pregnant brain

Hey you with the pregnancy brain

You walk into a room to get something, but you totally forgot what you were looking for. You find your keys in the freezer, your sunglasses are in de basement and you forget half of your groceries. Believe us, you’re not the only one! You have a typically pregnancy brain.

Clumsy, illogical, forgetful, having a hard time concentrating. It resembles dementia, but unlike dementia, this form fortunately is only temporary and doesn’t damage the brain. But where does it come from and why do you suffer from it during your pregnancy?

Your shrinking pregnant brain

Pregnant? Then we’ll have to warn you that your brain is shrinking at the moment. But no worries, a shrinking doesn’t mean that you’re losing your mind. At least, not for long. Neuroscientist Elseline Hoekzema compares the process with puberty, in which the brain mass also decreases in volume. During the pregnancy, the brain shrinks, to prepare the mother-to-be for her new life of motherhood, the European scientists who conducted this research think. MRI scans of mothers-to-be and new mothers were compared with women without kids and men. The hippocampus (a memory part of the brain) and the brain area that allows you to identify with others had shrunk in the first group. Two years later, the hippocampus is back to the normal size. The other area is still smaller that before. So, your memory returns after birth, but are you still exactly the same person? We can’t promise you that.

Your baby is eating your memory

Alright, so your brain is slowly shrinking. What else is going on? Well, a lot actually! First of all, your hormones are terribly busy and making a lot of progesterone, which has an inhibiting effect on your memory. Didn’t get enough sleep again last night? Your brain doesn’t get the chance to charge, so you forget things. Then we also have that little one inside of you, trying to grow really fast. The nutrient choline is important for your memory, but also for the formation of your baby’s brain. So what does the little rascal do? He eats up your supply of choline. Tip: this can partly be helped by eating the right food: milk, beef, soybeans, nuts, citrus fruits. The last reason you keep forgetting, is because you have a new priority: your baby! Your new number one! This makes you mentally less present. In your head you’re thinking about your baby, about giving birth and all stuff you still have to do, so there is less room left in your brain for other, less important things. Are you suffering from your pregnant brain? No worries, it will get better soon. Within no time you’ll be the one again. Or well, in any case within 32 weeks after giving birth. Thankfully time flies when you’re having fun. And what is more fun than life with your little baby?

"I was trying to cook eggs in the pan but nothing was happening. I finally realized the stove wasn’t on. I'd been watching raw eggs for 10 minutes."

Enjoy these funny moments of pregnant women: Source: Buzzfeed.

  • "I walked into the house and thought, I should check the answering machine. I then stood in the kitchen trying to remember where the answering machine was until I realized I haven't had an answering machine in over 12 years."
  • "I couldn't get the microwave to work — I kept pushing the start button but it wouldn't turn on. When I started crying my husband walked over, closed the microwave door, and hit start. It worked."
  • "I was running the register at work and tried to swipe a $20 bill through the credit card machine. I then stood there looking at it like 'Why isn't this working?'"
  • "I packed my hubbie's lunch in the morning, then at lunchtime got a photo from him of his sandwich with nothing in it! Just two pieces of bread."
  • "I filled my car with gas and drove off. Moments later I was down the road when a police car pulled me over. I still had the cash in my hand. The officer was nice enough to take it back to the gas station for me."
  • "I tried to unlock the front door of my apartment with my car key's unlock button. I also dialed a phone number into the microwave."
  • "I tried to text my cat and tell him I missed him. I started crying when Crookshanks wasn't in my contact list."
  • "I asked my sister how much a $50 gift card would cost to buy."
  • "I left the TV remote in the freezer…twice. Lost it for days at each time."
  • "I was filling out pre-admittance forms for the hospital and completely forgot how old I was. I couldn’t remember the year I was born or anything. Fortunately, my doctor's office happened to call and I asked the nurse my age."
  • "I went to the toilet, tried to flush it by flicking the light switch on and off, then complained when it wouldn’t flush. I was there for a good five minutes."
  • "I completely forgot the word 'nose' and proceeded to say, 'He has a spot on that thing between his eyes."
  • "I couldn't remember the word 'hand.' Called it an 'arm foot' for hours."
  • "I was trying to cook eggs in the pan but nothing was happening. I finally realized the stove wasn’t on. I'd been watching raw eggs for 10 minutes."
  • "I was attempting to take my prenatal vitamins, but instead of pouring out the vitamins, I poured my water bottle on my hand. Then I cried for 10 minutes."
Which bizarre things did you do or say?

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