Is Baby Brain A Myth?

Over the last few months, I have noticed that my brain isn't working as it used to. And while it would have been easy to blame the "baby brain" I wasn't convinced that our little one is the only reason why I walk into the kitchen and forget what I wanted to do there.

So I started digging. And here's what I found:

Three out of four women state that they're more forgetful, experience brain fog, or lack concentration during pregnancy and early motherhood.

Yet science isn't 100% convinced that brain changes during pregnancy are only negative.

This small study highlights the reduction in gray matter volume of the mother's brain, which has been associated with maternal attachment towards the baby. Which is a good thing, right?

Memory, Cognition, Attention

The majority of studies looks at memory, cognition and attention. As with many things in science there are studies that find small reductions in memory or attention.
But there are also plenty of studies that find pregnancy improves cognition.

Studies show that pregnant women and mothers performed equally well as a group of child-free women.

There were only two differences:
1. Mood ( pregnancy and motherhood lowered overall mood)
2. Self-reported memory. (Pregnant women and mothers claimed their memory was poor, even after the researchers provided them with the test results which showed the opposite. )

Food For Thought

What many studies don't measure is the cultural belief system surrounding women. It seems that women during pregnancy and postpartum are "expected" to forget, and similar to PMS, the forgetfulness is related to the hormonal rollercoaster that women go through. To me this looks like an example that it's not the cognitive skills that change with pregnancy, but a woman's perception of themselves.

Interestingly, none of the studies I found looked at the amount of sleep the women got.

As we all know, sleep is essential for many things, which also means it's crucial for cognitive function. And we know that the later stages of pregnancy and the early months of a baby's life aren't the ones where momma gets a lot of high-quality sleep.

This means that while we cannot change how the brain structure changes, we can change how we do and perceive tasks.

Three Tips

• If you tend to do multiple things at once (because the baby only sleeps for 15 minutes): Prioritize
• If you think of something while doing something else: Send yourself a voice message
• If you feel overwhelmed by ALL the things you have to do: Ask for help.
  

I understand that it may sound easier than done, but trust me, it's the small and simple things that will help you stay on top of your cognitive performance AND your sleep.

Summary

It sounds like many women, including myself, notice a change in their brain function but it's more nuanced than scientific findings.

Yes, a woman’s brain can shrink up to 4% while pregnant. The brain also kind of rewires itself to get rid of unnecessary connections to make space for new ones that are needed for being a mother, like maternal attachment or learning how many things you can do with one hand while you hold your baby.

So it's no wonder that women forget words, put clean dishes in the fridge, leave the keys at the front door. But I would love for women to use these scientific findings, connecting them with real-life scenarios and do themselves a favor by rewriting the story for pregnant and postpartum women:

"I'm thinking okay even though I am pregnant/mom of a baby. My baby brain isn't a handicap but a lifelong task of becoming smart and creative with my approaches. "