Pregnancy changes almost everything about you. From your feet to your skin to your fingernails.
But did you also know that motherhood also changes the fundamental structures of your brain?
Most of these are the result of hormonal changes that affect your mind in strange and profound ways. And most of them are temporary.
But one thing’s for sure: They can definitely transform the way you normally think, feel, and even behave.
If you are still new to your pregnancy or still trying to conceive, you might want to brace yourself.
Here are a few ways that pregnancy can change your brain.
You May Get Actual ‘Pregnancy Brain’
Ever feel like your brain’s gone on holiday while you’re pregnant?
Well, it turns out ‘pregnancy brain’ isn’t just a funny saying, mummies-to-be!
Scientists finally confirmed it’s a real thing, and it’s not all down to those crazy hormone fluctuations.
Here’s the surprising bit: pregnancy actually changes the structure of your brain itself.
Think of it as your body making special adjustments to prepare you for motherhood.
All that extra oestrogen (estradiol, to be specific) floating around during pregnancy can lead to a reduction in grey matter.
Yes, your brain literally shrinks a bit!
Now, before you panic, grey matter (the outer part of your brain) is responsible for things like memory, emotions, and movement.
The study found these changes were more noticeable in mummies with multiple pregnancies.
But hold on, there’s a silver lining!
This ‘shrinkage’ might actually be a good thing.
By becoming more efficient, your brain could be gearing up for all those amazing mummy skills you’ll need later!
Pretty cool, right?
So, the next time you forget where you put your keys, just remember: your brain might be busy getting supermum ready!
You May Experience ‘Nesting Instinct’
Another interesting behavioural change commonly observed among pregnant women is something called ‘nesting instinct’.
Some studies found that women late in their third trimester will start exhibiting ‘nesting behaviour’ commonly observed in other mammals.
This can involve anything that a new mother would do to prepare her home for the arrival of a new baby.
Nesting can include cleaning or organising the house, baby-proofing, and buying toys, clothes, and diapers.
It can even extend to renovating or decorating the nursery.
The hormonal mechanism behind this phenomenon is not widely understood.
Some studies point to oxytocin, the cuddle hormone. During the later stages of pregnancy, this hormone rises, in part to facilitate labour.
Oxytocin, also known as the cuddle hormone, is also found to induce calmness, which may help in preparing a woman for her role as a mother.
You May Be More Forgetful
Often, as a side effect of the ‘pregnancy brain’ phenomenon, mums may find themselves feeling a bit ‘foggy’ or ‘forgetful’.
This is no surprise.
Studies show that many pregnant women can experience some small memory impairment. Particularly in terms of remembering names and locations.
Studies also show this pregnancy brain fog is at its peak during the third trimester. With symptoms involving a reduction in memory, cognitive functioning, and executive functioning.
These may be even include problems with attention, time management, problem solving, communication and even some difficulty with spacial relations,
But brain changes may not be the only culprit.
Another one that may contribute to this so-called ‘brain fog’ is the hormone progesterone.
The hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for memory, is very sensitive to the presence of this hormone.
Fluctuating progesterone levels in the body can impair the ability of the hippocampus to function properly.
The result is usually trouble concentrating, memory lapses, and overall lack of mental clarity.
However, this does not affect long-term memory but short-term or ‘working memory’.
That said, the hormonal effects of this ‘pregnancy brain’ are temporary as progesterone levels stabilise after childbirth.
You Become More Maternal
‘Pregnancy brain’ isn’t all bad news, though.
Research suggests that it may help promote maternal skills.
In fact, scientists theorise that these brain changes are a form of cognitive adaptation to help a woman ease into her new role as a mother.
By removing old neural connections and encouraging the formation of new ones, a mother can focus on creating new behaviours and habits related to motherhood. Such as taking care of a baby and breastfeeding.
A mother’s brain is most susceptible to new changes during and after pregnancy.
Since her focus during this time will be solely on her new baby, the new neural connections will strengthen any mother-child bonding that occurs.
It’s almost as if the hormones a woman experiences during pregnancy rewire her brain permanently to adapt to motherhood.
This may go hand-in-hand with the nesting instinct mentioned earlier.
You May Get a ‘Sixth Sense’
They say that nothing beats a mother’s intuition (and in most cases, that is true).
In relation once more to the ‘pregnancy brain’, structural changes in a mother’s brain may also endow her with certain ‘superpowers’. Heightening her senses to a certain degree.
For instance, studies show that pregnant women in their second and third trimesters develop a sort of emotional sensitivity that lets them identify and avoid dangers.
They may become more hyper-aware of their surroundings, scanning the environment to protect the infant from any external threats.
Most women also develop a sort of sixth sense that let’s them correctly interpret their baby’s needs.
Maternal intuition lets a mother know exactly what to do when her child moves in a certain way or makes a certain noise.
In very rare cases, pregnant mothers are also able to predict their baby’s gender and even interpret foetal movements intuitively.
This is once again a side effect of the neural restructuring of the brain, shrinking the parts that it doesn’t really need.
This ensures that it can laser-focus on what truly matters.
Your Sense of Smell May Go Into Overdrive
In relation to the idea of a ‘sixth sense’, motherhood can also bestow on you something called hyperosmia: a heightened sense of smell.
Scientific theories suggest that this is an evolutionary response to help the mother avoid danger (such as contaminated food, paint fumes, cigarettes, etc.).
However, the effect can also be the opposite.
Some women may find ‘bad’ odours pleasant and sweet scents unappealing.
The hormone that is responsible for this strange phenomenon is most probably hCG.
In high amounts, hCG can cause heightened sense of smell.
Oestrogen may also be involved in this phenomenon.
High levels of this hormone can cause an increase in blood flow, especially to the nasal passages.
Another theory says that may be the culprit.
This hormone increases your brain’s hypervigilance.
So, it’s not that your sense of smell is heightened – it’s just that you’re more aware of them.
Whatever the case is, hyperosmia is completely harmless and does not pose any threat to mother or baby.
You May Adopt a New Personality
With the emergence of the ‘pregnancy brain’, other changes can often arise; particularly in terms of personality.
Personality is often defined as a set of behaviours and beliefs that form our social identity.
While most women do take on new maternal qualities once they are pregnant, the personality changes may not stop there.
Some studies suggest that most new mothers can go through a variety of personality changes once they have a baby.
This study found that some postpartum mothers tend to be more relaxed and accepting of monotony.
Another study found that for both natural and assisted births, mums tended to become more impulsive and less socialised.
More research is needed to unravel the patterns of personality changes during and after pregnancy.
However, there is indeed some evidence to suggest that for some women at least, being a mother is truly transformative,
The often used ‘Big Five Personality’ test is the most reliable test in psychology and can tell you if you’ve indeed had a personality change.
Nevertheless, no matter how much you think you’ve changed, your core personality will probably still be intact.
So, don’t worry too much about being a totally different person.
Your Emotions Are All Over the Place
We all know about the inevitable pregnancy mood swings.
Heightened emotions are normal during pregnancy (especially those in the later part of their third trimester).
However, it is not uncommon for mothers to experience mood swings and irritability early on in the pregnancy.
Some doctors may blame mood swings on the physical symptoms of pregnancy, such as nausea, sleep troubles, breast pain, fatigue, etc.
But while these definitely do contribute to feelings of stress and frustration, they are only a small part of the equation.
Hormones play a role in emotional changes during pregnancy; namely progesterone and oestrogen.
While progesterone helps you relax and improves your mood, oestrogen boosts your serotonin levels.
When these two hormones are in healthy amounts (such as during your ovulation), they create a sense of wellbeing.
But when they dip (such as during your period), you will start to feel it: moodiness, irritability, food cravings, insomnia, fatigue, and even depression.
As these two hormones continue to rise and fall drastically during your pregnancy, your mood swings will start to become more apparent. Making you ‘swing’ between moods of elation and despair.
The Silver Lining: ‘Pregnancy Brain’ for the Win!
These new changes that come with pregnancy and motherhood can seem scary.
After all, who wants to find out that the inner workings of their mind are forever altered just by having a child?
However, the good news is that many of these changes are temporary.
Your emotions will return to normal, and the brain fog will clear.
However, as explained earlier, pregnancy can also change your brain in irreversible ways. Often for the better.
But the ‘mum brain’ isn’t a weakness or a joke.
It prepares you to give it your all when motherhood comes knocking.
So, embrace these changes with open arms, they’re helping you to become the best mother you can possibly be to your little one.
You’ve got this, mummies!
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as medical advice from Motherhood. For any health-related concerns, it is advisable to consult with a qualified healthcare professional or medical practitioner.
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