What is it that causes baby brain?
I’m currently pregnant and definitely feel it happening. But why? And can it be prevented?
In: 2
Take this with a boulder of salt – I haven’t brushed up on my embryology in nearly a decade:
Baby is building a brain for itself. If it doesn’t get those building blocks from your diet, it will get those building blocks from you. And most of your brain building blocks are in your brain!
The cognitive issues during pregnancy are usually referred to as “pregnancy brain” and then when the little one becomes an independent being, it’s “mom brain”.
Borrowed:
“A woman’s actual brain cells do not change, but the environments around them do,” he said. “During pregnancy, the body sends a flood of fluctuating hormones throughout the body. It’s like a truckload of different sizes and flavors, which affect all kinds of neurons in the brain.”
These physiological changes on the brain can cause women to experience memory problems, poor concentration and absentmindedness. So if you’re finding that more and more you misplace your keys, forget appointments or can’t remember why you walked upstairs, you’re not imagining it.
But while research is mixed as to if and what changes the brain actually undergoes during pregnancy, Dr. Saleh agrees environmental changes, such as sleep deprivation, stress and distraction, are big contributors to the problem.
When a woman becomes pregnant, her No. 1 priority is now on her baby. She becomes distracted by excitement and worry about all the major life changes this baby will bring, which makes it difficult to focus and remember anything else.
“Priorities are now shifted to focus on the growing baby and preparing for the arrival,” said Dr. Saleh. “So, it’s easy for women to forget about other things because the brain is hyper focused on the baby and pregnancy.”
Not to mention, when anyone experiences a consistent lack of sleep or chronic stress, research has shown that impacts cognitive function and memory.”
https://www.akronchildrens.org/inside/2022/06/03/pregnancy-brain-is-that-a-real-thing/
Human brains need a lot to run. A lot of energy, a lot of blood, and a bunch of hormones.
Creating a whole extra person needs even more.
In pregnancy a lot of resources get diverted to feeding the baby and everything that’s required for it, this continues after birth with breastfeeding as well, and add in all the hormonal changes.
The human body will divert resources from where it needs it least to where it’s needed most – in this case, the brain isn’t as necessary for survival; certainly not the higher cognitive functions, so without enough energy in the body (blood, protein, hormones, nutrients) to run both the brain and the uterus at the same time, the body prioritises the uterus & foetus.
The inverse of this is especially noticeable during active labour – if you distract a person in labour with a bunch of questions that will stimulate the frontal cortex (questions like “what’s your insurance number and when was your last period and how far apart are the contractions and what’s your emergency contact phone number”) labour actually slows down.
When you are pregnant, your ovaries increase production of a hormone called Relaxin. This hormone loosens joints and ligaments to help you when it’s time to give birth (babies have big heads!)
Relaxin also has side-effects related to memory loss and even digestion (relaxing your colon so it’s harder to poop and you feel constipated).
It is normal, not permanent, and you wouldn’t want to treat it as it would make the actual birth harder on your body.
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