Supercharging Your Hormones to Do the Heavy Lifting

Nature has a beautiful intelligence. From conception through pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, and parenting, your body releases a symphony of hormones designed to support every step. Often, all that’s needed is a little understanding — and a calm environment — for them to do their perfect work.

Below is a friendly guide to the main hormones at play — and how you can gently enhance your body’s ability to release them naturally.

The Key Players: Your Hormonal Team

hCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin)

Often called “the pregnancy hormone,” hCG is primarily produced when you’re pregnant. Home pregnancy tests detect this hormone in your urine. In early pregnancy, your hCG levels climb quickly (doubling roughly every few days) until they peak around 8–11 weeks. One of its roles is signalling the development of the placenta.

Progesterone

Progesterone is essential early on: it helps your uterine lining prepare for the embryo to implant. It also softens and calms the uterus to prevent premature contractions. Through your pregnancy, it acts as a muscle relaxant. It’s one of the hormones helping your body “stay quiet” until labour time.

Estrogen

Estrogen works in coordination with progesterone. It maintains the endometrial lining, supports good blood flow (bringing nutrients to baby), and balances many systems in your body. It’s responsible (in part) for some of the discomforts of pregnancy — like more sensitive, tender breasts — because of the increased vascular flow.

Endorphins (Your Internal Pain-Relief & Pleasure Hormones)

Endorphins are your built-in “feel good” messengers. They’re estimated to be 20–40 times more powerful than morphine in their natural function. As labour intensifies, endorphin levels should rise in unmedicated births. When your body is relaxed, safe, and confident, it’s more able to produce these in greater quantities — moderating discomfort and helping you stay calm.

Oxytocin (The Love & Bonding Hormone)

Oxytocin has three major peaks in the childbearing journey: at the start of labour, at baby’s birth, and during breastfeeding. Its release is tied to feeling nurtured, safe, and connected. You can support oxytocin naturally by keeping your birth environment calm, low light, and private, using gravity and upright positioning to allow baby’s head to press on your cervix, and ensuring skin-to-skin and early breastfeeding after birth.

Melatonin (The “Night Time / Peace” Hormone)

Melatonin works hand in hand with oxytocin in labour, especially during the deeper, darker phases of birth. That’s one reason why dim lights and minimal disturbance in labour make such a difference — your body needs that “night mode” feel to fully step into birthing mode.

Adrenaline & Noradrenaline (The “Rush” Hormones)

These are often called the “fight-or-flight” hormones — but in birth, they also provide the surge you sometimes need at the end of labour (“transition push,” final descent). You do want a controlled surge — not early over-activation. By staying informed, relaxed, trusting your body, and keeping your environment calm, you reduce premature spikes of adrenaline that can disrupt labour’s flow.

Relaxin

Relaxin is aptly named: it relaxes. During pregnancy, it softens ligaments (especially around the pelvis) and helps the cervix soften and open in preparation for birth.

Prolactin

This is your “mothering hormone.” It’s central to milk production and a deeper emotional bond. You can support prolactin naturally by ensuring early skin-to-skin contact, keeping stress low after birth, and breastfeeding on demand. The more relaxed and connected you are, the more prolactin can flow.

How to Help Your Body Work With, Not Against, Its Hormones

Your body is already wired for this journey. You don’t have to force anything — you just provide the ideal environment. Here’s how to maximise your body’s ability to release these hormones naturally:

• Create a calm, private, safe birthing space

Quiet, soft lighting, privacy, and minimal disturbance help your brain switch “on” these birth hormones and stay in birth mode.

• Do the emotional & mental preparation

The techniques you learn in the Positive Birth Program (affirmations, visualisation, hypnosis) help your nervous system stay safe, releasing fear so your body can produce endorphins, oxytocin, and so on.

• Choose labour support wisely

Having people who believe in your birth, understand your preferences, and provide consistent comfort measures helps keep your hormone system humming.

• Move naturally, use positions that help

Upright positions, using gravity, allowing freedom of movement — these can stimulate oxytocin and reduce unnecessary tension.

• Minimise interference and invasive procedures

Every interruption or uncertainty can trigger stress. Reducing invasive checks, keeping familiar faces around, and avoiding bright lights can let your natural chemistry run smoothly.

• Early skin-to-skin and feeding on cue

After birth, keeping baby close and beginning nursing supports oxytocin, prolactin, and that bonding cascade that begins your postpartum hormones.

A Note from Hobart & Tasmania

• In 2023, Australia recorded 286,998 births, and the total fertility rate fell to 1.50 babies per woman — one of the lowest on record. Australian Bureau of Statistics+1

• Interestingly, Tasmania was the only state to see an increase in fertility rate in that period, rising from 1.49 to 1.51 babes per woman. Australian Bureau of Statistics

• In Tasmania in 2020, the neonatal mortality rate was 3.7 per 1,000 live births, higher than the prior year and above the national average. Tasmanian Department of Health

What that tells me is: here in Tasmania, we’re small enough that each birth matters deeply. Our state is showing a glimmer of resilience in fertility, and we have the opportunity to lean into preparation, connection, and empowerment to support more positive birth experiences.

Your hormones are already doing the heavy lifting — with awareness, trust, and support, you get to be the conductor.