What is "mommy brain"?

Question

Dr. Gabrielle Manto, DC · Answer

What is mommy brain? Great question. So society will deem mommy brain as a deficit and associate it with brain fog, forgetfulness, moodiness, different emotional challenges, being depleted, which can definitely be a part of mommy brain. And that is why having a big circle of providers of support and a small circle of support is super important during the postpartum period. But mommy brain is a superpower and this is something that we want to rebrand, right? Mommy brain is a superpower. It helps you to care for your new infant's needs. So the maternal brain will change both structurally and functionally to a certain extent so that you, the mother, can better handle and better take care of and protect your infant. So knowing what different cries mean is huge. That is a superpower as a mom that you have. Understanding like when you are changing the baby's diaper and you smell the baby's poop, how your breast milk composition will change to meet the demands, the nutrient demands, of your child. That is part of mommy brain. That mama bear feeling, that protective mode, figuring out what is safe for your child versus what is not safe for your child, that is all the maternal brain changing to better serve your baby. And there's a ton of research that still is being done. But what research is currently looking at is that the brain looks a lot like the maternal brain, that your new maternal brain looks a lot like your brain did when you were a teenager and then fully doesn't come back until around year two postpartum. So again, making sure that you are taking care of yourself. You have a team of providers, a small circle of support. And also something else is that there are other brain changes with fathers, grandparents and other caregivers too.

Swimming

Strength

Triathlon

Photography

Track & Field

Nutrition

Physical Therapy

Running

Pets

Cycling

Podcasting

HealthCare

Musculoskeletal

Hockey

First Responders

Integrative Medicine

Chiropractic

Cross Country Skiing

Adaptive Sports

Climbing

Mental Health

Surfing

Tennis

Military

Mind Body

Scholars

Criminal Justice

Liquor

CrossFit

Golf

Soccer

Pickleball

Hunting

Public Speaking

Venture Capital

"What is "mommy brain"?"