The third trimester of your pregnancy: How hormones affect childbirth and your baby’s development

The hormones that play an important role in the third trimester include estrogen, progesterone, and oxytocin. These hormones ensure that your body naturally prepares for childbirth. Please find a description below of the main functions of these hormones during this final stage of pregnancy:

• Estrogen: This hormone reaches its peak levels during the third trimester. It stimulates the growth of the uterus and blood flow to the placenta, which is essential for your baby’s nutrition and oxygenation. In addition, estrogen enhances the maturation of your cervix in preparation for childbirth.
• Progesterone: This hormone keeps the uterine muscles relaxed during pregnancy and prevents preterm contractions or premature birth. In the third trimester, progesterone begins to decrease gradually, allowing your uterus to prepare for the contractions needed for childbirth. This phenomenon is also called pre-contraction. Pre-contractions are only meant to prepare your body and have nothing to do with whether your baby will arrive earlier than expected.
• Oxytocin: This is the most important hormone for inducing childbirth. Oxytocin causes uterine contractions – contraction of the uterus – and helps in establishing a bond between mother and baby after birth. As you get closer to giving birth, your oxytocin levels will increase, which causes the contractions to start when you give birth.

In addition to these important hormones, cortisol, the stress hormone, can have a major impact on both pregnancy and childbirth. Prolonged stress during the third trimester can lead to an increase in cortisol, which can affect the timing of childbirth and increase the risk of complications, such as premature birth.

Research published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism shows that high cortisol levels can not only affect pregnancy but may also have a long-term impact on your baby’s development, such as an increased risk of emotional and behavioral problems later in life. It is therefore important to avoid stress as much as possible during pregnancy. If you experience stress, try to identify what causes you stress and address these issues. It also helps to take a moment for yourself every day and focus on your breathing, meditation, or focus on yoga. If you find it difficult to cope with your stress, ask for help from the loved ones around you or contact your obstetrician. Your obstetrician can help you or refer you to a suitable expert.

Fortunately, there are several things you can do to keep your hormones in balance during the third trimester and prepare your body optimally for childbirth. Here are some effective ways:

• A healthy and varied diet: Eat as varied and organic as possible with lots of fiber, protein and healthy fats. Eating foods rich in magnesium is also important. Magnesium plays a role in relaxing muscles and may help regulate uterine contractions. Foods like green leafy vegetables, avocados, and nuts are good sources of magnesium.
• Omega-3 fatty acids: These fatty acids are essential for your baby’s brain development and can help reduce inflammation in your body. Fatty fish such as salmon, but also flaxseed and chia seed, are good sources of omega-3.
• Folic acid and folate (Quatrefolic®): Folic acid remains important even in the third trimester. It enhances the development of the baby’s nervous system. Using a supplement with the bioactive form of folate, such as Quatrefolic®, is more effective than synthetic folic acid because your body can absorb it better. Please note: In the third trimester of your pregnancy, take folic acid – folate Quatrefolic® – only in combination with other vitamins, such as in a multivitamin.

• Keep moving: Light exercise such as walking, swimming or yoga can help you balance your hormones and reduce stress. In addition, it physically prepares your body for childbirth.
• Make sure you get enough sleep: Sleep is essential for your body’s recovery and helps keep your hormones in balance. Too little sleep can increase cortisol, which can delay labor and cause complications.

• Mindfulness exercises and breathing techniques: Studies show that mindfulness exercises bring down cortisol levels and help reduce anxiety and stress during pregnancy. By practicing mindfulness or yoga daily, you can improve both your mental and physical health and prepare your body for a natural delivery.
• Prenatal massage: This can help relax muscles and improve blood circulation, while reducing the stress hormone cortisol. It can also stimulate the production of oxytocin, which helps you feel connected and calm.
• Stimulate your oxytocin: by incorporating moments of rest and relaxation. You can achieve this by enjoying skin-to-skin contact with your partner, cuddling or simply relaxing in a warm, cozy environment. Warm baths, quiet music, and gentle lighting can also help create a calm, relaxed atmosphere that promotes childbirth.

A healthy lifestyle and good nutrition are essential, but it is impossible to get all the important nutrients from your diet in the right doses. That is why it is important to take extra pregnancy vitamins in addition to a healthy diet. It is important to take pregnancy supplements with vitamins and minerals in bioactive form, such as those from MomPwdr. MomPwdr’s supplements are designed to support your body during every trimester of pregnancy. This way you get the best vitamins and minerals and the right dosage to prepare your body as well as possible for childbirth.

In short, the third trimester of your pregnancy is an intense and wonderful time in which both you and your baby are getting ready for childbirth. Your hormones play an important role in this process and not only affect your well-being, but also the development of your baby. By paying attention to nutrition, relaxation, exercise and good pregnancy vitamins, you can keep your hormones in balance and prepare your body for childbirth as much as possible.