You walk into a room and forget why. You mix up your kids’ names. You feel like your brain hasn’t been the same since giving birth. But what if “mom brain” is more evolution than failure?
In this episode, Andrea and Kristin get into the science behind mom brain—what actually happens to the brain during pregnancy and postpartum, why it affects memory and emotional regulation, and… what surprising advantages these changes may offer.
From hormone drops and amygdala growth, to synaptic pruning and how motherhood may literally keep your brain younger—we’re reframing what we think we know about this foggy, frustrating, and fascinating mental state.
In This Episode:
⏳ 00:00 – What the science says about how motherhood changes the brain
⏳ 03:00 – Real-life mom brain moments we’ve cringed through
⏳ 06:00 – The three core causes of mom brain
⏳ 08:00 – Why emotional regulation gets harder—but empathy gets stronger
⏳ 10:00 – The amygdala, fear, and how evolution may have shaped hypervigilance
⏳ 11:00 – Motherhood and emotional intelligence
⏳ 12:00 – Learning + memory-building capacity
⏳ 13:00 – Why moms’ brains may age slower
⏳ 16:00 – The cognitive workout ofmotherhood
⏳ 17:00 – Synaptic pruning and why matrescence may be a window for healing
⏳ 18:00 – Easy doesn’t equal good
Links:
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Sources:
Modern Counseling San Diego: The Science Behind 'Mommy Brain'
Time: Is ‘Mommy Brain’ Real? What Happens to Your Mind and Body When You Become a Mom
CBC Radio: 'Mommy brain' might be a good thing, new research suggests
Greenlight: Parenting 101: The science behind mom brain
1-800 Flowers Petal Talk: Why ‘Mommy Brain’ Is Another Reason to Celebrate Moms
Houston Methodist: The Mom Brain Phenomenon: Blasting the Myth of the Perfect Mom
Mylicon: Pregnancy Brain & Its Hidden Benefits
Newborn Mothers: 15 benefits of baby brain
NIH: Neuroprotective Effects of Motherhood on Brain Function in Late Life: A Resting-State fMRI Study