It may seem unfair that while some women feel great throughout their pregnancy, others have their heads in the toilet from conception to BF. Unfortunately, the reality is that the hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy affect women quite differently. Perhaps this is bit easier to accept if you understand what hormones mean? How hormones affect you when you are pregnant! 

When it comes to feeling good during pregnancy, many people relate to the physical effects of the growing belly. It's easy to forget that there are also enormous hormonal changes that affect your mood on many different levels! So what are the functions of all the hormones in your body during pregnancy? 

5 hormones to watch out for when pregnant

The hormone HCG - what is it? 

HCG or human corionic gonadotropin as it is actually called, stimulates and increases the production of the hormones oestrogen and progesterone. Together, all three of these hormones act to preserve pregnancy. Levels of HCG rise very quickly in early pregnancy and are the hormone that shows up on a pregnancy test. Since the hormone HCG is initially produced by the embryo, the likelihood that a pregnancy test would be wrong is therefore minimal! Due to the rapid increase of HCG together with oestrogen and progesterone, it is common to experience significant fatigue and nausea during the first weeks of pregnancy.

Increased levels of estrogen

Levels of oestrogen are raised to help the uterus and placenta grow, but also to thicken the lining of the uterus. This allows the fertilized egg to grow and stay in the womb! Estrogen is then needed for fetal growth, so it is a very important hormone for anyone who is (or wants to be) pregnant.

When estrogen levels rise, pregnant women are affected differently. While some women feel well, others feel worse. Mood swings and nausea are common. This is simply because people are unique individuals who react very differently to hormones! Our lifestyle also affects the estrogen in our body, such as diet, exercise, stress and sleep.

Progesterone can give you glow (and also stomach problems...)

The hormone progesterone helps to increase the thickness of the uterine lining and also softens the uterus to allow it to grow. Together with oestrogen, progesterone is partly responsible for the glow that many pregnant women get on their skin during this time, which is usually appreciated when the extra tiredness is palpable. Progesterone can also affect the bowels, making them work more slowly and sluggishly, as well as influencing the pregnant woman's mood swings.

Relaxin softens the pelvis

Relaxin helps to soften joints and ligaments during pregnancy, making the pelvis more mobile. This is so that you can eventually push the baby out and make labor easier! In late pregnancy, relaxin also helps to soften the uterine lining in preparation for birth. When relaxin is released, you may feel pain in your pelvis due to the increased mobility. If you have a lot of pain, you should talk to your midwife and/or a physiotherapist to get the right help to manage it. This way, the pain is less likely to get worse as the pregnancy progresses.

Need tips on pelvic floor exercises during pregnancy? Here we have collected several tips!

Oxytocin - the love hormone!

Oxytocin is known as our love hormone because it contributes to a sense of well-being. During the second and third trimesters, this hormone starts to increase and is then responsible for several cool functions in the pregnant body!

When you are pregnant, you want to optimize the levels of oxytocin and this can be done through rest and calm. This puts the body into what is called a parasympathetic state which means that the body relaxes to the maximum. When oxytocin is secreted and flows well in the body, you feel very good mentally both as a pregnant woman and not. Under stress, adrenaline and cortisol are released instead, which counteracts the effect of oxytocin.

Oxytocin also helps to produce contractions during labor and can be given as a chemically prepared drug to stimulate labor pains, amplify them, or cause the uterus to contract to push if needed.

Oxytocin is important not only during pregnancy but also after childbirth, when the body and the genitals need to recover and heal. The body is so smart that the release of oxytocin increases the healing capacity of body tissues and cells! In addition, oxytocin is involved in the release of breast milk during breastfeeding.

You can stimulate the release of oxytocin through hugging, kissing, caressing and touching, but also through massage, music that makes you feel good or activities that make you feel calm and relaxed in body and mind.

Lactation-promoting prolactin

Prolactin is a lactation-promoting and breastmilk-stimulating hormone produced during the third trimester and after delivery if the woman is breastfeeding. The hormone is produced in the brain and has a direct impact on stimulating breast milk, while oxytocin has more of an impact on the expulsive reflex of breast milk. This means that the milk that is present actually comes out when the baby sucks!

Prolactin levels increase when the baby sucks on the breast. The more you breastfeed, the more the hormone rises, which in turn leads to more breast milk. Prolactin production is highest during the night, so breastfeeding during the first few hours of the night is the best time to increase the amount of breast milk. Prolactin and oxytocin interact and are the building blocks of effective breastfeeding.

Final words

After reading this article, you'll hopefully know a thing or two about hormones and their effects - both physical and mental. Perhaps this knowledge will help you to be a little more forgiving of your body when it's at its worst!