Which hormones go into overdrive during pregnancy?
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Dr. Mehmet Oz answered:Your levels of progesterone and estrogen surge when you're pregnant.
Progesterone provides a tranquilizing effect to protect against stress - one of the reasons why women can handle so much heavy thinking and anxiety during pregnancy.
Increased estrogen also plays a role in brain function. Estrogen seems to protect neurons, preventing them from getting damaged by outside influences (like oxidative stress, for instance). It also stimulates the release in blood vessels of nitric oxide, a gas that opens up blood vessels. Unlike many other organs, the brain doesn't store excess fuel to any great degree. So your brain relies primarily on blood vessels to receive the fuel it needs to function. More estrogen means better blood flow.
Find out more about this book: YOU: Having a Baby: The Owner's Manual to a Happy and Healthy Pregnancy
Your levels of progesterone and estrogen surge when you're pregnant. Progesterone provides a tranquilizing effect to protect against stress - one of the reasons why women can handle so much heavy thinking and anxiety during pregnancy. Increased... More -
Dr. Hilda Hutcherson of Good In Bed answered:There are several hormonal changes that happen during pregnancy. Here are some of the big ones:
• Estrogen rises, helping your uterus grow, increasing blood flow to your mucous membranes, and triggering breast growth and tenderness.
• Progesterone increases so that your uterus and breasts expand. It also triggers release of the hormone relaxin, which affects smooth muscle and cartilage. This readies your body for delivery, but can also result in achy joints, acne, and indigestion, heartburn, and other gastrointestinal woes.
• Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) skyrockets in the first few months of pregnancy. Found in your blood and urine, it’s the reason why you can pee on a stick to find out if you’re pregnant. It’s also responsible for morning sickness, which eases as hCG decreases in the second trimester.
• Thyroid hormones rise, which can make you sweat more, make your heart beat faster, and trigger mood swings.
• Oxytocin helps your muscles contract during delivery (it’s found in the labor-inducing drug Pitocin) and helps stimulate breast milk. Also known as the “cuddle hormone,” oxytocin plays an important role in sex and relationships.
This potent cocktail of hormones triggers a slew of physical changes, from a bigger abdomen and tender breasts to nausea and fatigue. If you’ve talked to your physician and friends or read pregnancy books and websites, you have a good idea of what to expect.
There are several hormonal changes that happen during pregnancy. Here are some of the big ones: • Estrogen rises, helping your uterus grow, increasing blood flow to your mucous membranes, and triggering breast growth and... More
