Determining proper sensitivity to incoming signals is important to all regulated biological systems, but is especially crucial for responses that involve an irreversible decision. Using Xenopus oocytes maturation as an example, we illustrate how entangled feedback architectures can be used to integrate the multiple signals needed to make the switchlike, irreversible transition from interphase to meiosis. We also discuss how the specific topologies of these feedback loops modulate the switching threshold as a function of the progesterone input.