During pregnancy, birth and afterwards, hormones, also known as messenger substances, play a crucial role: for example, they support a successful pregnancy, ensure the development of the unborn child, promote labour, ease the transition to motherhood and promote the bond between mother and child. All of which are absolutely vital tasks!
Almost every pregnant woman is familiar with mood swings, especially in the first trimester - and the famous phrase "Oh, it's just the hormones!" Mothers experience something similar shortly after giving birth, as the hormones in their bodies are then also reorganised. Because certain hormones play a very important role in "childbearing", I have put together a brief overview for you here.
Human chorionic gonadotropin - hCG or beta-hCG for short
Beta-hCG is only produced during pregnancy. Especially at the very beginning, it fulfils a very important task: it is supposed to ensure that the pregnancy is maintained!
After an egg has been fertilised during its journey through the fallopian tube to the uterus, it wants to develop in the mucous membrane of the uterus. Uterus implantation. This is helped by beta-hCG, which is produced in part of the uterus just one week after fertilisation. Placenta is produced.
You probably know this hormone better as the "pregnancy hormone". The pregnancy test, which you can carry out yourself at home with a few drops of urine, reacts to hCG. If it shows a positive result, you are probably pregnant. This self-test is very reliable a few days after your period has stopped. The hCG can also be reliably detected in your blood around nine days after fertilisation. If you suspect you are pregnant, contact your midwife or gynaecologist.
The beta-hCG now supports the fertilised egg during implantation and serves to stabilise the pregnancy in the first 10 weeks. The messenger substance signals to the corpus luteum in the ovary, for example, "Attention, please release progesterone now!", among other things so that no further ovulation takes place during pregnancy. In addition, hCG ensures increased oestrogen, positive foetal development and a well-perfused uterus.
How high your hCG value is depends on the respective week of pregnancy. Normally, the value doubles approximately every 48 hours up to the 10th week before it drops again. If in a Preventive medical check-up If the hCG level is found to be too low or too high, the cause must be investigated in any case.
Incidentally, science assumes that beta-hCG is "partly to blame" for some symptoms in the first trimester of pregnancy (first trimester): nausea and a more frequent urge to urinate, for example, as well as changed preferences or aversions to certain foods.
Progesterone
The beta-hCG therefore stimulates the corpus luteum to release more progesterone right at the start of pregnancy. From the end of the first trimester, the placenta then takes over the production of this hormone.
Progesterone has an enormous responsibility - from early pregnancy to birth:
- At the beginning of pregnancy, progesterone ensures that the lining of the uterus is well prepared for the implantation of the fertilised egg and is subsequently preserved, as well as providing the baby with sufficient nutrients. This supply is later taken over by the placenta, whose development is also favoured by progesterone. The formation of the mucous plug, which closes the cervix during pregnancy and protects the baby from germs, is also due to progesterone.
- As pregnancy progresses, the ligaments and tendons as well as the connective tissue are loosened by the progesterone so that the female body can adapt well to the growth of the breast and baby bump and prepare for the birth.
At the same time, progesterone inhibits possible contractions of the uterus. The hormone is therefore also able to reduce the risk of premature birth. This is why pregnant women who are threatened with premature birth are often given it as a medication.
Progesterone (in combination with other hormones) is also involved in preparing the female breast intensively for the baby's later breastfeeding during pregnancy. For example, the milk duct system of the breast develops and matures and the mammary gland tissue grows noticeably. In the process, it increasingly displaces the fatty and connective tissue. In turn, the cells in the glandular lobules are prepared for milk production. In the second half of pregnancy, the breast is developed to such an extent that the mother can already breastfeed if the baby is born prematurely. However, if the pregnancy is normal, milk production is suppressed until the birth thanks to progesterone.
- Until the birth, progesterone also retains the upper hand over the two hormones oxytocin (which promotes labour, among other things) and prostaglandin (which softens the cervix). At birth, however, the progesterone level drops so that the "hormonal colleagues" can now take up their work.
Would you like to stay up to date during your pregnancy and follow your baby's development? You can find helpful information about your pregnancy and your baby in the pregnancy calendar. There you will find new changes and tips for your well-being every week.
Oestrogen
Oestrogen is initially a so-called sex hormone. It is normally produced in the ovaries - during pregnancy, however, the placenta largely takes over this function and causes the level to rise.
In a woman's normal cycle, oestrogen allows the egg to mature in the ovary, supports it on its journey through the fallopian tube to the uterus - and also helps the male sperm to penetrate the membrane of a female egg after ovulation and fertilise it. Oestrogen also helps to ensure that the lining of the uterus prepares for a possible pregnancy every month.
However, if pregnancy occurs, the tasks of oestrogen, in particular oestradiol, change. It now has similar positive effects to progesterone - for example, it promotes the growth of the uterus and good foetal development. Oestrogen also plays an important role in preparing the mammary glands for milk production. It also boosts the expectant mother's cardiovascular system so that the unborn child always receives sufficient oxygen, and thus also increases the mother's blood volume, which leads to the typical rosy appearance of many pregnant women. Both mother and child benefit equally from oestrogen.
Oxytocin
I will start by explaining why oxytocin is also known as the "love hormone". It was discovered in 1906, is produced in the brain in the so-called pituitary gland mainly on impulse through pleasant skin contact and generally always unfolds its effect in interpersonal relationships. For example, people in love always experience a high release of oxytocin as long as the butterflies in their stomach flutter and the mutual caresses continue. And during an orgasm, oxytocin levels even quadruple. It is therefore a true happiness hormone that is not entirely innocent in the development of pregnancies.
The term oxytocin comes from the Greek and is made up of ōkys ("quick") and tokos ("birth") (okytokos = "easy giving birth" or "quick birth"). This is no coincidence, as the hormone can not only create a pleasant feeling of well-being, but also decisively accelerate the labour process: It causes the uterus to contract, thus triggering contractions. This is why it is also used as a labour stimulant during birth or to induce labour. At the same time, oxytocin also dulls the sensation of pain, alleviates anxiety and has a mood-enhancing effect. In this way, it can counteract possible labour stress.
However, this is by no means the end of oxytocin's positive properties. The hormone ensures that the uterus contracts again (after labour), the placenta can detach and the risk of post-partum haemorrhage is significantly reduced.
Above all, however, oxytocin causes the first (and later) breast milk to flow when the baby sucks on the mother's breast (milk ejection reflex). The very act of a hungry baby crying triggers oxytocin in the mother.
On the one hand, oxytocin promotes maternal care and bonding with the child, but on the other hand the baby also benefits from oxytocin, which is also released after suckling. And even the father releases oxytocin when he cuddles lovingly with his little one. So, dear parents, cuddle your baby skin to skin as much as possible!
Prolactin
Like oxytacin, this hormone is produced in the pituitary gland - and in greater quantities after birth. It then stimulates milk production in the mammary glands when the baby latches on and sucks, thus supporting lactation. However, I would like to dispel one myth right away: even with fully breastfed children, a high maternal prolactin level does not always protect against a new pregnancy. It is therefore not a guaranteed natural contraceptive method in the first few months after birth.
Relaxin
This hormone is produced by the pregnant woman's body in the uterus, in the placenta and initially primarily in the corpus luteum. It is assumed that relaxin is first "used" in the very early stages of pregnancy: namely to ensure successful implantation of the fertilised egg in the uterine mucus and to prevent premature termination of the pregnancy.
Relaxin then helps the pregnant woman and her body to adapt to the literally growing changes during pregnancy. For example, Relaxin relaxes and dilates her blood vessels to optimise the supply to the unborn child. Relaxin also allows the pelvic joints to become more mobile and the connective tissue, muscles and ligaments to gently loosen and stretch to make room for the growing baby.
Relaxin is also important for preparing the body for labour: for example, it widens the cervical canal and the cervix for the baby to pass through. Nature has arranged this well!
However, Relaxin can also lead to increased back pain in some pregnant women and to Water retention which can be quite annoying.
Other hormones during pregnancy
For example, the human placental lactogen - HCL: It is also one of the most important hormonal players during pregnancy. The hormone is produced in the placenta and ensures, for example, that the foetus is well nourished and thus develops properly by releasing glucose and fatty acids. It is also assumed that HCL promotes milk production (lactation).
For example, the thyroid hormones (T3 and T4): They generally influence metabolism and the functionality of practically all organs. This makes them the body's "accelerator pedal", so to speak - although it is important that the thyroid gland does not step on the gas too much or too little. However, due to the increased metabolism during pregnancy, around 50 % more gas is required for the baby to develop properly! The thyroid gland also needs more iodine to produce the sufficient amount of hormones, especially in early pregnancy, namely around 230 instead of 200 micrograms per day. For breastfeeding mothers, the daily iodine requirement is even 260 micrograms.
Therefore: Help your thyroid gland and eat good sources of iodine! This includes fish in particular (saithe, cod and plaice) as well as milk and eggs (depending on how cows and chickens are fed). And use iodised table salt if possible during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Hormones work together
Nature has arranged it so that the female body produces all the hormones that are needed before, during and after pregnancy and during labour. And this messenger system also works together perfectly - isn't that marvellous?
However, there is also a small fly in the ointment in the system, which you have probably already experienced: many women already experience certain mental changes in their normal cycles - for example around ovulation and very often shortly before and at the start of a period. You may also be more sensitive or irritable at these times. Think about how many times in your life you may have said: "Oh, I'm just getting my period." And behind this, of course, are the hormones.
It is also normal for the even more pronounced hormonal changes during pregnancy to have a considerable impact on the mood of an expectant mother and lead to various emotional "states". This is also part of the natural adjustment process. Here again is an overview over time:
In the first trimester hCG rises rapidly, followed by an increase in progesterone and oestrogen. Fatigue, nausea and mood swings can now occur more frequently. Some pregnant women also experience increased emotionality during this time.
In the second trimester hormones remain at a high level, but have largely levelled out. Most women are now experiencing the best time of their pregnancy because they have adjusted to the hormonal changes and their belly is not yet so big. This is why many are now enjoying their increasing emotional well-being, returning energy and the joy of having a baby.
In the third trimester the volume of hormones reaches its peak. Now the body is gradually preparing for the birth. Now the nest-building instinct may also kick in, signalling that everything is ready for the baby's arrival at home. It is possible that this impulse is also triggered by hormones - but this has not yet been proven. It may also be due to a primal instinct. In any case, physical complaints such as sleep problems and increased pressure on the bladder and stomach may occur towards the end of pregnancy, more due to the baby's huge rounded belly than to hormones.
During the birth you can rely on your hormones and your body to help you bring the baby into the world.
After the birth the level of pregnancy hormones drops again. This can also cause the famous temporary "baby blues" in the first few days after giving birth (for a few hours to days), which many people also refer to as "crying days". Don't worry, more than two thirds of all mums experience this little dip in mood, but it passes quickly and does not require treatment. Only in the rarest of cases does it develop into an illness that requires treatment. Postpartum depression.
Now your body is adjusting to breastfeeding. In breastfeeding mothers, the hormones oxytocin and prolactin can also continue to ensure a positive mood.
After the puerperium your period and your normal cycle will start again at some point. When you ovulate for the first time after giving birth varies from woman to woman. For mothers who are not breastfeeding, this will usually be earlier and can occur just a few weeks after giving birth (note: it is best to start contraception around three weeks after giving birth!) This is much more difficult to estimate for fully breastfeeding mothers.
In conclusion...
...I would also like to emphasise that every woman experiences pregnancy, birth and breastfeeding individually. What does hormonal mood swings mean? can may occur, but do not necessarily have to. The way in which mood swings manifest themselves also varies from woman to woman.
However, if you have the feeling that your mood is significantly affected at any stage, please be sure to contact your midwife or gynaecologist. You can also contact me via my Online midwife counselling contact.
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