Baby brain: memory loss in pregnant women
Many women suffer slight memory loss during their pregnancy, which is known today as the baby brain.
During pregnancy , a woman’s body undergoes a large number of hormonal, physical and emotional changes that affect various aspects of daily life. Your body changes every day, you feel more tired and you have a harder time falling asleep and resting effectively.
It is even possible that during your pregnancy you suffer minor memory losses or that you find yourself with less brain agility . You may not be able to remember where you left the house keys, or if you locked the door properly when leaving the house. Do not worry, it is something that happens very frequently and that affects many pregnant women in the world. But is there really scientific evidence to associate temporary memory loss with pregnancy?
Index
WHAT IS THE BABY BRAIN
It is called baby brain (in English, baby brain) to the momentary state suffered by many pregnant women , who feel how their brain is less agile during the gestation period. It is something very frequent, it does not consist only in memory loss, but also in the difficulty to maintain concentration in certain situations.
The term is used in a general way, although there is still no scientific evidence to support this fact . That is, although the studies that have been carried out so far are not many, no relationship between pregnancy and the decline in cognitive abilities has yet been discovered .
So no, pregnancy doesn’t make you dumber . On the contrary, various studies have indicated that after pregnancy, there is a greater volume of gray matter in various areas of the brain . So motherhood will make you a more decisive person, with greater capacities for multitasking and much more efficient in many ways.
WHAT IS THE REASON FOR THIS MEMORY LOSS?
There are many causes associated with pregnancy that can cause a decline in cognitive ability. The lack of sleep is one of the main causes , because not enough hours to rest and not do effectively, as in most pregnancies negatively affect brain function.
In addition, the concern about everything that is to come, the fears about the baby’s development and the future delivery and the logical uncertainty due to ignorance, cause the future mother to be more clueless , forgetful and not able to concentrate on normal way, suffering the so-called baby brain.
On the other hand, the hormonal imbalance that pregnancy produces is the cause of the change in the functioning of the brain. In addition to many other symptoms that you will notice as a result of that uncontrolled dance of hormones. Since it can affect you on an emotional level, mood changes constantly and as a sum of all this, difficulty concentrating and keeping your brain active.
Even so, all women do not notice the effects of the baby brain in themselves. So it is not a general rule, as with the rest of pregnancy symptoms , each woman is completely different and therefore, no two pregnancies are the same .
Despite this, 4 out of 5 women claim to have suffered those slight memory losses and difficulty in maintaining concentration, so characteristic of the baby brain. On the other hand, these symptoms can last several months after delivery . But you should not obsess over it, all this has to do with your recent state of motherhood, logically you will be more concerned about the well-being of your little one and all your attention is focused on that.
Soon you will feel fully empowered again and you will be able to perform different tasks simultaneously as before, even more. Since motherhood gives mothers an innate ability to resolve issues in an admirable way. If you haven’t checked it yet, you will soon be able to.
PRACTICAL TIPS TO AVOID THE BABY BRAIN
If you want to avoid that “groggy” feeling during your pregnancy, it is very important that you try to get at least 8 hours of sleep , which is what a pregnant woman needs to get a good night’s sleep. Rest is essential for the brain to perform its functions effectively.
Also, try to eat healthy and eat foods that help improve neuronal functions. Take foods rich in omega3 fatty acids , you will find it in fish such as salmon, mackerel, sardines or river trout. Nuts are another important source of omega 3, in addition to some vegetable oils such as soy or flaxseed.
Do not forget to do physical activity on a regular basis . Exercise will help you keep your brain active, you will be more connected with the environment and also, you will be able to stay healthy during your pregnancy. Thus avoiding gaining too much weight, with all the risks that this entails, and you will be better physically prepared to give birth and your subsequent postpartum recovery.
Dr. Tabriella Perivolaris, Sara's mother and fan of fashion, beauty, motherhood, among others, about the female universe. Since 2018 she has been working as a copywriter, always bringing to her articles a little of her experience and experience as a mother and woman.