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Studies Suggest Pregnancy Affects Cognitive Abilities
A Published Article on September 18, 2008 by Phil House
I have had opportunity to recently speak with a number of pregnant women and heard complaints of “baby brain” or “pregnancy brain” from a couple of them. The symptoms include forgetfulness, fuzziness of thinking, difficulty concentrating and learning new things and just being, “out of sorts.”
This primed my attention for an article in the September, Monitor on Psychology, by Tori DeAngelis. She reported a recent wave of studies of cognitive abilities of pregnant women and animals. Her article highlighted findings that appear to support a physiological basis for cognitive alterations deriving from changes in hormones during pregnancy. Following birth and the early postpartum period, other brain mechanisms appear to help improve the cognitive abilities of women.
When it comes to bearing children, there appear to be factors that clearly benefit women although some hormonal influences during pregnancy and the early postpartum period also account for complaints of “baby brain.” Specifically, for pregnant women, there are times where mild weakness with specific types of learning and memory may be experienced. These generally concern unfamiliar or demanding tasks and are usually mild to moderate in effect.
The actual experience of “baby brain” appears to vary from mother to mother and not all experience the above mentioned symptoms. The most hormonal changes take place in the 1st trimester of pregnancy with increases in the hormone progesterone and a drop in thyroid levels. In the 3rd trimester, the hormone estriol is increasing and can influence verbal memory abilities. Once menstrual cycles resume, the symptoms typically decrease and disappear.
The emotions of women vary significantly during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Considerable time is spent thinking about the baby and the many adjustments and changes ahead. Lifestyle factors in our hectic society also influence expecting mothers. Additionally, it is not uncommon for difficulty with sleep to be experienced. Sleep deprivation is known to have a negative impact on cognitive abilities, especially on memory.
These recent research findings support the placing of motherhood in the grouping with other developmental periods for women, where changes in the brain have been confirmed.
By making a few changes in some areas of your life and monitoring a few factors, you will find yourself coping better with “baby brain.” These include:
1) Make sure to get additional rest, if you are able to. Short naps during the day can be beneficial. Sleep helps to keep the mind healthy.
2) Try to get daily moderate exercise, which helps with the flow of blood.
3) Maintain your consumption of fluids, staying hydrated so that your electrolytes are not unbalanced.
4) Be careful to get food from all the food groups daily, and take prescribed prenatal vitamins.
5) Devise strategies to help you remember what is important, such as making lists and jotting down brief notes to remind you. It is also very helpful to keep a daily planner. Use the alarm function on your cell phone to remind you of important appointments. Place important items like car and house keys in a specific place in your home, and always put them there when your arrive home. Work to stay organized and develop routines and consistency. It is easier to remember when your day is structured and predictable.
6) Be careful to not overdo it and get too busy. It takes resources to grow another human being, so you need to take care of yourself physically and emotionally.
Most women continue to perform quite well during pregnancy, in spite of the mild to moderate changes noted in learning and memory. If however, you are having significant trouble thinking or concentrating, and you are feeling down and losing interest in most things, you could be suffering from depression. If this continues and the unusual sadness and overwhelming feelings continue, consult with your medical doctor or mental health provider.
Dr. Phil House
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