It may feel unfair that while some women feel great throughout their entire pregnancy, others have their head in the toilet from conception to birth. Unfortunately, the reality is that the hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy affect women quite differently. This might be a little easier to accept if you understand the meaning of hormones.

When it comes to your mood during pregnancy, many probably relate to how the body is physically affected by their ever-growing belly. It is easy to forget the fact that there are also huge hormonal changes that affect your mood on several different levels! So, what are the functions of the different pregnancy hormones in your body?

HCG – what is it?
HCG or human chorionic gonadotropin as it is actually called, stimulates and increases the production of the hormones oestrogen and progesterone. Together, all three of these hormones have a pregnancy-preserving effect. The levels of HCG rise very quickly at the beginning of a pregnancy and are the hormone that gives a positive result on a pregnancy test. Since the hormone HCG is initially formed by the embryo, the probability that a pregnancy test would be incorrect is therefore minimal! With the rapid increase of HCG together with oestrogen and progesterone, it is common for you to feel marked fatigue and nausea during the first weeks of pregnancy.

Elevated levels of oestrogen
Oestrogen levels are increased to help the uterus and placenta grow, but also to thicken the lining of the uterus. This allows the fertilised egg to grow and stay in the uterus! Oestrogen is needed for the growth of the foetus, so it is therefore a very important hormone for those who are (or want to become) pregnant.

As oestrogen levels rise, pregnant people are affected differently. While some women do well, others do worse. The most common symptoms are mood swings and nausea. This is simply because people are unique individuals who react completely differently to hormones! Our lifestyle also affects oestrogen in the body such as diet, exercise, stress and sleep.

Progesterone can give you a glow (and stomach problems too…)
The hormone progesterone helps to increase the thickness of the lining of the uterus and also softens the uterus so that it can grow. Together with oestrogen, progesterone is partly responsible for the glow that many pregnant people get on their skin during this time, which is usually appreciated when the extra tiredness is noticeable. Progesterone can also affect the intestines so that they work more slowly and sluggishly, as well as have an impact on the pregnant person’s mood swings.

Relaxin softens the pelvis
Relaxin helps to soften joints and ligaments during pregnancy, which makes the pelvis more mobile. This is so that you can eventually push your baby out and makes the birth easier! At the end of pregnancy, relaxin also helps to soften the cervix and prepare you for birth. When relaxin is secreted, you may feel pain in your pelvis due to the increased mobility. If you are having a lot of trouble, you should talk to your midwife and/or a physiotherapist to get the right help to deal with it. This will make it less likely that the pain will get worse as the pregnancy progresses.

Oxytocin – the love hormone!
Oxytocin is usually called our love hormone because it contributes to a feeling of well-being. During the second and third trimesters, this hormone starts to increase and is responsible for several awesome functions in the pregnant body!

As a pregnant person, you want to optimise the levels of oxytocin and this can be done through rest and peace and quiet. Then the body ends up in what is called a parasympathetic state, which means that the body relaxes to its maximum. When oxytocin is secreted and flows well in the body, you feel very good mentally, whether you are pregnant or not. When under stress, adrenaline and cortisol are secreted instead, which counteracts the effect of oxytocin.

Oxytocin also helps induce contractions during labour and can be given as a drug to stimulate contractions, intensify them or cause the uterus to contract to push if needed.

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

You can stimulate the release of oxytocin through hugs, kisses, caresses and touching, but also massages, 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 breast-milk-stimulating hormone that is formed during the third trimester and after childbirth 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 breast milk expulsion reflex. This means that the milk that is present can actually come out when the baby starts sucking!

The levels of prolactin increase in connection with your baby sucking on your breast. The more you breastfeed, the more the hormone increases, which in turn leads to an increased amount of breast milk. During the night, the production of prolactin is at its highest, and so it is good to breastfeed during the early hours of the night to increase the amount of breast milk. Prolactin and oxytocin work together and are the cornerstones of successful breastfeeding.

Final Word
After reading this article, you hopefully know a thing or two about hormones and their effects – both physically and mentally. Perhaps this knowledge can help you be a little bit more forgiving to your body when it is at its heaviest!