Baby Brain – What is it all about? - NutraPhoria School of Holistic Nutrition

Baby Brain – What is it all about?

I am currently 4 ½ months pregnant and this is my first child. I’m still new and fresh into this whole pregnancy experience yet I’m diving right into the deep waters. I am so nervous and scared but mostly overjoyed and feeling blessed. Being pregnant has been a roller coaster ride so far with all the hormonal changes, physical changes, food restrictions, advice to do this and not to do that, and it doesn’t stop there. We are told to prepare for upcoming events such as the baby shower, for the birth itself, take prenatal classes, get the room ready for the baby, etc. And now all of a sudden my brain decides to slow down. But why now, when I need it the most!?

I can’t seem to remember the simplest words when trying to explain something. There are sticky notes all over my desk to help me remember some simple tasks for the day. What happened to my brain? Normally I am the multi-task queen and words just flow from my mouth like a waterfall. And now, well…I am lost for words…but I looked online and there it was…..BABY BRAIN. Is this a real concept? Is there scientific evidence to back this up? My mission today is to find out what is really going on in the brains of mom’s to be and to see if nutrition and supplements can help with this baby brain effect.

First let’s discuss the term itself; ’baby brain.’ This is what first came up when I googled the term: “Baby brain: the pregnancy-induced fog which many women claim to experience. Many women report that they become more forgetful during pregnancy, oversensitive and less able to focus on logical tasks.”¹ I have to admit, when I first read this I felt a little relieved that I wasn’t the only one experiencing this mental shift. But still, I wondered why the change? Maybe our rampant hormones are in the driver seat and taking over the energy we had to put towards cognitive tasks. According to Dr. Victoria Bourne, from the Department of Psychology at Royal Holloway, pregnant women use the right side of their brain more and are more sensitive during the child bearing process.²

More Emotional

It’s true that I am feeling more emotional lately. I cried watching a minivan commercial and I worry every time I don’t feel the baby move for 20 minutes. My energy seems to be going to the more emotional side or right side of my brain. So perhaps I face certain tasks with a different approach then I normally would. For instance, when I get ready in the mornings, I now concentrate more on making sure I’m well fed and full and that my animals are fed, happy and walked as opposed to picking out the right outfit and thinking about my work tasks for the day while getting ready. So when I arrive at work, my brain has not been prepared as it used to be. I now need to concentrate on my left side brain activities which have been shut off since 5pm the day before. But yet, the right side seems to still dominate the day’s activities as my emotions seem to run the show. This is all making so much sense!

Loss of Memory

Some studies have shown that ‘pregnancy impairs a woman’s memory during pregnancy and shortly afterward, possibly due to hormonal changes, sleep deprivation or the stress of coping with a major life change.’¹ Hormones do not only make us more emotional during pregnancy, they can wreak havoc on our immune system. Hormones also modulate the immunological shift that occurs during pregnancy.³ A pregnant woman’s immune response is reduced so that our bodies do not attack or reject the fetus thinking that it is a foreign substance therefore we are more susceptible to colds and other sicknesses. This of course can affect a woman’s brain power if we are always feeling ill and our bodies are putting out the energy in fighting off sicknesses.

A pregnant woman’s body is on overdrive and is more in demand for energy and nutrients as we are growing another human inside us. Our nutrients are being passed to the fetus making us more nutrient deficient if we do not eat a proper balanced diet and in the abundant form. It makes sense that pregnant women could get bouts of forgetfulness or fatigue as our regular nutrients stores are being used by the growing fetus especially if we are not replenishing properly. And of course sleep deprivation can affect cognitive responses. Without proper 7-9 hours of sleep the body does not function at its optimal state. You can read more about sleep deprivation in my blog “The Importance of Sleep and How to Improve Your Slumber.” It’s no wonder why pregnant women and new moms suffer from ‘baby brain’ with the whirlwind of hormones, lack of sleep, and nutrient deficiencies, our energy is being focused elsewhere.

Luckily, there are ways to boost our brain power during pregnancy… Nutrition and supplements to the rescue! Make sure you eat a healthy organic balanced diet with an abundance of vegetables especially broccoli which is a great source of vitamin K, which is known to enhance cognitive function. Be sure to eat lots of healthy fish such as salmon or tilapia as they are full of Omega 3’s which are also important for healthy brain function. Berries are another staple in brain power foods as they are rich in antioxidants which protect your brain cells from oxidation and free radical damage.⁴There are also some key herbs available to help replenish the baby brain. Ginko helps restore and support healthy brain function and Ginseng is a natural energy booster.

There’s no wonder the term ‘baby brain’ came into fruition; our energy is being concentrated on creating another human being. It’s pretty fascinating isn’t it? So instead of giving myself a hard time when I forget a simple word or task, I will remind myself of the miracle I’m creating inside me. 🙂

References:

Baby Brain – What is it all about?

July 28, 2017