VTCT Sports Massage Level 3 Practice Test

Oxytocin is the hormone that drives childbirth. It is released from the posterior pituitary in response to cervical and uterine stretch, and it binds to receptors on uterine smooth muscle to trigger contractions. This creates a positive feedback loop: stronger contractions and further dilation lead to more oxytocin release until delivery occurs. In clinical practice, synthetic oxytocin can be used to start or augment labor. The other hormones listed don’t promote labor contractions—adrenaline tends to suppress them under stress, insulin regulates blood glucose, and thyroxine controls metabolism.