Brain Changes During Pregnancy – Parenthood

Women go through a never-ending period of change and emotion in their lives, the product of hormonal variation. One of the most common changes is the one the brain experiences during pregnancy. So let’s take a look at these changes in the brain.

These changes may explain the alteration in a woman’s attention span and why she is becoming somewhat upside down. Find out what they are and how you should feel about them below.

The brain during pregnancy: important changes

Many women claim that after pregnancy they began to forget things. They are more sensitive to the emotions of their fellow human beings. These alterations occur because the mother concentrates on one and only thing: the baby.

However, it benefits from a better concentration for certain aspects and abandons others. Here are some of the most significant changes:

Gray matter reduction

The most important change in the brain during pregnancy is undergone by gray matter. It is known as “synaptic pruning”. It is a process that helps reduce sensitivity to pain.

This condition would result in improved sensory functions to cope with the task of caring for a baby.

Experts attribute this change to the ability of mothers to translate what other people are feeling. This empathy  is special towards children. We can thus understand why it is the mothers who detect the needs of the children.

Increase in the size of neurons

Another change in the brain during pregnancy is in the mid preoptic area of ​​the hypothalamus. This leads to an increase in the size of neurons. Pregnant women are therefore more sensitive and active.

We observe a development of the senses such as smell and taste. This is why pregnant women – or those who have just given birth – are able to smell smells and tastes more. Many of them become unbearable to them.

Then, we can also notice the intensification of stimuli in the face of opiates and the feeling of well-being. This sensitivity is the one that makes the mother fall in love with her baby only by feeling it in her womb – more after birth.

In addition, it is this change that causes the mother to feel uncomfortable when separating from her baby in the first months after childbirth.

Reduction of the cerebral tonsil

During pregnancy, the brain is subjected to hormonal changes and the presence of substances specific to pregnancy and breastfeeding. The cerebral amygdala shrinks. This is responsible for the fear and our reactions to stimuli analyzed as dangerous. 

This is why mothers become less likely to be afraid. This ability allows the mother to act in different ways to preserve the life of their child.

Influence on the synaptic function of the hippocampus

It is one of the causes of this distracted attitude and forgetfulness in pregnant women. This is due to an increase in spatial memory and learning. 

Although these changes start during pregnancy, they increase more with childbirth. Indeed, the brain adapts to constantly monitor the new member of the family. It is therefore necessary to learn to take care of the baby and to perform other tasks quickly.

Brain of a pregnant woman: is it possible?

The brain during pregnancy reacts to different hormones to which it is vulnerable. We can cite oxytocin and prolactin. In an extraordinary way, these carry out transformations which remain during the first months after childbirth. 

Some structures also stay longer. These positive changes allow the mother to forgo hours of sleep during the baby’s first year. She can also understand the characteristic nonverbal language of babies.

In conclusion, the brain undergoes several changes during pregnancy. These will guide the woman to a happy motherhood. These changes are necessary and are an integral part of the beautiful experience of a pregnant woman.

However, if you are concerned about what you will feel during childbirth, don’t worry, your mind is already ready.