How Does Pregnancy Change A Woman’s Brain?

Due to hormones, a woman goes through various changes and emotions during her life. One of the biggest changes happens during pregnancy. The changes brought about by pregnancy are partly visible to the naked eye, but in addition to the physical changes, pregnancy changes a woman’s brain.

These changes may explain why a pregnant woman may feel confused and unable to focus as before. In this article, we talk about how pregnancy changes a woman’s brain and how a expectant mother should respond to these changes.

Pregnancy significantly changes a woman’s brain

Weight gain, nausea, back pain and hormonal changes that make the mood throw up. These are well-known problems during pregnancy, but by no means the only changes the expectant mother has gone through. Not all changes are negative at all, as some of them help a woman take better care of a baby. Maternal instinct also begins to function even before the baby is born.

The gray matter in the brain decreases

The most significant change caused by pregnancy in the brain is a decrease in gray matter. This substance is found everywhere in the brain, brainstem, and spinal cord, and is responsible for processing information. The amount of gray matter in the human brain is generally related to intelligence.

The reduction in gray matter is also known as neural pruning, which means narrowing or shrinking of this area. The process sensitizes the senses to pain and suffering, meaning that the mother has enhanced senses so that she can take good care of the baby. A pregnant woman is also more capable than usual of sensing the danger of intimacy, and this ability is maintained for up to two years after the birth of the child. So there is clear neuroscience evidence for the maternal instinct that so often saves the situation.

Surprisingly, the decrease in gray matter is most marked in the areas of the brain responsible for empathy. In this area, the loss of neurons just when a woman should understand the feelings of the fetus feels special. According to the researchers, the decrease in neuronal connections in the brain empathy center occurs because the brain becomes much more efficient in that task. Thus, the loss of gray matter does not necessarily mean that a woman’s abilities are diminished.

The size of the neurons increases

Another pregnancy-induced change occurs in the medial preoptic region of the hypothalamus. It has been found that neurons increase in size, making them more sensitive and active.

This results in irritation of some senses, such as the sense of smell and taste. Because of this, a woman who is pregnant or has just had a baby is more sensitive to different odors and can taste more flavors. Many of these smells and tastes can even disgust a woman.

One of the consequences of this change is a strong sense of well-being. This feeling makes a mother fall in love with a child only when she feels her belly, and even more so when the child is born.

This change in the brain also causes the mother to feel uncomfortable having to be separated from the baby during the first few months.

The almond kernel shrinks

During pregnancy, the brain is exposed to hormonal changes as well as substances that cause pregnancy and milk production. As a result, the tonsil nucleus of the brain shrinks. This area of ​​the brain is responsible for the feeling of fear as well as the decisions made in response to fear. 

Because of this, many women experience less fear. This ability allows the mother to act in different ways to protect her child.

Changes in the synaptic functions of the hippocampus

Workload overload and increased learning are one of the reasons why pregnant women experience forgetfulness.

Although these changes begin as early as pregnancy, they increase with the birth of a child as a woman’s brain adapts to perceiving a new family member without sensitivity. The mother must learn to take care of the baby and also perform other tasks quickly.

Are so-called pregnancy brains true?

During pregnancy, the brain responds to various hormones, mainly oxytocin and prolactin. Miraculously, they cause changes even months after the baby is born.

Some brain structures change for many years. These positive changes in the brain allow a mother to cope with fewer nights of sleep during her child’s first year of life. The mother also understands the baby’s nonverbal messages better.

In conclusion, pregnancy changes the brain in many ways that guide the mother to happy motherhood. These are necessary changes and part of the beautiful experience of being a mother.

So if you’re worried about what you’ll feel when you get your baby in your arms, don’t worry: your mind is already prepared for it.