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The pregnancy ordeal is a wonderful symphony of hormones that changes your body to foster and give birth to new life. The most remarkable of these hormones is the relaxin, but this particular hormone has a different role, which is that it actually makes your body relax. Whether you are tightening your ligaments or getting your pelvis ready to deliver a baby, relaxin keeps you as flexible as you need to be.
What Is Relaxin?
Relaxin is a natural hormone that has various roles in musculoskeletal and reproductive health. It is a process in the body that allows the tissues to stretch and adapt to the changes in pregnancy. The primary effect of the hormone is to soften and relax ligaments and muscles, especially in the lower back and the pelvis, to prepare the body to give birth.
But relaxin does not just impact the pelvis. It affects your whole musculoskeletal system - that is, joints all around your body can become more supple. This can assist in childbirth but predisposes pregnant women to strains or even instability.
Where Does Relaxin Come From?
Small doses of relaxin are produced by the ovaries in non-pregnant people, which assists them in the menstrual cycle. Relaxin is primarily produced by the corpus luteum (a temporary gland that develops during ovulation) in the course of pregnancy.
The placenta and uterine lining start to produce more relaxation, which is constant until delivery as the pregnancy progresses. Intriguingly, the relaxin is also synthesized in lower levels by the heart and kidney in both men and women, but its purpose in these areas is less clearly understood.
What Does Relaxin Feel Like?
Relaxin itself does not produce sensations that can be felt directly, but its effects certainly do. You may start noticing:
- Less rigidity in the joints or increased flexibleness, particularly in your hips and your lower back.
- Pain or pain on the pelvis during walking.
- An unsteady or wobbly sensation during movement.
- A minor shift in position or balance.
This is the normal development of your body trying to adapt to pregnancy. Still, excessive joint looseness may result in discomfort or pain, especially during later trimesters.
The Role of Relaxin in the Menstrual Cycle and Pregnancy
During the Follicular Phase
During a normal menstrual cycle, relaxin assists the endometrial lining to enlarge, equipping the uterus to possibly implant. It plays an insidious but vital role in fertility.
During the Luteal Phase
Once the ovulation process has been accomplished, relaxin prevents premature contractions and keeps the uterus in a receptive state to allow the embryo to implant successfully.
During Early Pregnancy
When pregnancy starts, relaxin will calm the uterus by maintaining its muscles relaxed. This reduces the chances of pre-term birth and allows the placenta to anchor safely. The hormone will also increase blood flow to the uterus to make sure that your baby gets the right amount of oxygen and nutrients.
During Later Pregnancy
The concentration of relaxin changes in the pelvic area as your due date approaches. It breaks the ligaments of the pelvis and softens the cervix - procedures that allow your baby to travel through the birth canal during labor more easily. Childbirth would be a much more painful experience without relaxin.
Relaxin Levels Throughout Pregnancy
When Does Relaxin Production Start?
Production of relaxin commences a short time after conception, just about the time of implantation of the fertilized egg into the uterine wall. This early rush prevents the uterus from contracting prematurely and aids the stability of implantations.
When Do Relaxin Levels Peak?
The highest levels of relaxation are usually in the first trimester and, mostly in the 8 to 12 weeks. Subsequently, the levels can be reduced, but still be present during pregnancy. There are even studies that indicate a second smaller surge immediately before birth, to prepare your body to deliver.
You may also find yourself feeling more flexible or feeling some pelvic pain during this period - you know that relaxin is fulfilling its vital role.
Potential Issues and Side Effects of Relaxin
Although it requires relaxation to do so, it may also cause multiple side effects because of its effects on the flexibility of the joints and the tissue.
Pelvic Girdle Pain (PGP)
Pelvic girdle pain (PGP) is one of the common side effects of the pregnancy relaxin hormone. This pain occurs when the joints of the pelvis move out of position or are overly loose because of the influence that relaxin has on the connective tissues. Your hips, lower back, buttocks, or even your groin may be sharp or achy, and any of these may hurt whenever you walk, climb stairs, or even turn in bed.
Although PGP is a natural process in your body adapting to childbirth, it can severely affect your movement and comfort. This is where appropriate support of the pelvis is necessary.
The Momcozy Ergonest Belly band is the best fit, and can be worn without feeling constricted, unlike generic maternity belts that are too strong and stiff, yet they do not provide enough comfort. Regardless of whether you walk, stand long or take a rest, it helps:
- Postural support - Support the lower back and abdomen.
- Reduce pressure due to the relaxin action of pregnancy hormones
- Increase the daily comfort in daily activity or exercise.
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Numerous mothers have reported that the Momcozy Ergonest Belly Band alleviated not only pelvic and lower back pain but also helped them feel more supported and secure during the changes in their body. Whether you have PGP or just feel unsteady during pregnancy because of relaxation, adding a good maternity support band, such as this, can help you feel a significant difference in how comfortable and confident you feel during pregnancy.
Musculoskeletal Instability and Joint Pain
Since relaxation can influence all the ligaments, not just the ones in the pelvis, you can also have slack joints in the rest of the body. The knees, ankles, and wrists may be wobbly, causing the person to sprain or overextend.
Good posture, supportive shoes, and prenatal practices such as gentle yoga or swimming may also help keep your muscles firm and your joints supported.
Digestive Issues
Relaxin also relaxes smooth muscles such as the digestive tract. It can cause decreased digestion, bloating, and acid reflux. These symptoms can be controlled by eating small meals and not lying down immediately after eating.
Potential Link to Preterm Labor
There is some evidence that excessively high levels of relaxation can be associated with premature childbirth or cervical anomalies, but the evidence is still inconclusive. Let your doctor watch your symptoms in case of unusual contractions or shortening of the cervix.
Imbalances in Relaxin Levels
Excessive levels of relaxation may cause excessive flexibility and discomfort. When it is too low, the cervix and pelvis do not soften to allow delivery, making labor difficult. Nonetheless, severe imbalances are uncommon and often come along with hormonal issues or problems.
What Happens with Too Much or Too Little Relaxin?
Excess Relaxin:
- Excessive levels of relaxin can result in joint pain, pelvic instability and difficulties with posture. You can find that you get lower back pain regularly or may even experience slight pain in standing or walking with bulky items.
Low Relaxin:
- When the levels of relaxin are low, your pelvic joints may not be loose enough, and this may make delivery harder. It can also be a cause of problems such as sluggish dilation of the cervix.
Although medical interventions to specifically manipulate relaxation levels are lacking, through natural means such as belly bands, adequate rest, and low-impact movement, the symptoms can be managed.
Relaxin During the Postpartum Period
How Does Relaxin Affect You After Birth?
Relaxin does not cease to work as soon as your baby is born. It may take a couple of weeks to a year before the effects wear off, as your body recovers. Joint looseness, particularly in the lower back and pelvis, is a common postpartum condition in many new moms.
That is why postpartum care and support are so crucial. Belly binding, simple stretching, and no strenuous lifting may restore your joints to stability.
How Long Does Relaxin Stay in Your System After Delivery?
Immediately after birth, levels of relaxation start decreasing, although this may persist up to five months after birth. Breastfeeding mothers can have a slightly higher level for longer as a result of hormonal activity.
FAQs
When Do Joints Start to Loosen During Pregnancy?
By the second trimester, most pregnant women begin to experience loosened joints and greater flexibility although some will experience it earlier depending on their levels of relaxation.
Can You Test Relaxin Levels?
No standard medical test of relaxin levels in pregnancy is currently used. Researchers can measure it to study it, but it is not included in regular prenatal screenings.
How Does Relaxin Affect the Uterus?
Relaxin also aids in keeping the uterus soft and flexible so that the uterus can expand as your baby grows. It also helps in the removal of premature births through maintaining relaxed uterine muscles during early pregnancy.
Does Relaxin Make You Pee?
Indirectly, yes. Since relaxation causes pelvic floor muscles and ligaments to relax, it may be a factor in mild bladder leakage or increased urination frequency, particularly when in combination with growing uterine pressure.
Conclusion
One of the most amazing tools of nature during pregnancy is the relaxin hormone - this hormone is meant to assist your body to grow, expand and finally give life to another being on the planet. It makes your body prepared to give birth by relaxin the ligaments and softening the cervix.
