Multiple hormones produced by the mother, placenta and the foetus drive and coordinate the amazing biological changes and development of the baby that occur with conception, foetal growth and birth.
Some women are very sensitive to small shifts in hormones, others aren’t.
Petras Gagilas/flickr
In recent times, we have learnt more about the connections between the “reproductive” or gonadal hormones and the brain, and how they affect not only women but men as well.
Whether or not you feel inclined to eat depends on the balance of the activity between two sets of neurons.
Dennis Skley/Flickr
Our bodies have a complex system to control food intake, driven by hormones. Hormone levels also change when we gain and lose weight.
The activities we do during the day – from having a fight with a partner to using our iPhones at night – also affect our hormone levels and, in turn, our quality of sleep.
Jan Faukner/Shutterstock