Just wanted to know when baby brain happens and if it is a real clinical side effect of pregnancy or is it just an excuse for being so forgetful. And what causes it if it is in fact real?
Printable View
Just wanted to know when baby brain happens and if it is a real clinical side effect of pregnancy or is it just an excuse for being so forgetful. And what causes it if it is in fact real?
From Sydney Morning Herald.
:
'Baby brain' gets the official nod
Natasha Wallace Health Reporter
February 6, 2008
MOTHER NATURE can be so cruel: just when a pregnant woman might need to multitask, research has confirmed that the long-suspected "baby brain" effect kicks in, as suspected, and may impair memory for up to a year after birth.
An Australian analysis of 14 research studies around the world since 1990 provides "clear cut findings" that pregnancy impairs memory for up to 80 per cent of pregnant women and new mothers.
The study by the University of NSW and Australian Catholic University compared the memory performances of more than 1000 pregnant women, new mothers and healthy non-pregnant females.
"The results indicate that pregnant women are significantly impaired on some, but not all, measures of memory. And, specifically, memory measures that place relatively high demands on executive cognitive control may be selectively disrupted," the study said.
"The same specific deficits associated with pregnancy are also observed post-partum."
But Julie Henry, a study author and psychology researcher at the University of NSW, emphasised the effect was "very, very subtle".
"It's a pretty modest deficit similar to what you would find if you were to compare healthy 20 year-olds with healthy 60 year olds," Dr Henry said.
She added that remembering an appointment or errand were among the possible effects. Before this analysis, evidence on the baby brain effect was subjective and anecdotal. Opinion varied considerably on its magnitude and longevity.
But the studies showed that between 50 and 80 per cent of women reported impaired cognitive ability, particularly increased forgetfulness.
Dr Henry said this gave employers no justification for discrimination.
The cause is not known, and theories include hormonal changes and sleep deprivation.
Well i washed my mobile phone in the washing machine with my clothes (2wks ago) :cryinglaugh: if that isn't baby brain, then i don't know what is!!! :cryinglaugh:
i couldnt work out how to turn my blinker off the other day i turned off the car instead???
so silly
Anytime from conception to toddlerhood. I have been "vacant" since becoming pg with dd1...wow that is nearly 3 years!!!
I think now that I have had 3 I have baby brain for life shame I didnt have that much to start with :p
My first baby brain moment was when i was about 8 weeks pregnant and i put the dirty knife in the fridge and washed AND dried the jar of vegemite. DH came home found the (very clean) jar of vegemite in the dish rack and the knife sitting on the top shelf in the fridge...
i comletely forgot my pin number a month ago, wasnt even close :redface: last nihgt i went to the shops minus my bra!!!!!!!!!!
i admit it didnt happen when preg. with DD1, so whether working kept my brain functioning i dont know!!
Pure Gold!!!!:
Oh I am in tears laughing at you girls... how hilarious! Oh now I have the giggles now...
How interesting though, I am glad there is some real research on it so I can copy it to DH when he says I am just using it as an excuse! Have to say I haven't done anything as hilarious as you girls yet.
But please send more of your baby brain moments in cause its fantastic and I feel so much better already having had a good laugh!
last week DF and i wwre talking about meats and what I cant/can't eat etc.
We got onto Pork and it took me about 2 mins to say to df - "what animal is it before its pork?"
deh :rolleyes:
I forgot my DH's name for about 10 minutes during my first pregnancy. Couldn't for the life of me remember it and I couldn't really ask him, could I? We had only been together for about 7 years at that point.
During this pregnancy, I have just got 'vague'. Even my DS (who turns 2 later this month) has told me to "focus mummy" which is what his daddy says.
When early pg with DS#1 I stood out the front of Coles at our local shopping centre and couldn't for the life of me find the entrance, all I saw were checkouts and trolleys. There is a massive sign that says "Entry" BTW.
On the way out I headed in the complete opposite direction to my car, I walked for ages before I realised...
Be Careful......it Can Strike Without Warning!
And be warned.... its hangs around.... well I like to think its still baby brain, and not just me :D
Oh man that hilarious... you girls are FANTASTIC!
I'm 28 weeks now and a couple of weeks ago I was heading out to go shopping. I took the garbage back with me to deposit in the green bin before I got in the car and I threw my handbag away instead and took the rubbish shopping...
All I can say is that I used to be an intelligent woman. Now I have a hard time remembering my own name! I think I should have one of those Id tags that says "If I'm lost please call my fiance on..." SO embarrassing...
yep i went to the shops minus my bra too! i was walking around holding myself. and just yesterday i couldnt remember where i had parked my car either!! i always said it hung around even after i had my first DD and now it seems like it is going to get worse! LOL
Puppies,
What a great thread I will keep reading :)
Told you I still have "BABY BRAIN" even though my youngest is 2 last night when I was making my coffe I when to get the milk out of the fridge twice even though it was already in my cup and sitting on the bench....
Please let me live in my happy little world where I still say it baby brain and not just me loseing my BRAIN....:doh:
BHL just says its my blonde coming out ALL the time... he used to have a running bet on the ship ( he was in the NAVY ) about who's wife does and says the stillyest thing saddly he WON!!!! PMSL arrrrr thats why he loves me....
:rofl:
You guys are so funny!!!
I've forgotten ALOT of things. Usually DH's smokes. Most of the time they are all I'm supposed to be going for.
Haven't taken my garbage shopping yet!
The first case of Baby brain I remember was my first time out of the house with DD1. I went & bought 2 mothers day cards. One for MIL & one for my mum. Sent MIL to her & filled my mums out & left it at the PO.
Then went & bought a film at the chemist & left it behind.
Then that night I locked us out of our flat. Lucky the real estate was open late for some strange reason! It was about 6.30pm!
After DD2 I went & got money out of DH's bank account the day after I had her. I left the card in the ATM & it ate it before we got back. Coz he wasn't with the atm bank we couldn't get it back & had to order a new card.
BJ I have locked myself out of the house soooooo many times it not funny.... Its gotten so bad that poor little DS will ask me about 3 times if I have the keys everytime we leave the house.... Touch wood I havent done it in this house YET!!!! I do now make sure I lock the door with the key so I know I have them with me....
Once I lock ourselves out when we lived in a typical Darwin house which are built on very high stilts DD1 was only 4 mths so I will blame Baby brain for this one anyway I had to put both the outside bin on top of each other and climb up while poor 3yr DS held the bin steady LOL... anyway I had to take of the luvers and almost do the spilts standing on top of the bins and pull with all my might to get in... I ended up with a bruse that went from my butt down to the back of my knee.... all this and I was in a dress and Darwin has cyclone fence so i am sure the neighbours got an eye full....
Tali you poor thing! My thing is locking the keys in the car.
See I was going to post that before, but I forgot!
There was something else.... It'll come back....Maybe
I did put the cereal in the fridge & the milk in the cupboard the other day...
Hmmm...Got it! I scratched up my new car!
I had my 1996 Ford Explorer for 2 weeks when I pulled out of the drive way on an angle, then tried to straighten up. Stupid me tried to take the fence with me. Literally!
I heard a noise & thought 'what was that, sounds like something scratching the car - hmm...kept going til it got to the wheel arch & pulled off the bumper thing.
Bent the fence too. A metal post! It wasn't a light scratch & I knew it was happening but I didn't stop. Why you ask?? Don't ask me!!!
Cant tell you how many times I have put the car in Reverse instead of Drive whats makes it sadder is that I only drive a auto.... I drove right into a wall once put the car into D for drive inseade of R for reverse and then paniced once it started to move so hit the execelrator ( sp?) instead of the break ... we had only had the car two days and it was my first day driving it with out VHL in the car.... BHL said when he came home after my paniced phone call he was so releaved we were all ok he didnt care about the car.... lucky for me wasnt too much damage done :redface:
Tonight I was watching the football with DH and the NZ team was wearing jumpers and I said to DH 'Why are they all wearing jumpers isn't it the same season as it is here? It's summer!! Aren't they hot?' While sitting there in my flanellete pyjamas and fluffy socks.
:rofl:
Oh yes, placenta brain sure does exist. In fact mine hasn't improved at all since bub was born! She is 10 months old and I still have it. I don't put things in silly places but I just completely forget things. Appointments, birthdays, important tasks, anything . . .They are in my head one minute, next it has gone. I never used to be like this. DH just :rolleyes: about it.
I always forget things...put clothes through the wash with no powder or softener, dress my girls in the wrong clothes (DD1 clothes on DD2 and vice versa).....go to the shops and cant remember why...try to unlo k the front door with the car key..
it doesnt get any better even when bub is born!
i lose my keys everyday! no joke!
god there are so many stupid things i have done
lol i have doing my job for 5 years so i know what im doing but if my boss tells me to do something i kinda have to stand there for a second so it sinks in and i can understand wat he is saying i must have the most stupid look on my face.... .
i also couldnt remember how to spell rope the other day.... seriously!? rope? who the hell forgets how to spell that!!!!
i swear im going blind aswell, the thing im looking for could be right in front of me but as if i can see it!!!
When I was pregnant I went to visit a friend whose house I had been to before on Stewart st. I went to the 'right' street but couldn't for the life of me find the house. The house number didn't even exist on the street. I sat in my car and balled. It felt like the world had shifted and noone had told me. It took me half an hour to figure out that they lived in Stuart st in the same suburb. doh!
I dropped my HPT in the loo two days ago, and left my house keys in our post office box today (got them back due to some kind soul) and I am at the very beginning only 4 weeks. Who knows what I will be doing at 9 months.
Oh my God it doesn't leave- i just found the frozen peas in the pantry and the biscuits in the freezer. Sigh... I love my son but i miss my brain!
YES IT IS REAL!!! ha ha It has to be or I have to find another reason to blame for my vagueness!
I was fine throughout my pregnancy but I think it's the sleep deprivation that has got me. Today I was on my way out and I locked the front door but left the keys in the lock :doh: