I’ve lost my mind – Find out what the latest study is saying about baby brain
Having ‘baby brain’ refers to increased forgetfulness and mental “fogginess” during pregnancy. For years, studies have debated whether this was an old wives’ tale or the real deal.
A recent study conducted by Deakin University assessed the cognitive functioning of more than 1,200 women (pregnant and non-pregnant). It’s the first of its kind to explore how pregnancy may affect other cognitive areas beyond memory such as decision making and even went into further detail on how these changes might vary according to pregnancy trimesters.
And to no surprise, the study found that baby brain is real
The study showed non-pregnant women performed better than pregnant women on tasks involving memory and ‘executive functioning’ which includes attention to detail, decision-making and planning.
The most notable change researchers observed was the decline in memory performance in pregnant women, particularly during the third trimester.
About four out of five women report experiencing baby brain during pregnancy. Their symptoms include forgetfulness, poor concentration and feeling they are “not as sharp” as normal. They often report that multi-tasking seemed to be a bit harder. These symptoms are consistent with the findings of this study.
Changes are small and unlikely to have any dramatic impact on everyday life
The good news is that the effects of baby brain are unlikely to have any dramatic impact on everyday life (phew). So pregnant ladies reading – don’t panic.
Lapses were more likely be minor such as forgetting your handbag or forgetting to book medical appointments instead of impaired performance at work or an inability to navigate complex tasks.
This news comes as a relief considering the commonplace jokes about pregnant women’s minds.
What causes baby brain?
There’s still a lot of debate on what might cause baby brain. A study found that the brains of pregnant women changes in regions closely tied to processing social information, such as recognising infant facial expressions and establishing healthy bonding between mum and baby.
Studies say this is an ‘adaptive’ function to allows new mothers to better identify and respond to their infant’s needs or react to external threats.
Interestingly, this same study also showed similar brain changes in the hippocampus in the areas of the brain responsible for memory function (who would have thought hippos have so much in common with mothers!). The brain restores itself in two years after the birth of a child. This supports the idea that baby brain is not permanent (big hurray).
Other factors to consider on what causes baby brain is the huge hormonal shifts during pregnancy combined with disrupted sleep patterns, mood changes, increased stress levels, and morning sickness.
After all, pregnancy is a time of massive physical, psychological, and social change, so it isn’t surprising that there are lapse in memory and other cognitive functioning.
Did you experience baby brain during your pregnancy or know someone who has? If you have a funny story where you’ve forgotten something (or someone), please do share with us.
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