Understanding your hormones
We underestimate how much our hormones play a massive role in our day to day bodily functions, so it comes to no surprise to us that during pregnancy our hormones have a massive impact on our symptoms, our emotions and more importantly all the growth and development throughout pregnancy for your baby.
hCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin)
This is usually the first hormone we talk about. It’s the hormone that is detected in urine in pregnancy tests, usually it's advised to take a pregnancy test 2 weeks after ovulation or the day of your missed period. As you can see on the graph the levels of hCG rise as the pregnancy gestation increasing, peaking around 10-12 weeks (but this vary from woman to woman).
hCG has many other roles and this is why its important:
It signals your body to maintain the pregnancy
Supports the production of progesterone (we love this hormone, see below
How it can make you feel:
Nausea or vomiting
Fatigue
Breast tenderness
hCG rises quickly in early pregnancy and usually peaks around 10–12 weeks, which is why symptoms can feel strongest during this time.
Progesterone
Progesterone is a key hormone that helps keep your pregnancy stable. We really need this hormone as it helps keep the uterus relaxed so that implantation can be successful but also supporting that uterine lining to be thick. By relaxing the uterus this allows baby to continue to grow and prevents any contractions starting in the uterus. However, as much as we love progesterone for all the wonderful things its doing to help maintain our pregnancy, it does come with a few side effects. You may feel exhausted at times (take those naps and listen to your body), it slows digestion down so you may notice more bloating and constipation which are not always associated with pregnancy. It’s often responsible for that heavy, sluggish feeling many women describe in early pregnancy.
Progesterone supplements may also be offered if women experience bleeding in early pregnancy, its completely safe but owrth discussing with your midwife/GP/EPU if you have experienced previous miscarriages or even bleeding in this pregnancy.
Oestrogen
Oestrogen increases steadily throughout pregnancy and supports both you and your baby. It supports the pregnancy by increasing blood flow directly to the uterus which is needed with the thickening of the uterine lining for implantation. Every day and week by week baby is growing and developing organs which is why oestrogen is so important. However, this can come with some side effects such as changes in your breasts, nipple sensitivity and tender breasts. It's always worth wearing comfortable bra's at this stage and cotton which can help with sensitivity. Oestrogen is a powerful hormone which can make you feel emotional at times at more sensitive, we have conversations with women who find they are more tearful at certain films/series that they were not previously.
Relaxin
Relaxin does exactly what its name suggests. It helps to relax your ligaments and joints which in turn can cause some aches and pains in backs/pelvis which you may not be expecting. Later on in pregnancy this may cause pelvic girdle pain, something which can help with exercises and daily movement changes (Ask your midwife for a women's health physiotherapist early if you're struggling with this). Relaxin also helps your body to adapt to pregnancy as it advances, and prepares your pelvis for birth later on.
How do these all work together?
We've broken them down individually but they don't work alone, these hormones all work as a team to help support your pregnancy. We have explained below how they all work together and that is sometimes why you get a flurry of different symptoms in pregnancy.
Very early on in pregnancy hCG rises quickly after ovulation and supports progesterone. Progesterone keeps the pregnancy stable in the uterus by allowing the uterine lining to be nice and thick for implantation, one side effect of progesterone is it slows the body down especially your digestive tract (so be prepared for some bloating and constipation, we always say to reach out to your GP/Midwife for constipation relief/medication if you require it).
Oestrogen supports growth and blood flow (be prepared for those tender breasts and increased blood flow in your pelvic area/vagina which can cause increase in discharge). Relaxin helps your body physically adapt (literally what it says in the name)! Together, they create the environment your baby needs to grow, but they also explain why you might feel exhausted, nauseous, emotion and physically different from week to week. Your body is doing amazing things behind the scenes and sometimes it can make us feel completely different. Sometimes our body adapts really well and shows us minimal signs, this can also sometimes be normal. Every single pregnancy is different and every single pregnant woman is different. Don't ever compare you journey to someone else's'.
If you’re in early pregnancy and wondering what’s normal and what’s not, you’re not alone. We’ve created a simple, midwife-led guide to help you feel more confident and understand what to expect.
Download our free Early Pregnancy Guide or explore our First Trimester Toolbox for more in-depth information.