Contents:
- Medical Video: Your Brain Changes All the Time, but Being a Mom Changes It Forever
- Various changes that occur in the brains of pregnant women
- 1. It's easy to forget
- 2. More ready to be a mother
- 3. Vulnerable to depression
- Then, what do you need to do?
Medical Video: Your Brain Changes All the Time, but Being a Mom Changes It Forever
Pregnancy will not only change your physical appearance, but can also influence how the pregnant woman's brain works. So, what kind of brain changes occur during pregnancy? Check out more in this article.
Various changes that occur in the brains of pregnant women
Pregnancy will not really change the structure, size, or parts of the brain of pregnant women. However, a number of studies have reported that pregnancy hormones (estrogen and progesterone) can reduce the brain's cognitive function more or less.
Because in addition to preparing the body to deal with pregnancy and childbirth, the high levels of these two high hormones can also affect the nerves and nerve circuits of the brain. But calm down. Pregnancy will not change your IQ, but rather change what is your concern and priority.
Here are the kinds of changes that occur in the brains of pregnant women:
1. It's easy to forget
One of the most frequent complaints during pregnancy is easy to forget. This is caused by an increase in the hormone oxytocin which then affects the communication of nerve cells in the brain. This is what makes the brains of pregnant women more difficult to restore short-term memory.
A study published in The British Journal of Psychiatry reports that the tendency of pregnant women to be senile only occurs in the third trimester. After giving birth the ability to remember pregnant women will return to normal.
But uniquely, another study in 2009 found that parts of the brain that regulate recognition memory actually experience increased work while you are pregnant than before. Identifying memory is your conscious ability to recognize events, objects, or people you have previously encountered.
2. More ready to be a mother
One study found that there was a volume shrinkage in the brain's gray matter in areas related to processing and response to social signals. The loss of brain volume in this area can signal the process of maturation and specialization of the brain, which allows you to be more focused and in tune with your baby's needs.
This maternal instinct is also influenced by an increase in the hormone dopamine as a reinforcement of the inner bond between mother and child. Dopamine can motivate mothers to do more for prospective children. This sacrifice can also make mothers feel better and happier.
3. Vulnerable to depression
One in 4 productive age women can experience depression, so it's not surprising that this mood disorder can also affect pregnant women. Reporting fromHealthline, 10-15 percent of women generally experience depression during pregnancy.
Mood disorders, including depression, are mental illnesses that involve changes in brain chemistry. During pregnancy, hormonal changes can affect the chemicals in your brain, which are directly related to depression and anxiety.
There is no single cause of depression. The risk of depression can be exacerbated by difficult life situations, which can then trigger symptoms of depression during pregnancy.
Then, what do you need to do?
Maintaining a healthy pregnancy is the main and most important way to deal with and manage changes during pregnancy. Make sure you get enough nutritional intake from healthy foods and diligently exercise.
To overcome senile complaints and other memory problems, things you can do are:
- Write important things in a notebook to help you remember. You can also make a list of posts that contain the shopping items or questions that you will submit to the doctor during the visit.
- Get enough sleep. After giving birth, you tend to get less sleep; thus making the brain not in its best performance especially in terms of remembering. Therefore, even though it's difficult, you still need to adjust your sleep time to get enough sleep.
