• Question: why do women's hormones increase when they are pregnant

    Asked by lilneicey to Louise, Michaela, Steve on 24 Jun 2010 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Louise Johnson

      Louise Johnson answered on 24 Jun 2010:

      Hormones are just chemicals that let one part of the body send a signal to another. When a woman is pregnant a lot is going on in her body – her womb is growing, and her breasts are getting ready to produce milk, and if she’s not getting enough calcium, calcium may be being taken from her bones to help build the growing foetus, and everything needs MORE FOOD!

      There are more hormones in a pregnant woman’s body for the same reason there’s more shouting in a kitchen when the chefs are preparing a complicated meal – doing anything difficult needs a lot of communication!

    • Photo: Michaela Livingstone

      Michaela Livingstone answered on 24 Jun 2010:

      Hormones regulate the body’s natural cycles and make sure that every step of the cycle occurs at the right time. They’re not just involved in pregnancy, they’re also involved with sleep, hunger and even our mood. During pregnancy, some hormone levels increase, but others decrease. Each hormone does a different thing, and their levels affect how much of an effect they have at that time. It’s all a matter of co-ordinating a very complicated process.

    • Photo: Steven Kiddle

      Steven Kiddle answered on 24 Jun 2010:

      To prepare them physically and mentally for child-rearing

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