Feeling like the baby has somehow hijacked your brain lately? You may be experiencing “pregnancy brain.”
Pregnancy brain, also called ‘baby brain’ or ‘momnesia’, can cause forgetfulness, trouble focusing, difficulty making decisions, and brain fog. Memory loss during pregnancy is something that pregnant and postpartum women joke about, swapping funny stories of leaving their keys in the fridge or double booking themselves repeatedly—but it can be quite frustrating. Most women can agree that their cognitive function decreases during the time between pregnancy and postpartum.
Is Pregnancy Brain Real?
Baby Brain is scientifically proven to be real. Between 50 and 80 percent of women reported experiencing a decrease in cognitive function during pregnancy (a.k.a. pregnancy brain).
In fact, the structure of your brain changes during pregnancy, so perhaps this is part of the changes in cognition. Also, when you think of all the effort going on inside your body to grow a small human, it’s really not surprising that you might not feel 100% sharp at all times and experience memory loss during pregnancy.
What You Can Do About Pregnancy Brain
There are some things you can do to help with pregnancy brain fog and keep your brain power at its best during pregnancy and postpartum.
- Sleep. Make sure you’re getting enough zzz’s every night, as lack of sleep definitely impacts your cognitive function. If getting sleep is a challenge, we have some pointers here.
- Diet. You’ve probably noticed even before pregnancy that when you’re not eating a balanced diet, you’re not as alert. Eating healthy, nutritious foods fuels your body and keeps you on the ball
- Exercise. Regular exercise improves memory and cognition. It also helps beat pregnancy-related insomnia and prepares your body for delivery.
- Try Energy Boost. If you’re low on energy and that seems to be exacerbating your pregnancy brain, our Energy Boost Powder Mix is a good pick. It’s stimulant-free, pregnancy-safe, and will help perk you up without a crash afterwards (unlike caffeine).
What about your brain postpartum?
You made it through pregnancy, and you’ve been through lots of changes—your body, your mood, your ability to sleep through the night. But did you know that your brain has changed during pregnancy, too? Keep reading to discover how pregnancy affects the brain!
Does your brain shrink during pregnancy?
Believe it or not, yes! Your brain gets smaller to be more efficient at a time when your body is already working so hard to grow a baby.
A 2016 study by Nature Neuroscience proved the structural changes in pregnant women’s brains by taking MRIs before, during, and after pregnancy. What they found was that the gray matter of your brain—responsible for many important processes, such as emotional regulation, memory, decision-making, responding to social cues, and speech—reduces in volume during pregnancy. The hippocampus, which plays a key role in memory and learning, also reduces in volume.
The study showed that new mothers who had experienced a reduction in gray matter in their brains also experienced greater attachment to their babies. The same new mothers in the postpartum group were observed through MRI scans while looking at images of their own baby and babies they didn’t know. The scans revealed greater neural activity in the parts of the brain that had reduced in size when the women looked at photos of their own babies. So that’s what’s going on in your brain these days during those epic snuggle sessions!
What does this mean postpartum?
In the study, MRIs were also taken 2 years postpartum and compared to the pre-pregnancy and pregnancy scans. The conclusion was that mothers’ brains do not begin to recover volume in gray matter until at least 2 years later. 2 years! We’ll just let that postpartum brain studies sink in a bit.
So, if you’re feeling like your mind has not fully recovered since giving birth, here’s all the validation you need. It hasn’t! Be understanding with yourself and try to practice self-care when you can.
Pretty fascinating how the body works, right? Now you can tell all the new moms and moms-to-be in your life that their brains have shrunk.
FAQs
When does pregnancy brain start?
There’s no official, scientific “start date” for pregnancy brain, but studies have shown that while it can start in the first trimester, it’s typically the worst in the third trimester.
How long does pregnancy brain last?
The structural brain changes can last for at least 2 years after giving birth. In fact, studies have shown that the effects of pregnancy brain can be seen even after up to six years post-partum!
Can pregnancy brain start at 4 weeks?
While pregnancy brain peaks in the third trimester, it can start in the first trimester due to a surge of hormones like progesterone and estrogen.
