Early in pregnancy, relaxin also inhibits contractions in the wall of the uterus, to prevent premature childbirth. Relaxin can regulate the mother’s cardiovascular and renal systems to help them adapt to the increase in demand for oxygen and nutrients for the fetus, and to process the resulting waste products. At this time it is believed to promote implantation of the developing fetus into the wall of the uterus and the growth of the placenta.
During pregnancy, relaxin levels are at their highest in the first trimester. If pregnancy does not occur, relaxin levels drop again. At this stage it is thought to relax the wall of the uterus by inhibiting contractions, and it also prepares the lining of the uterus for pregnancy. The effects of relaxin are most well-described during the female reproductive cycle and pregnancy. Relaxin levels in the circulation rise after ovulation, during the second half of the menstrual cycle. During pregnancy it is also released from the placenta, the membranes which surround the fetus, and the lining of the uterus. In men, relaxin is secreted from the prostate gland and can be detected in the semen, but is not generally found in the blood circulation. In women, relaxin is secreted into the circulation by the corpus luteum in the ovary.
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