You may have experienced the mommy brain while pregnant, but you're not quite sure what it is. In recent years, the term has become increasingly popular, appearing in numerous scientific publications and articles in the women's press. Mommy brain, mamnesia (maternal amnesia), baby brain or brain fog - the expressions may vary, but the phenomenon remains the same: a feeling of permanent fog that leads expectant and new mothers to forget things. An effect of pregnancy that continues into the post-partum period, which we invite you to explore together in this article.
- Mommy or baby brain, it's all in the brain!
- The mommy brain, the superpower of being a mother?
- 5 useful tips for better visual navigation
Mommy or baby brain, it's all in the brain!
In 1956, the British pediatrician and psychoanalyst behind the concepts oftransitional objects and transitional spaces, Donald Winnicott, identified what he then called "primary maternal preoccupation". According to his research, this exclusively feminine state of mind could be at the root of the "fog" and slowness experienced by new mothers.
Today, the mommy brain refers to the pre- and post-natal period, during which young mothers can have difficulty concentrating, feel constantly out of touch and experience frequent forgetfulness. Appointments, words, names, keys, glasses... everything gets lost. Mothers who experience this brain fog refer to it as a permanent fog in which they struggle to organize their day and their ideas. But in practice, what do we know about this confusion?
Jodi Pawluski, Canadian neuroscientist and author of the book " Les supers pouvoirs du mommy brain ", published in 2022 by Larousse, introduces new maternal feelings such as a brain that spins in slow motion or the sensation of having given birth to a baby literally capable of sucking out your neurons. 😯
Pregnancy changes brain structure
The neuroscientist, who is also a researcher at the University of Rennes, says that 80% of women experience this "mamnesia" to varying degrees. And with good reason: while the mechanisms of the mommy brain remain more or less obscure, one thing is certain: the very structure of the female brain is modified, and this, from the very first months of pregnancy. This is known as perinatal neuroplasticity.
Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), the researchers observed increased neuronal functional connectivity in grey matter during pregnancy. However, this increased activity is accompanied by a decrease in gray matter volume in different regions of the cortex, and a change in the organization of neural networks. However, Dr. Pawluski does not speak of a "loss", but rather of a kind of "rearrangement" for a new focus, almost entirely turned towards the baby. A reorganization that could be lasting (at least two years after childbirth) and perhaps even permanent. Various studies also suggest a link between the evolution of maternal brain structure and the mother-child relationship.
Imaging has shown, for example, that during pregnancy, the parietal (linked to empathy) and temporal lobes (dedicated to auditory perception, receptive language components and emotions, among others), take up more space.
Neuroscience for a better understanding
So it seems that the female brain is making a real transition to motherhood, preparing itself to help you tame parenthood.
At least, that's part of what Lucie Joly, psychiatrist and head of adult perinatal psychiatry at the Saint-Antoine, Pitié-Salpêtrière, Tenon and Trousseau hospitals in Paris, and Hugo Bottemanne, also a psychiatrist at the Pitié-Salpêtrière hospital and researcher at Sorbonne University and the Institut du Cerveau, have to say in their joint book " Dans le cerveau des mamans ", published in 2023 by Éditions du Rocher.
Their specialty? Perinatal neuroscience (where biology and psychology converge) and the study of the brains of mothers and their babies. In this way, the two scientists confirm that the female brain is indeed capable of evolving from the very first weeks of pregnancy and well beyond.
Based on the hypothesis that these brain changes accompany the development of mother-child attachment, they also suggest a possible link with certain emotional difficulties associated with pregnancy, such as baby blues or post-partum depression.
The mummy brain, for its part, is partly explained by hormonal production capable of slowing down neuronal renewal, particularly in the hippocampus, where memory is located. Hormones that are also responsible for the emotional storm of the post-partum period and the depression that accompanies it for 20% of young mothers.
How long does the mommy brain fog last?
Memory loss, forgetfulness and confusion can begin as early as the first trimester of pregnancy, reach their peak in the third and finally disappear in the months following delivery. However, the effects of mommy brain could extend well beyond this, up to two years or more after the baby's birth.
The Mommy brain, the superpower of being a mother?
But then, would "mamnesia" only have disadvantages? Is it nature's way that mothers-to-be and new mothers navigate a sea of doubts and questions? Not only that 😉
For Jodi Pawluski, the mommy brain has all the makings of a maternal superpower, focusing on the partial restructuring of the brain for new learning and a total focus on the unborn baby and its needs.
If certain areas of the female brain are altered, such as communication, it's to better develop others, such as empathy and emotions, which help mothers to better "pick up" their child's non-verbal signals.
So, the mommy brain, confusing as it may be, is a symptom of matrescence, its upheavals and all the difficulties it engenders. And because all power implies concessions, we shouldn't forget the fatigue, the maternal exhaustion in some cases, which adds to the confusion felt and to its foggy effect.
However, like any symptom, brain fog has its soothing remedies. If you've been feeling overwhelmed or out of sorts since baby was born, remember that it' s normal, and that there are a few things you can do to make everyday life easier.
5 useful tips for a better Mommy brain experience
If there are many paths to the mommy brain, there are just as many methods of alleviating it. By combining them, you can regain a certain balance, or at least better understand what you're going through.
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Establishing a routine that's even more routine than usual will help you find your way around and forget less. After the birth, focus your organization on your baby (what else could you do?) and write down everything useful in a diary. It's tedious, but at least for a while, you'll have a schedule to fall back on. At home, make lists!
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Getting outside help is another good idea to help you find your bearings more easily. Ask your parents to come and stay with you for a few weeks, or surround yourself with a doula. These birth assistants are particularly valuable for mothers and their babies.
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Diet is another lever to help you regain your footing. Eat oily fish such as salmon, tuna, herring, sardines and anchovies, rich in omega 3 and DHA, the main fatty acid present in the brain's gray matter. Studies have shown that DHA preserves learning ability and memory.
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As at every stage of pregnancy (and indeed throughout life), rest cures many ills. While it's certainly not the key to everything, relax, meditate, practice sophrology, hypnosis or self-hypnosis, sleep as much as you like before the birth, and as much as you can afterwards. Passing on the baton to your father, your parents... is also a good way to refocus and find your words again.
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Training your brain is useful at any age. If memory problems are getting to you (and if you can find the time), try crossword puzzles, arrow puzzles, jumble puzzles or sudokus to give your grey matter a workout.
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