Pregnancy Brain: Science or Excuse?

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Ever wondered if "pregnancy brain" is real science or just a convenient excuse for misplaced keys and forgotten appointments? The fascinating truth lies somewhere in between, and it's more remarkable than you might think.

Pregnancy triggers measurable changes in your brain's structure, particularly in areas related to social cognition and emotional regulation. Far from being a deficit, these changes represent your brain's brilliant adaptation to prepare you for motherhood. Think of it as nature's way of helping you prioritize what really matters—your growing baby—while temporarily filing away less critical information.

That feeling of mental fogginess has solid biological foundations. The hormonal tsunami of pregnancy, particularly those skyrocketing levels of progesterone and estrogen, directly influences memory and executive functioning. Combined with pregnancy-related sleep disruptions (midnight bathroom trips, anyone?), your brain faces genuine challenges. Yet these temporary cognitive shifts serve a greater purpose—they're rewiring your neural pathways to strengthen the connection with your baby.

For those struggling with pregnancy brain, simple strategies can help manage the foggy moments. Writing things down (creating "outie lists" instead of keeping everything in your head), prioritizing rest, staying hydrated, and consuming brain-nourishing foods like omega-3s can all support cognitive function during this transformative time. Most importantly, embrace self-compassion and perhaps a sense of humor about those moments when you find yourself searching for sunglasses that are already on your head.

The next time pregnancy brain makes you feel scattered, remember it's not a flaw—it's a feature of your amazingly adaptive brain preparing for life's most important job. Subscribe for more insights on maternal health, and share your own pregnancy brain stories with us—we'd love to hear them!

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
Hey Mamas, you're listening to Tend and Befriend,
a podcast about women's mentaland physical health.
This is Debra.
I'm a mom of two, a labor andbirth coach and birth advocate,
a health professional, and todayI'm your host.
Let's dive into today's episode.
Am your host?

(00:28):
Let's dive into today's episode.
Any information you hear orthat is suggested or recommended
on these episodes is notmedical advice.
Today we're diving into a hottopic pregnancy brain.
Is it real or is it just anexcuse for forgetting where you
left your keys?
Let's dig into the science andsee what's really going on in
your amazing, beautiful,multitasking brain.
Let's start with the basics.

(00:49):
Pregnancy brain, or momnesia,which is commonly called, is
that forgetful, foggy feelingmany expecting moms report or
talk about.
You know, like calling your dogby your baby's name or putting
your phone in the fridge.
It's not an official medicaldiagnosis, but it's so common
that it's become a part of thepregnancy lexicon.

(01:10):
So what's the deal?
Is your brain actually changingduring pregnancy or is it just
a byproduct of being overwhelmedwith all the exciting and
nerve-wracking things happeningin your life, juggling all the
balls?
Here's where things getinteresting.
Researchers have studied thepregnant brain, but let's be
absolutely real the research hasto be lacking, because women
have only been allowed to be apart of the research since 1993.

(01:34):
And also, when you're pregnant,are you going to be a part of a
research study?
Only if you don't have toreally do anything, because who
wants to be the guinea pig whenyou're pregnant?
But nonetheless, the findingsmay surprise you.
Yes, your brain changes.
A study published in 2016 inNature Neuroscience found that
pregnancy causes measurablechanges in your brain,

(01:56):
specifically in the gray matter,and that it decreases in areas
related to social cognition andemotional regulation.
That makes sense.
But before you panic, thisisn't a bad thing.
Scientists believe it's part ofthe brain's way of rewiring to
help you connect with and carefor your baby.
It's like your brain isoptimizing itself for motherhood

(02:18):
.
Memory and focus take a hit.
Hormones, especiallyprogesterone and estrogen.
They skyrocket during pregnancyand they can influence
cognitive function.
Many studies show mild declinesin memory and executive
functioning.
That's the part of your brainthat helps you stay organized
and focus.
It's not in your head?
Well, actually it is, but youknow what I mean.

(02:38):
Honestly, I feel that Imight've learned this long
before I was pregnant, becausethe days right before I got my
menstrual cycle, I had suchdifficulty stringing a sentence
together, and my girls alsoexperienced that.
It's like right before myperiod I got a little bit denser

(02:58):
and my brain didn't workproperly.
Well, now I know why and why Ifelt that same way during
pregnancy.
Sleep deprivation plays a roleas well.
We all know that the more tiredwe are, the more we can't
function the next day.
Well, that also affects yourbrain.
Between bathroom trips andfinding a comfortable position

(03:19):
with the growing belly,pregnancy can leave you a bit
sleep deprived, which impactsmemory and concentration.
Your brain is tired, just likethe rest of you.
Funny story when I was inschool to be a massage therapist
, one of my classmates told astory where she got up in the
night to pee and while on thistoilet she realized that she had
forgotten to pull down herunderwear.
Totally relate she wasn't evenpregnant.

(03:40):
Here's a silver lining Whilepregnancy brain might make you
feel a little scattered, it'sactually helping you prioritize
what matters.
Most Researchers believe thatthose brain changes that I
mentioned earlier are designedto help you bond with your baby
and become hyper-focused ontheir needs.
Think of it as your braindecluttering itself.
It's letting go of the thingslike remembering to buy the

(04:03):
right brand of cereal so you canfocus on the big stuff like
keeping another human alivePriorities.
Now, if you're tired of feelinglike your brain is running on
dial-up, here are some tipsWrite it down, keep a notebook
or use a note-taking app to jotdown your to-do list and
appointments.
When in doubt, make it digitalso you don't misplace it.

(04:25):
On one of Mel Robbins' podcastsrecently, she was talking about
a concept of an outie listinstead of an innie list.
Yes, innie versus outie, and Ihad never heard it referred to
in regards to a list.
The idea is that we have a listin our head all the time and it
takes up so much space and somuch energy and increases stress

(04:47):
in our bodies because we alwayshave to keep remembering it.
I do this sometimes when I'm inthe treatment room.
I'm trying to remember thingsthat I need to do in between
clients and patients and I tryto create an acronym to remember
what I need to do, which reallyjust write it down.
Take a second and write it down.

(05:07):
So the idea is, if you have alist that is in front of you, it
doesn't take up as much mentalspace and doesn't increase
stress on your body.
Innies versus outies.
Nice, brilliant.
Why keep it in our heads whenwe don't need to Free up that
mental space to do all the otherthings?

(05:29):
Next, we have get enough sleep.
Okay, that's a non-fair one,because that's a lot easier said
than done.
I know that, but even a shortnap can do wonders for your
brain.
Treat rest like thenon-negotiable self-care that it
is.
The next one is to stayhydrated and eat brain boosting
foods.
Your brain thrives on hydrationand nutrients like omega-3s.

(05:52):
You know that are found in fishand walnuts.
Also, you can take a liquidform of it.
You want to make sure that yourbrain is being fed and that
your baby's brain is being fedas well while pregnant.
So snack smarter, not harder,and then cut yourself some slack
.
Forgetting your co-worker'sname doesn't mean you're losing
it.
It means you're human, andgrowing a human at that.

(06:15):
Finally, let's try to embracethe humor in all of this.
Pregnancy brain makes for greatstories, like the time you
searched for your sunglasses andthey were already on your head,
or when you sent a text meantfor your partner to your boss or
to your mother-in-law.
These moments may feelfrustrating in the moment, but
they're also little reminders ofthe wild, wonderful ride that

(06:37):
you're on.
And that's a wrap on today'sepisode of Tend and Befriend.
So does pregnancy brainactually exist?
Yes, hell yes, but it's not aflaw, it's a feature.
Your brain is adapting to thisincredible journey of motherhood
and it's okay to give yourselfsome grace along the way.
And if you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe,

(06:59):
share or leave a review andremember whether you're
misplacing your keys orforgetting what day it is.
You're doing an amazing job.
Talk to you soon.
Talk to you soon.
Okay, let's talk soon.