<<<Go Back

Hormonal changes occuring during pregnancy, specifically the dramatic increase in estrogen levels, cause significant alterations in the way the body transmits and perceives pain. These changes have been shown to boost a pregnant women's ability to tolerate pain. So in essence, women's bodies have a natural mechanism to raise the pain threshhold in preparation for labor and birth.

-- Dawn A. Marcus. "Headache in Pregnancy." Current Pain and Headache Reports 7 (2003): 288-296.