'Baby Brain' – Fact or fiction? - Active Babies Smart Kids

Join the thousands of parents already raising smarter, happier babies with our online baby classes: The Active Babies Smart Kids series. Click here.

GymbaROO-KindyROO kids are excelling academically, emotionally, in leadership roles and on the sporting field. Find us at: GymbaROO-KindyROO

Dr Jane Williams and Bindy Cummings

Have you ever struggled to find your car in the car park…then your car keys…then arrived home to discover you forgot to buy the item you originally went to the shops to purchase? We have all heard of Baby Brain, but does it really exist, or is it just a way of excusing what can sometimes turn out to be rather disconcerting behaviour?

What is Baby Brain?

Lots of pregnant and new mums claim that their brain no longer works as well as it used to, especially when it comes to remembering things. When I was pregnant and busy with three small children I used to liken my brain to spaghetti – lots of strands but no connections! Baby Brain is really the feeling that you can no longer remember the simplest of things, where in the past your memory was top notch and you were always ‘on the ball’.

Does Baby Brain really exist?

In the past the claim was dismissed as a ‘myth’, but as research techniques improve, a team from Australia have found that Baby Brain definitely exists¹. Pregnant women and mums with little ones have been found to have poorer short-term memory compared to other woman of the same age. In fact they found their memory to be similar to those in their sixties! It appears to only affect new and complex memory tasks. Regular, well-practiced tasks are not affected. While the researchers do not offer much in the way of explanation, they consider that new mums are busy and have to remember a lot of tasks and this makes remembering things more challenging. Baby Brain is certainly not a new phenomenon. I remember my mother telling us about the time she had driven, with her three children and new baby, 100 kilometres to visit her mother in the city – about an hour and a half drive. Half way into her return journey home she realised that she had left the baby asleep in his bassinet at her mothers! It was a very long drive home that day.

While the actual reason for Baby Brain is unknown, there may be a ‘chemical’ connection. It is highly likely that alterations in hormone levels that occur naturally during pregnancy and in the first year of life affect how the brain functions². Once pregnant, mothers have increased levels of a variety of hormones. These hormones ensure the safety of the growing foetus; that there will be a ready milk supply at birth; and that the mother is ‘primed’ to provide adequate care. One of these hormones, for example, is prolactin. Prolactin is important in reducing anxiety levels and thus supports nurturing maternal behaviour³.

What does this mean?

Baby Brain is most likely there for a reason – to help you focus on what is the most important job in your life – raising your baby. While others around you may be frustrated by your forgetfulness, just remember that nature has found a way of making sure that mum is directing her attention to the newest member of the household!

I did wonder if I would ever get my ‘connected brain’ back… and yes, I have, and it actually seems to work even better than before! I can multitask easily, remember a long list of jobs and (mostly) get everything done on time!

Dr Jane Williams (PhD, RNPaeds) is the Director and General Manager for Research and Education, GymbaROO and KindyROO.

Active Babies Smart Kids – Online Baby Classes

GymbaROO-KindyROO’s online series of baby classes is taking the parenting world by storm! It is highly recommended by doctors, paediatricians, early childhood experts and the Maternal Child and Family Health Nurses Association. This series is being called: “The essential guide for parents”. Join the thousands of parents already playing with their babies from birth, in the best way for brain and body development and laying crucial foundations for future learning. What happens in the first year, not only matters, it matters a lot! See Introductory video below.

Active Babies Smart Kids online series – Click here.

Try the first class FREE! Click here to watch our Active Babies Smart Kids Episode 1 – Tummy Time

GymbaROO-KindyROO

Thousands of parents, babies and children are presently involved in our programs and creating rising stars. GymbaROO-KindyROO kids are excelling academically, emotionally, in leadership roles and on the sporting field. Come join all the fun and learning! “GymbaROO – The best decision I ever made for my child.” Classes from 6 weeks old – 7 years GymbaROO KindyROO

References: 1. Rendell, P & Henry J, D (2008). Prospective-memory functioning is affected during pregnancy and postpartum, Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 30(8) pp. 913-919. 2. Brunton, P.J & Russell, J. A. (2008) The expectant brain: adapting for motherhood. Nature Reviews Neuroscience 9, 11-25, doi:10.1038/nrn2280 3. Larsen, C.M & Grattan, D. R (2013). Prolactin-Induced Mitogenesis in the Subventricular Zone of the Maternal Brain during Early Pregnancy Is Essential for Normal Postpartum Behavioral Responses in the Mother. Endocrinology, 151(8), DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1210/en.2009-1385

Dr Jane Williams (PhD, BMgt, RN(Paeds)) is the Research and Education General Manager for GymbaROO and KindyROO. Dr Williams is one of Australia’s leading experts on baby and child development. More on Dr Williams here.

Bindy Cummings (B.Ed(Human Movement) Hons) has worked as a teacher, child development consultant, early childhood development lecturer, teacher trainer and INPP & iLS consultant. She is the co-creator of GymbaROO’s Active Babies Smart Kids online series, has authored many published articles on child development. She is working on the content and development GymbaROO’s portal and online training programs, and the creation of new online programs for parents and children. More on Bindy Cummings here.