hormone game 2026

Oxytocin, secreted by a gland located in the brain, called the pituitary gland, is the motherhood hormone par excellence. It is called the hormone of love, because it intervenes in all the processes that link us with other human beings. It is present in sexual intercourse, at the moment of orgasm, in pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and in all parenting and, to a large extent, it is chemically responsible for the love towards our children, the feeling of protection and responsibility that gives us floods

During pregnancy, it appears in small quantities, although it is inhibited by other hormones. But as the time of delivery approaches, its levels increase. Together with prostaglandins (secreted by the membranes of the bag of waters and present in the amniotic fluid), it produces contractions of the womb during childbirth. Sometimes, if the woman's spontaneous contractions are not enough, professionals administer synthetic oxytocin in small quantities to help dilation. Immediately after childbirth, it is essential so that a strong contraction of the uterus occurs and there is no bleeding.

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Adrenaline: pure instinct, mother and baby on alert

In some ways, it is the opposite of oxytocin. It is the hormone of attack and defense, the one we secrete when we are afraid or when we sense imminent danger. Although it may seem incredible, it also plays a decisive role during childbirth. It helps the woman to be alert and aware of her process, and in some way, it fosters an instinctive feeling towards her offspring. Before birth, the mother provides the fetus with quantities of adrenaline, which will then make the newborn alert to its surroundings and can begin to develop its most primitive reflexes, necessary for its survival.

The problem is that if during childbirth you experience a difficult situation of fear, anguish or anxiety in the face of the unknown, pain, a hostile hospital environment, etc., adrenaline levels can rise above normal limits and inhibit the secretion of oxytocin. And then labor stops or slows down. It is a somewhat animal reaction: when the mother perceives a dangerous situation for her offspring, she irrationally stops childbirth to protect her. Therefore, the environment in which childbirth takes place is essential for it to proceed easily.

Endorphins: pleasure with anesthetic effect

Our brain has the ability to produce substances similar to an anesthetic and analgesic drug, with a composition similar to morphine and its derivatives: they are endorphins. In certain moments of pleasure: sport, sex, a caress or hug, listening to music... the body secretes these substances, which give us a feeling of happiness and can even eliminate or mitigate pain.

If during childbirth, we ensure that the woman experiences pleasant, relaxing experiences, that she is comfortable, that she can enjoy an experience as magical as the birth of a child, we will achieve the secretion of endorphins. And in this way, we can manage, for example, to relieve pain with less doses of analgesia, or at least, manage to associate the experience of childbirth for life with a feeling of absolute pleasure.

Estrogens and progesterone: at rest 'until further orders'

Present at different levels throughout a woman's entire life, from birth, they actively participate in conception" target="_self and in the maintenance of pregnancy. They do not have a leading role during childbirth, although they are indirectly involved in the onset of labor, since certain levels of both are necessary for the woman to go into labor.

During the postpartum period, if the woman breastfeeds, the levels of both hormones are slowed by the effect of another hormone, prolactin.