Preg brain is an urban myth but mommy brain gets a power boost
We forget the most simple things, we have lapses not only in terms of memory but logic as well. And we all blame it on hormones overdrive, this condition called “pregnancy brain” or “preg head” or “mommy brain.”
And now this scientist at the Australian National University in Canberra tells us it’s all hogwash – that pregnancy brain is an urban myth, as Guardian UK reports. The researcher based this conclusion on a study of 2,500 women who were interviewed 3 times during a 10-year period. The results showed that pregnancy doesn’t really make much of the difference on brain power. Motherhood, however, does.
Experts believe that those memory lapses we have during pregnancy may just be due to
- the brain adjusting itself in preparation for what lies ahead.
- preoccupation with pregnancy.
- physical discomfort associated with pregnancy
- sleep deprivation
But ladies, take heart, because it’s actually good news all the way.
Researchers report that contrary to the “preg head” myth, the female brain actually gets a power boost with pregnancy and motherhood. Here are the reasons why:
- Having children makes a mom’s brain hypersensitive, suited to multitasking and able to deal with several unexpected stressful things simultaneously.
- Motherhood increases a woman’s mental agility that can protect her brain from neurodegenerative disorders.
The book editor Charlotte Judet tells how motherhood enabled her to “distinguish between 15 sorts of cry, and know the difference between a good and a bad silence.” I can only nod my head and agree completely.
What is great about this is that while the pregnancy lapses are short-term and temporary, the mommy brain power boost is actually long-term, even permanent.
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