The Impact of Hormones with Pregnancy Development

A new Mum came to join us back for a meeting in the unit where I served today and she looked different, everyone was asking if she was the one who just had a baby or some other person. I cannot stop thinking about the changes that happens to a woman during that time when she has a little cutie growing in her womb, all of these changes and happening's are triggered by hormones.

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We refer to them as pregnancy hormones which are sometimes beautiful, and on the other hand, can also come off with several unanswered questions. This chemical will help to grow a baby, and for the mother too, it helps to influence her mental and physical well-being.

Pregnancy causes various types of changes to the body, some are expected while others are not even imagined before they happen. There is usually a dramatic increase in the level of estrogen and progesteron during pregnancy, a lot of other hormones experience changes too, like mood, pregnancy glow, and sometimes even disregards the impact of exercise on the body.

Progesterone and estrogen hormones are the most important pregnancy hormones, it is said and backed up by scientific facts that, a woman would produce more estrogen during one pregnancy than she would produce all through her life. The increase in estrogen levels enables the placenta and the uterus to effectively transfer nutrients, support the growing little one, and improves the formation of blood vessels.

The level of estrogen increases consistently during pregnancy and gets to their peak by the third trimester. The rapid increase with estrogen during the first trimester triggers the nausea experienced during pregnancy, and by second trimester, this hormone plays a major role in the development of milk duct that gets the breast enlarged.

Progesterone is another hormone that gets high during pregnancy, the progesterone changes is what causes the loosening of joints and ligaments all through the body. With a higher level of progesterone comes an increase in internal structures like the ureters, the ureters are responsible for the connecting of the kidney with the maternal bladder.

Progesterone is also the hormone that is responsible for the transformation of the uterus from the initial small size that has an appearance of that of a pear into a uterus that can comfortably accommodate a full-term baby.

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I always wonder why pregnant women experience swelling in some parts of the body, mine was my feet and my face, well the answer is associated with the weight gain that comes with pregnancy, the weight gained reduces the circulation of blood and body fluids especially in the lower limbs, as a result of this, pregnant women tend to retain fluids and experience swelling of the limbs and face.

Pregnancy is such a complicated process, a lot of changes happens with the body when a woman gets pregnant. The kidneys work harder during pregnancy, they filter the blood volume that continues to increase, the volume of blood that the kidney filters gets to a maximum at 16-24 weeks of pregnancy just before the baby is due for arrival.

On a normal day, the activities of a person increases while lying down and decreases while standing, during pregnancy the difference is amplified, this is one of the reasons why a pregnant woman would urinate more during the night time. The uterus applies pressure on the bladder, reducing its size, so it gets filled with urine more quickly.

Progesterone also signals the body to breathe faster and deeper, this makes a pregnant woman exhale more carbon dioxide to keep the level of carbon dioxide low. Towards the final phase of pregnancy, a pregnant woman would get out of breath easily, especially when they exert themselves.

The hormone estrogen alongside others gets the breast prepared for the production of milk. The glands that produce milk increases in number gradually, and they are able to produce milk, this may make the breast feel more tender, and putting on the right size of bra may provide the required support.

A blotchy, brownish pigment that can appear on the skin of the cheeks or forehead is called the melasma, the skin surrounding the areolae may darken, and the linea nigra usually appears at the middle part of the abdomen, may all occur as a result of the placenta producing a hormone that stimulates melanocytes.

For Further Studies

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10993087/

https://www.msdmanuals.com/home/women-s-health-issues/normal-pregnancy/physical-changes-during-pregnancy

https://www.parents.com/pregnancy/my-life/emotions/a-cheat-sheet-to-pregnancy-hormones/

https://www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy/bodily-changes-during#hormonal-changes

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Hi, I am Tobi, a writer, speaker, relationship blogger, and lover of good music. I love making friends and learning from people.