitary gland has a tranquilizing effect and helps prepare the breast tissues for lactation. The release of milk is what prolactin is all about. It helps enlarge the breasts and produce milk for your baby after delivery. The only downside to prolactin is that it charges up the adrenal glands and triggers new hair growth in unexpected places like the belly and face.
6. Oxytocin :- When it comes to labor and delivery, oxytocin is a hormone made by the hypothalamus. Throughout the pregnancy, it helps in stimulating labor contractions, eases the pain during the labor, and encourages the cervix to open for delivery and postpartum conditions.

There is no doubt that the above-mentioned six key hormones make the pregnancy journey worth it. During and even after labor and delivery, the body still courses with hormones.

To some, the period can be tiring and exhausting, but on the other hand, it can be encouraging and interesting for some.

The feeling is common, but it is advised to regularly visit your doctor or contact New Concept Clinic, a Gynaecology Hospital in Dubai, for better testing and pregnancy care.