Human reproduction system - Assignment Example

Describe the key changes in hormones, and their effects on the body, during childbirth and lactation. A lot of things happen to a woman’s body when she gets pregnant, and these do not stop when the baby has come out. Several hormones play a role when a woman goes into labour until she is ready to breastfeed her baby. The most significant of these are oxytocin, prolactin, adrenaline and beta-endorphin. One of the major hormones is oxytocin, a nine amino acid CNS neuropeptide from the posterior pituitary gland, which facilitates the contraction of the uterus.

(Magon and Kalra 2011) When the woman goes into labour, large amounts of oxytocin are produced. These increase the amount of calcium in the muscle cells which are in turn responsible for the contraction of the uterus. Aside from helping with contractions, the increased levels of this hormone in both mother and child foster feelings of attachment and affection. On the other hand, another hormone prolactin works together with oxytocin during pregnancy to produce and release breast milk, respectively.

It increases during labour with the highest level occurring during birth and remaining high as the mother breastfeeds. Beta-endorphin and adrenaline are other hormones that help in child birth. Adrenalin helps in labor as it gives the mother energy to push. It also prevents the rise of oxytocin when the mother feels anxiety, tension or fear during labour. Similarly, beta-endorphin can be considered an innate painkiller and is released when the body feels pain so that natural childbirth and breastfeeding are bearable for the mother.

It also helps in releasing prolactin during labour so the mother’s breasts are ready for the new born. (Hormones in Labour 2012)References:Hormones in labour, 2012. Available from http://www.nct.org.uk/birth/hormones-labour . [14 April 2014].Magon, N and Kalra, S 2011, ‘The orgasmic history of oxytocin: Love, lust, and labor’, Indian Journal of Endicronology and Metabolism, vol. 15, no. 3, pp. S156-S161. Available from NCBI [September 2011].