Oh, It’s Tuesday: Is “Pregnancy Brain” a Pregnancy Myth?
When I first started reading this Jezebel post about a new study, which supposedly disproved “preg head” or “pregnancy brain” or more simply becoming more fuzzy head while pregnant, I said “Bullshit.” Seriously, I said it out loud while reading the story in bed on my iPhone.
I’ve had to start keeping a daily “To Do” list, because I can no longer remember to do the things I need to do on my own. Also, if I don’t put doctors appointments, child-rearing classes, or even meet-ups with my friends in my calendar, then they might as well not exist. And I don’t even want to talk about my vocabulary. Let’s just say I’m happy to be writing an action/adventure novel right now as opposed to something that might require me actual breadth of word usage on my part. All of this is of course accompanied by the constant sensation that I am failing to do the things I need to do when I need to do them and as well as I need to do them.
But according to this story, pregnant women did just as well as non-pregnant women in various logic and memory tests. “Well sure,” I thought. “If we’re made to really focus with no distractions, then yes, we’re probably exactly the same as non-pregnant women. But how about when I go to the grocery story for hamburger, ketchup, cake, ice cream, and an onion and return home with cake, hamburger, and an onion?” True story! When my real world memory is put to the test, I’m definitely not as on the ball as I used to be.
But then I went on to read that women’s might actually get better at memory and logic tests the further they get into motherhood, and I had a little reversal of feeling on the subject. Yes, I have to keep a “To Do” list, but in all fairness, I am doing more than I’ve ever done before. Even I’m amazed sometimes about what all I’m able to squeeze into a day, and I wonder why I didn’t get serious about To Do Lists before this. And the thing is, I do put all that stuff in my calendar. And for the most part I’ve managed to make to hit all of my important appointments and events. Also, is it possible that my vocabulary is suffering not because of pregnancy brain, but because I’m not exactly putting it to use right now with my action/adventure novel? As for the grocery store example, that happened after a long work day, and chances are that I would have gotten everything I needed if I had written it down as opposed to just depending on my now crammed memory.
The truth is being pregnant has helped me get more organized by giving me a definitive set of rearranged priorities and giving me a fairly firm deadline for some of the bigger goals that I might have trouble pulling off with a newborn.
But what do you think? Is Pregnancy Brain a myth? Do weigh in.
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hmmmm, I do feel like I have pregnancy brain, but a lot of it could have to do with the fact that I am EXHAUSTED. I can't concentrate on anything and I make my poor hubby repeat himself all the time (of course, I did this when I was not pregnant, but now it is much worse). Maybe it will get better as I get more pregnant and less exhausted, but I do agree that I am often struggling to come up with words. They are on the tip of my tongue, but they just won't materialize in my pregnant brain!
I can't wait until I am like you, Ernessa. I do a few do dishes, run one errand, and make dinner and it is a huge, tiring day for me:(
I think that's an important distinction, Janice. One of the reasons that I'm getting a lot more done in my second trimester is because I'm not constantly dealing with brain-numbing fatigue. Trust, the second trimester is SO much better.
hmmmm, I do feel like I have pregnancy brain, but a lot of it could have to do with the fact that I am EXHAUSTED. I can't concentrate on anything and I make my poor hubby repeat himself all the time (of course, I did this when I was not pregnant, but now it is much worse). Maybe it will get better as I get more pregnant and less exhausted, but I do agree that I am often struggling to come up with words. They are on the tip of my tongue, but they just won't materialize in my pregnant brain!
I can't wait until I am like you, Ernessa. I do a few do dishes, run one errand, and make dinner and it is a huge, tiring day for me:(
I think that's an important distinction, Janice. One of the reasons that I'm getting a lot more done in my second trimester is because I'm not constantly dealing with brain-numbing fatigue. Trust, the second trimester is SO much better.
I'm sorry but I think that study is total BS (cannot write the actual word b/c I am working on cleaning up my gutter mouth before my son's first word is F%&@. We started a "swear jar" on January 1 and at this rate we are well on our way to paying for my son's college fund).
Pregnancy brain is not a myth! Anyone who knows me would say that I am one of the most organized people on the planet! I research, plan, detail, etc. everything, all the time. I keep an electronic calendar with dates into 2010, an electronic to do list with tasks and reoccurring tasks., flagged reminder for follow up on email, etc. I use functions in Outlook that most people do not even know exist. For me, and this is not bragging, typically deadlines are not a problem, things do not fall through the cracks and I'm usually the closer.
Which is why when I got pregnant and pregnancy brain began to set in at about month four I was completely freaked out. My perfect life management system went down the drain and I was forgetting ridiculous stuff. It was horrible. I had to work even harder to achieve marginal functionality when I typically operate at about 110%+. And it was not just about forgetting to do things, but I would find myself struggling to complete thoughts because I could not grasp the right word or phrase. In all seriousness, it was extremely challenging.
So when people say that pregnancy brain is a myth, I just think those are the lucky women who just did not get it. Like some women do not get morning sickness (like me) or some women who never get the exhausted feeling in the first trimester (also like me). You know when they list the host of symptoms for an illness or disease, they always note that you may get all, some or in some cases none of the symptoms. It does not mean morning sickness does not exist or is a myth, it is just that I was lucky enough to skip that symptom.
And believe me, if a pregnant women is able to skip pregnancy brain, they're lucky!
I'm sorry but I think that study is total BS (cannot write the actual word b/c I am working on cleaning up my gutter mouth before my son's first word is F%&@. We started a "swear jar" on January 1 and at this rate we are well on our way to paying for my son's college fund).
Pregnancy brain is not a myth! Anyone who knows me would say that I am one of the most organized people on the planet! I research, plan, detail, etc. everything, all the time. I keep an electronic calendar with dates into 2010, an electronic to do list with tasks and reoccurring tasks., flagged reminder for follow up on email, etc. I use functions in Outlook that most people do not even know exist. For me, and this is not bragging, typically deadlines are not a problem, things do not fall through the cracks and I'm usually the closer.
Which is why when I got pregnant and pregnancy brain began to set in at about month four I was completely freaked out. My perfect life management system went down the drain and I was forgetting ridiculous stuff. It was horrible. I had to work even harder to achieve marginal functionality when I typically operate at about 110%+. And it was not just about forgetting to do things, but I would find myself struggling to complete thoughts because I could not grasp the right word or phrase. In all seriousness, it was extremely challenging.
So when people say that pregnancy brain is a myth, I just think those are the lucky women who just did not get it. Like some women do not get morning sickness (like me) or some women who never get the exhausted feeling in the first trimester (also like me). You know when they list the host of symptoms for an illness or disease, they always note that you may get all, some or in some cases none of the symptoms. It does not mean morning sickness does not exist or is a myth, it is just that I was lucky enough to skip that symptom.
And believe me, if a pregnant women is able to skip pregnancy brain, they're lucky!
I can't speak to pregnancy brain firsthand, since I've never stayed pregnant long enough for it to potentially take effect.
But, I will say that a friend of mine is the type of scientist who might study such things. When his wife was pregnant he got the idea to examine hormone levels and pregnancy brain, but stayed away from the topic because it would be too controversial — regardless of whether he proved or disproved pregnancy brain.
I can't speak to pregnancy brain firsthand, since I've never stayed pregnant long enough for it to potentially take effect.
But, I will say that a friend of mine is the type of scientist who might study such things. When his wife was pregnant he got the idea to examine hormone levels and pregnancy brain, but stayed away from the topic because it would be too controversial — regardless of whether he proved or disproved pregnancy brain.