Though the hormone estrogen is well known, HCG, and progesterone along with other hormones are involved in the process of pregnancy and helping the body on course for childbirth. The list includes, prolactin, oxytocin and relaxin, these hormones have pregnancy along with non-pregnancy functions on your body.
Oxytocin
Is referred to as the hormone of bonding and love. It has an important role in sexual reproduction along with social bonding. This hormone has an important role during pregnancy, childbirth and in the first year when the baby is born. It is present in your body throughout the course of pregnancy and is known to predict bonding behaviour of the mother and their babies. in the first stages of pregnancy, the contraction of the uterus is caused by the rising levels of this hormone.
In the last stage of labour, the function of this hormone is to keep the uterus contracting, so as to push the placenta out of the uterus. The blood vessels are closed that are attached to it and the uterus shreds back to the original size. When higher levels of this hormone are found in both the mother and the baby, it does enhance mutual attachment.
Relaxin
It is the time to start loosening up. When does relaxin peak during pregnancy, here we will try and find out. Surprisingly it is found in your body even when you are not pregnant, but at a much lower level. Once you become pregnant, the level of relaxin rises and when does relaxin peak in pregnancy it has to be first semester. it helps in the implantation along with the growth of the placenta and is known to prevent preterm birth. Your renal and cardiovascular systems is also regulated to cater to the extra amount of load that arises during pregnancy.
When the pregnancy is about to end, it promotes a rupture of the membranes that surrounds the fetus and the body is prepared for the delivery of the baby through the birth canal. This is done by softening the vagina and the cervix, which loosens the ligaments that supports your pelvic bones. If an unwanted impact of relaxin occurs, then it can lead to loosening of non-pregnancy related symptoms such as the knees, hips or the ankles. The net result is pain or inflammation with a situation that the feet can become much bigger in size.
Prolactin
Is termed as the milk production hormone. The main function of it is that it tends to increase by close to 20 times during pregnancy, is to enhance the production of milk. It does prepare the breast tissues for lactation. Once the baby is born the levels of prolactin increases and this is the stage when the production of milk starts. But to maintain its level and to keep the level of milk production intact, you would need to pump or breastfeed. Both of these actions will lead to an increase in the levels of prolactin and in the process milk glands will produce more milk.
