We all know that pregnancy changes everything - your body, your shape, your food preferences - but did you know it actually changes your BRAIN?
Well, according to a study published in Nature Neuroscience, a woman's brain becomes differently wired following birth, although it is unclear just how it is different.
The research carried out by neuroscientist Elseline Hoekzema from Leiden University looked at the brain scans of 25 first-time mothers - before and after pregnancy - and scans of 20 women without children.
Read about the effects of #pregnancy on #brain structure for free (one month): https://t.co/XOTqOhpgI0 pic.twitter.com/i7P2XDdVUo
— Nature Neuroscience (@NatureNeuro) December 19, 2016
The results found that a woman holds less grey matter in certain areas of the brain after having a baby, particularly in the areas that deal with social cognition and theory of mind (knowing what's going on inside someone else's head). The changes are believed to last for at least two years.
"The [grey matter] volume changes of pregnancy predict measures of postpartum mother-to-child attachment and hostility," the study said.
"These results indicate that pregnancy changes the [grey matter] architecture of the human brain and provide preliminary support for an adaptive process serving the transition into motherhood."
Pregnancy changes nearly everything about an expectant mother’s life, including her brain. https://t.co/uiOcJK74L7
— Science News (@ScienceNews) December 19, 2016
Interestingly, the areas with less grey matter were the areas that had the strongest response when the mum looked at photos of the baby.
