Pregnancy Signs & Symptoms, Week by Week Pregnancy Guide

Women are known to be hormonal beings. In truth almost every aspect of their body is controlled by the changing levels of hormones.

Estrogen is a primary female hormone that controls the menstrual cycle, promotes bone strength, helps with metabolism, protects women against heart diseases and is the most important hormone during a pregnancy.

Logically estrogen levels during pregnancy are extremely high. The placenta produces estrogen at break neck speed to help prepare the body for the pregnancy and for the safe delivery of the new life.

The hormone also works tirelessly for proper fetal growth. It might surprise you to know that the amount of estrogen produced in one day during pregnancy is more than what the body might produce in three years.

Good to know facts

Low levels of estrogen before pregnancy can prove to be harmful to the fetus. Miscarriages are not uncommon in women who have low estrogen levels.

Estrogen levels during pregnancy not only provide the right environment for the growing fetus but also help prepare the body for its functions during and after the pregnancy.

Estrogen is vital for the expansion of the uterus to keep the growing fetus comfortable. The extra estrogen coaxes blood vessel linings to produce nitric oxide that increases the blood flow, making it easier to reach the placenta and the baby.

This ensures that the baby receives all the nutrients that it needs and that the waste is carried out promptly too. The hormone also enlarges the milk ducts and promotes milk production.

Hormone levels

The estrogen levels start increasing from the first day of the pregnancy and are at the highest just before birth. The hormone levels start falling with the delivery of the child. The estrogen levels start decreasing drastically within a couple of days after giving birth. It is useful to know that the sudden decrease in hormone levels can trigger postpartum blues in some women.