Does pregnancy affect memory? There is evidence that pregnancy makes people stupider

There is a saying among the people - "pregnancy makes you stupid", or "pregnancy makes you stupid for three years", which means that women's memory declines and cognitive abilities decline after pregnancy. There is also a similar saying abroad, "pregnancy makes you stupid for three years", called "baby brain". The following is a look at the effect of pregnancy on memory by the editor of No. 5 website. There is a basis for the saying that pregnancy makes you stupid.

Does pregnancy affect memory?

As the saying goes, "pregnancy makes you stupid for three years", which means that pregnant women tend to lose things and have poor memory. Recently, Australian researchers found that pregnant women's overall cognitive ability is worse than that of non-pregnant women. "Pregnant women's general cognitive ability, memory and executive function are much worse than those of non-pregnant women, especially in the third trimester of pregnancy, that is, 24 to 38 weeks, and this effect is particularly obvious.

Why does pregnancy make you stupid?

1. Natural reaction to pregnancy

"Pregnancy stupidity" is not "real stupidity", it is the body's natural reaction after pregnancy. The main manifestations are forgetfulness, difficulty concentrating, slowed thought processing ability, and even dizziness.

2. Hormonal changes

This "silliness" is due to hormonal changes during the first three months of pregnancy, when the hormone progesterone rises steadily and thyroid levels begin to drop.

3. Temporary memory appears

In the third trimester, the effects of progesterone begin to decrease significantly, but the increase in estriol hormone levels can cause "temporary memory" problems in the brain. You may find it difficult to recall recent events and reflect on your emotional changes. Pregnancy is affected by hormones, which can easily make pregnant women stupid.

What should I do if I don't want to be stupid for three years after getting pregnant?

1. Release the pressure

Tension and anxiety are common problems that plague pregnant women and mothers. Whether it is worrying about not meeting the various indicators during pregnancy or worrying about not being able to play the role of a mother after giving birth, they are all sources of stress. If you have such negative emotions, you need to chat more with family and friends, read parenting books, ask experienced mothers for advice, do soothing indoor and outdoor sports, etc. Emotional relaxation will also relax the brain, and naturally forgetfulness will be improved a lot.

2. Get enough sleep

If the various discomforts during pregnancy make it difficult for expectant mothers to ensure long, high-quality sleep, they may wish to use auxiliary means such as light music, warm water foot bath, proper massage and exercise to help them fall asleep and improve sleep quality.

For postpartum mothers, starting from four months, you can try to gradually stop feeding your baby at night. (What if your baby has developed the habit of feeding at night? Click: Let your baby sleep through the night? It will definitely work if you stick to it! Check it out.) Taking a 10-20 minute nap every day at noon is also very helpful in eliminating fatigue and improving your mood. In addition, the father should be more considerate of the mother's hard work as a mother and take on more housework; the mother should also be careful not to take on all the housework and childcare work, and dislike the father because he is "unskilled in the business". She should cultivate her husband's sense of responsibility and sincerely encourage him, so that he can do better.

3. Nutritional supplements

Baoma should have a balanced diet, not picky or partial food. The richer the food, the better, so that the body can fully supplement the vitamins, unsaturated fatty acids, lecithin and other nutrients needed. Eating deep-sea fish, wheat germ, walnuts, carrots, soybeans and other foods regularly is very beneficial to improving memory.

4. Take notes

As the saying goes, "A good memory is not as good as a bad pen." If you are really afraid of forgetting important things, you might as well make a memo and make a list of things to do today. When you are done, tick them off. If you haven't finished them, you can remind yourself. You can also record new things at any time. You should also develop a good habit of keeping your keys, wallets, mobile phones and other personal belongings in one place instead of throwing them away.

Don’t be afraid! Your memory will recover after giving birth

In 1993, the Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Israel studied 100 pregnant women who had just given birth. They used the Wechsler logical memory test and the visual reproduction test, and compared them with non-pregnant women, pregnant women with high-risk pregnancies in the late stages of pregnancy, and fathers of newborns. They found that the memory of these mothers who had just given birth had significantly deteriorated one or two days after giving birth. The researchers hope that this phenomenon can provide a reference for medical staff or family members when taking care of mothers.

In 2001, Saga Medical College in Japan also used a visual recall memory test to study 54 pregnant women and found that memory declined from birth to three or four days after delivery. However, there was no problem for those who had not given birth yet or one month after delivery. Although the reasons are not clear, according to the report, memory should return to normal after giving birth, otherwise people in the past would have had so many children that not all of them suffered from amnesia.