Baby Talk: Like it or not, here’s why women are at the mercy of their powerful hormones

How amazing is a woman’s body?

The fact that a woman’s body can grow and feed a baby in many ways is a miracle. The hormones produced and released by the pituitary and thyroid gland play a major part in this miracle. They are small glands playing a major role.

The master gland, the pituitary gland, is about the size of a pea. It weighs 0.5 grams, less than an ounce. This tiny gland secretes hormones that control a woman’s ovaries, adrenal and thyroid glands.

The actions of the pituitary gland are monitored by the area of the brain called the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus is like a conductor of an orchestra. An orchestra is composed of different instruments working together to produce beautiful music.

The conductor directs the musicians, giving them guidance and balance. The hypothalamus sends various hormones throughout the body to react with other glands and organs to keep the body in an ideal state of homeostasis (balance).

The pituitary gland has an anterior and posterior lobe. The posterior lobe, besides communicating with the hypothalamus, secretes an anti-diuretic hormone and oxytocin. The anterior lobe produces and releases the following hormones: Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), which controls the adrenal gland; follicle stimulating hormones (FSH), which affect egg production; growth hormones (GH), luteinizing hormones (LH) affecting the ovaries, prolactin for milk production; and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), which stimulates the thyroid to produce thyroid hormones.

The thyroid gland looks like a butterfly. It is located across the front of our necks. The thyroid gland produces thyroxine ( T4). The pituitary and thyroid glands work together to distribute T4 to your organs, brain, heart and muscles.

During pregnancy, two pregnancy related hormones, human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) which is made by the placenta, and estrogen, cause the thyroid gland to increase T4 production. Thyroid hormone is critical to normal development of the baby’s brain and nervous system. The thyroid gland then goes through an adjustment after delivery because the need for T4 is lower after the baby is born.

If the thyroid gland does not make that adjustment post partum thyroiditis may develop. It affects as many as 10 percent of women during the first year after giving birth. Postpartum thyroiditis often goes undiagnosed because the symptoms are mistaken for post partum depression.

If you know a woman experiencing the following symptoms: persistent sadness, impaired concentration, disconnection from emotions, anxiety, feelings of inadequacy or guilt, mood changes, lack of interest in the baby, and racing thoughts, encourage her to have her thyroid levels checked.

We really are at the mercy of our hormones. They are that powerful.

Katie Powers, R.N., is a board-certified lactation consultant and perinatal educator at Manatee Memorial Hospital’s Family BirthPlace. Her column appears every other week in Healthy Living in the Bradenton Herald. Contact her at katie.powers@mmhhs.com.