In his memoir Spare, Prince Harry paints Kate Middleton as “Victims of baby brains». It was indeed his wife Megan Markle to define it during an awkward argument between sister-in-law rivals and to point out the Princess of Wales’ frequent forgetfulness.
In fact, the term “baby brain” is used in reference to distracting events
that are common during pregnancy. In fact, four out of five women
manifest a deficit of memory and cognitive abilities, during pregnancy and in
Postpartum, feeling more distracted and “forgetful”.
A phenomenon that occurs quite frequently, but the small impact of which is difficult to measure. Several studies show that it is not a disorder, but a a real restructuring that takes place in young mothers at the brain level so that they can focus their resources on activities that are useful in welcoming and protecting the unborn child.\
How the brain changes during pregnancy and why
“Pregnancy is a time of ongoing physiological and physical changes, during which the
Blood volume, hormone levels, nutrient absorption and other functions
they grow a lot in women,” explains the midwife Alexandra BellasioMidwife and Health Advisor of Unimamma.it.
“Several studies have shown that this condition produces remarkable changes in the structure of the human brain, particularly in the primiparous (Women in the first pregnancy, ed.), with Effects lasting at least two years or more in women who breastfeed for a long time. Specifically, gray matter is reduced in areas responsible for processing and responding to social cues. This could mean that new mothers’ brains are changing to become more efficient in the areas that allow them to respond to the child’s needs and recognize threats related to the external environment,” the expert explains.
“The reason for these structural changes could be explained by the need to encourage behavioral changes in the mother to help her welcome and protect the child,” adds Bellasio. “The fact that, from a neurological perspective, the woman’s brain is transiently altered to accommodate and support pregnancy and motherhood does not equate to any impairment of her abilities. On the contrary: Today we know that Nature intervenes to facilitate reproduction. So I think so It is not appropriate to view the baby’s brain as an affliction or disorder but as a modality through which the human body adapts to the creation of a new life».
More stories from vanity fair this might interest you:
Postpartum complications: what they are and how to deal with the problems caused by having a child
Adele: «I suffered from postpartum depression»
7 ideal dietary supplements during breastfeeding
Postpartum depression: those symptoms that are hard to spot