These hormones are produced in the amniotic membrane and they soften and ripen your cervix in preparation for labor and stimulate muscles in your uterus and bowels.

• A. Estrogen
• B. Prostaglandins
• C. Relaxin
• D. Progesterone

Answer: (B)

Prostaglandins are lipid hormones produced by the fetal membranes, including the amniotic membrane. They soften and ripen the cervix by remodeling collagen and increasing cervical tissue responsiveness, which prepares the cervix for dilation. At the same time, they ramp up the excitability of the uterine smooth muscle to promote contractions, and they can stimulate smooth muscle in the bowels as labor approaches. This combination—cervical ripening plus increased uterine and intestinal activity—fits the description perfectly, and prostaglandins are the substances most closely associated with these effects.