It has long been known that during pregnancy in the body of a future mother, serious hormonal changes take place, without which its successful course and outcome is impossible. However, not every woman is shown to study the level of hormones. The blood test for hormones during pregnancy is carried out for special indications: habitual miscarriage, infertility, in vitro fertilization, suspicion of ectopic pregnancy. The most simple study of hormonal changes is a pregnancy test , which can be performed at home (based on the definition of an elevated level of chorionic gonadotropin in the urine). This article will consider the features of changes in the level of hormones during pregnancy.
Norms of hormones during pregnancy
The most significant changes occur from the sex hormones. In pregnancy, the pituitary gland increases 2 times and the release of releasing hormones ceases, which stimulate the release of sex hormones. The level of follicle stimulating and luteinizing hormones during pregnancy is significantly reduced, which helps suppress the maturation of follicles in the ovaries and prevents ovulation.
The hormone progesterone during pregnancy is the main one and is responsible for maintaining the pregnancy. It is produced by a new endocrine gland - the yellow body, which will form on the site of the burst follicle. Progesterone is a hormone that is responsible for pregnancy, if its level is insufficient, pregnancy can be interrupted at an early stage. Up to 14-16 weeks of pregnancy, progesterone is produced by the yellow body , and after this period - by the placenta.
Another hormone that is produced during pregnancy is the chorionic gonadotropin, which is produced by the villus of the chorion and begins to be detected from 4 days of pregnancy, when the embryo begins to be implanted into the uterus.
Non-sex hormones that affect pregnancy
During pregnancy, there is an increased production of thyrotropic (TTG) and adrenocorticotropic (ACTH) hormones. Thyroid stimulating hormone during pregnancy stimulates the thyroid gland and leads to an increased synthesis of thyroid hormones. Therefore, during pregnancy, in some women, the thyroid gland may increase, and those who have problems on the part of the thyroid gland, their aggravation is noted. Hyperfunction of the thyroid gland can be the cause of spontaneous abortions, and hypofunction lead to disruption of brain formation in the child.
From the side of the adrenal glands, there are also obvious changes. Most of the hormones of the cortical layer of the adrenals are produced in excess. It is important to note that in the adrenal glands, the woman produces male sex hormones, which under the influence of a certain enzyme turn into female hormones. If the level of this enzyme is insufficient, the amount
How to determine the level of hormones during pregnancy?
The easiest way to determine the level of the hormone of hCG during pregnancy is with the help of existing methods - this is done with the help of a home test (determination of the high content of chorionic gonadotropin in the urine). More informative is the determination of the level of hormones in the blood in specialized laboratories.