Pregnancy and Lactation Flashcards
Suppresses follicle maturation and ovulation with negative feedback (less effective than
the combination pill)
female birth control : progestin only
Thickens cervical mucus to prevent sperm from entering
uterus
female birth control: progestin only
Levonorgestrel – a progestin (same as what is in progestin-only pills and IUDs) prevents
ovulation and fertilization
Plan B
How to tell if you’re ovulating
LH levels - increases leading up to ovulation. peaks during ovulation
temperature - progesterone has a mild thermogenic effect
occurs in the fallopian tube. There’s a 24hr window for fertilization to take place after ovulation
fertilization
Sperm are propelled to the fallopian tube by
contractions of the female reproductive tract
due to estradiol
Estradiol is elevated leading up to ovulation
fertilization
window of fertility
4 days prior to ovulation to the day of ovulation. Highest probability of conception is 1 day before ovulation
directs the outer layer of the endometrium
to form the decidua (a modified mucosal lining), making it
favorable for implantation
progesterone
Inner cell mass – becomes the embryo
Trophoblast – interacts with maternal tissue; gives rise to the placenta
blastocyst
the folds of tissue and
blood vessels that
connect maternal and
fetal blood pools
Chorionic villi
the primary endocrine
tissue during pregnancy
The placenta
how many major components of the placenta
2 major components
formed from the mother’s endometrium
(called the decidua)
maternal component
formed from
the blastocyst
fetal component
functions of the placenta
- achors the fetus to the uterine wall
- provides the maternal/fetal interface for the exchange of nutrients, respiratory gases, and
fetal wastes - secretes hormones
derived from trophoblasts and are the endocrine tissue of the placenta
Syncytiotrophoblast cells
time period when the placenta overtakes production of hormones from the corpus luteum (around the end of the 1st trimester).
Luteal-placental shift
rescue the corpus luteum (i.e., extend its life span) and stimulates it to continue secreting progesterone and estrogens, which in turn
maintain the endometrium in a state favorable for
implantation and continued placenta development
Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)
Placenta is not capable of de novo steroid synthesis and it requires the
Feto-Placental Unit
a precursor for other sex steroids, like testosterone and estrogen, in tissues
capable of converting it.
DHEA
Placenta needs to obtain
cholesterol from maternal
blood to synthesize
progesterone
role of progesterone during pregnancy
Inhibits HPG axis via negative feedback
maintains uterine lining
prepares mammary glands for lactation
promotes formation of cervical mucus plug
- Stimulates growth of uterine lining
- Promotes development of mammary
ducts for lactation - Increases uterine strength for labor
Estrogen (estradiol and estriol)
Protein hormone synthesized by placenta
Member of the growth hormone-prolactin familymobilizes maternal fat and decreases maternal
glucose consumption (anti-insulin properties) to
facilitate energy supply of the fetus
Human chorionic
somatomammotropin (hCS)
primary functions of Human chorionic
somatomammotropin (hCS)
mammary growth in preparation for lactation
mobilizes maternal fat and decreases maternal
glucose consumption (anti-insulin properties) to
facilitate energy supply of the fetus
Protein hormone produced by corpus
luteum and later the placenta
Relaxin
Functions of Relaxin
- Inhibits premature uterine contractions
- Relaxes ligaments in joints of pelvis
(and the rest of your body leads to source of
back and hip pain) - Softens and lengthens cervix
A non-genetic source of variation in offspring traits due to an
environmentally-elicited maternal response
Maternal Effects
