Pregnancy and motherhood – They are life changing events for so many women. So yes, you must have heard pregnancy brain, baby brain, mommy brain, momnesia and so on? Out of all the changes, that happens amid pregnancy, such as spreading feet, hair-trigger emotion, and the dwindling bladder. But the scariest part is when you become convinced that you are losing your mind. It happens to most of the women. Pregnancy is the time when they feel spacey, forgetful and disconnected. Moreover, they lose things; they might forget where they parked their car. But at times, they feel difficulty in finding the right words to carry on a simple conversation.
Why does having a baby change our brains? The researchers are still trying to figure out that. But most of the changes appear to be due to the massive hormonal changes which occur in women’s body when they carry a child. A few brain changes have also clearly developed to help mothers cope as well as bond with their new children.
So, new mommies… We welcome you to your post-pregnancy brains! Trust me… It is cool.
Your Brain Becomes Bigger!
People who still believe that old tale about motherhood making women become flaky – they can’t say that anymore. In reality, it turns out that, the amount of gray matter in a woman’s brain increases, probably a small amount after she gives birth. While the gray matter volume might sound unhealthy, but the researchers think this could be the case of your brain fine-tuning itself, as opposed to something negative. She will see the growth in some specific areas that will be of use amid motherhood, but in general, the result is a definite increase in her brain’s size.
You Can Cope Up With Stress!
The part of our brain that linked to both pleasure and fear is amygdala.It not only grows significantly when it comes to size after a woman gives birth but also it stays enlarged for the rest of her life. Though a big amygdala doesn’t make you paranoid rather, it plays the key role in how the body emotionally responds to huge stresses, like trauma (or, say, suddenly being responsible for a tiny human being). Having a bigger amygdala helps women cope with the huge pressures of raising a child, as well as bond with them emotionally.
It’s not universal, though: A study found that the biggest change in amygdala size happened in women who seriously bonded with their babies and couldn’t stop gushing about them.
Sense for Smells During Pregnancy!
Okay, don’t you think this is wired? Stimulation of new cells or the neurogenesis, that occurs in your brain if you have just given birth.
It is exclusively is focused on one thing. That is developing a really prevalent feeling of smell. This process seems to be kick-started by the entry of prolactin, which a hormone – related to a woman’s ability to express milk. SResearchers think this may be on the grounds that women have always needed to be able to delight and distinguish in their own baby’s particular smell — particularly in the past when babies were more likely to be brought up in groups.
Bonding with baby!
In one task, women were demonstrated photos of their own babies and different children and their cerebrum action was checked. The parts of the cerebrum which lit up when they saw the photos of their own babies firmly coordinated the areas where gray matter had been lessened or adjusted amid pregnancy. Similar areas did not illuminate when pictures of different babies were seen.
The review of this study found that pregnant ladies were altogether influenced in comparable ways, no matter whether they conceived normally or an IVF. Also, there were no adjustments in first-time fathers’ gray matter in the review when their brains were observed before and after their wives pregnancy.
But overall, when you see the ways that motherhood rewires your brain is certainly awesome! So just do not worry about the baby fog believers since it just can add up your stress and do nothing else! instead, stay busy and enjoy your superpowers. Of course, you are bringing a new life to the world! You are no less than a superhero!!
