Does the baby/foetus give a signal that it’s ready/developed enough, or does the mother’s body just call it at some point without any input from the foetus? Or is it a ‘conversation’ between the two?
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Quick answer: The mothers body usually starts it but it is still a conversation between the two. They are looking into whether or not the baby can help start labour (as it does in sheep)
The mothers body will release hormones which help the uterine cells contract and makes these cells more receptive to oxytocin which again helps them to contract. This then helps create another hormone which tells the uterus to do the same.
This is all I remember from previous conversations with my doctor when I was pregnant so if I am wrong please correct me!
What I gathered from our antenatal classes is that we don’t really know. We know how to artificially induce labour and which chemicals do what, kinda, mostly, but we are also pretty certain we don’t have the root cause of why and when this happens nailed down.
As with a lot of things in medicine, we don’t fully know. Also, it’s likely a combination of a number of factors. There is some thought that the baby’s lungs will release a chemical when they are fully developed which gives the mothers body the OK to go into labour. But that obviously isn’t the case in premature labour.
Another theory, if something is wrong (like an infection) the mothers body will realise the baby is in danger and go into labour. This could help explain preterm labour.
Prostaglandin and oxytocin are hormones that play a major part in labour starting, and natural methods of induction (nipple stimulation, cervical stretch and sweep) try to increase these hormones in the mother
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