In plain words
Relaxin is a hormone that rises during pregnancy, made mostly by the placenta and ovary. It is known to change connective tissue, making it more flexible, and that is why it is often named as a cause of loose joints in pregnancy. The idea that relaxin causes is popular but has not been supported by measurement. Blood levels of relaxin do not reliably differ between women with and without this pain. Other changes, such as weight, posture, and the way the pelvis carries load, are also studied. Pain in the pelvis, back, or hips is worth bringing to your provider. Signs of infection, bleeding, or leg weakness need faster care.
The deeper version
Relaxin is a roughly 6 kDa insulin-like peptide hormone of the relaxin family, produced by the corpus luteum and, in pregnancy, by the and placenta. Its proposed actions include remodeling, ligamentous laxity, and cervical softening, but direct human evidence is limited, and much of the data come from animal models and indirect measurement. The relaxin hypothesis, in which this hormone is the proximate cause of pelvic girdle pain, has not been supported by measurement: serum relaxin does not reliably differ between women with and without PGP. Mechanical hypotheses, including altered load transfer through the sacroiliac joints and the symphysis, have gained ground and remain under study. Controversy persists over whether ligament laxity is a cause, a correlate, or a bystander of musculoskeletal pain.
Where it comes up
- Back, neck, and shoulder pain from feeding and carryingPostpartum: Your Body
- Belly bindingNourishment and Traditions
- Your changing body and how you feel about itPregnancy: Mind and Life
- Moving your body in pregnancyPregnancy: Your Body
- Pelvic girdle pain and SPDPregnancy: Your Body
- Your body after birth: weight, shape, and timelinesPostpartum: Your Body
- Returning to exercisePostpartum: Your Body
- Working while pregnantPregnancy: Mind and Life
What mothers here say about relaxin
No one has posted under this term yet.
Sources
- Vleeming A, et al. — European guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of pelvic girdle pain. European Spine Journal (2008)