‘Baby brain’: Your brain really is affected by pregnancy
BABY brain is real and not just an excuse for generations of pregnant women to get away with being a bit forgetful at times.
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BABY brain is real and not just an excuse for generations of pregnant women to get away with being a bit forgetful at times.
Researchers have shown that the cognitive difficulties commonly referred to as “baby brain” during pregnancy is actually a measurable phenomenon.
The Deakin University research team also found that the problem is most severe during the third trimester of pregnancy.
About 80 per cent of mothers-to-be say that they suffer baby brain which includes memory problems, reading difficulties, confusion, disorientation, poor concentration and reduced co-ordination.
The research, published in the Medical Journal of Australia today, reveals “general cognitive functioning, memory, and executive functioning were significantly reduced during the third trimester of pregnancy” compared with non-pregnant women.
Deakin University Associate Professor Linda Byrne said the new study provides legitimacy to the concerns of pregnant women.
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“It was certainly thought of as being a myth, which diminishes a woman’s experience of what she’s going through, but it is a real thing and it is measurable,” she said.
“Anecdotally it is something that we have known for a long time.
“A large number of women talk about feeling a bit foggy and we are saying that it is real.
“Pregnant women can experience some difficulty but it is going to be subtle rather than have a serious impact on their life.”
A meta-analysis of 20 studies, which included 709 pregnant and 521 non-pregnant women, found that “overall cognitive functioning was poorer in pregnant women than in non-pregnant women”.
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The study showed that baby brain affects four out of five women during their pregnancy. But Prof Byrne said there was no cause for alarm.
“It’s not something that is at a level that we need to worry about, it is not going to affect how a woman does her job and day-to-day life,” she said.
“While we found that these are real differences, pregnant women are still performing within the normal range of cognitive function.
“It might be at a slightly lower level but it wouldn’t be noticeable except for the women themselves and the people close to them.”
Prof Byrne suspects that the cognitive changes during pregnancy are evolutionary.
“It’s possible that what is happening is the brain is reorganising itself, taking resources from less important tasks and relegating them to the development of the baby,” she said.
Bellevue Hill mum Anna Jackson, 32, said she had baby brain while pregnant with Frankie, 2, and again with Spike, five months.
She advised pregnant women to use a diary to keep their day ordered and to work within physical limits.
“The little things you might forget but the big things stay in place,” Ms Jackson said.
“I wasn’t a list maker before pregnancy but I now write a lot of notes to make sure things happen.
“Especially if you’re the household CEO, you need to make sure things are diarised otherwise bills don’t get paid and people don’t get fed.”
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