What Expecting Moms Should Know About Pregnancy Dementia

Bearing a child and embracing motherhood is one of the most beautiful feelings that a woman experiences. However, while pregnancy in itself can be really overwhelming, there are several aspects about those nine months that all expecting women should know and be aware of. One of the most alarming facets of pregnancy is pregnancy dementia which affects nearly every single woman who is about to give birth.

Also, often referred to as ‘baby brain’, it is a term used to describe the temporary memory loss and lapses that occur during pregnancy owing to a woman’s hormonal and chemical imbalances.


Here’s what all you need to know about pregnancy dementia and what to do about it:

Pregnancy changes the brain

Majority of us are well aware of the fact that pregnancy is quite a life-changing event that leads to several physical, mental and emotional changes in a woman. It greatly affects both the mind and the body and these changes are quite evident and noticeable. Because a female body goes through major hormonal changes too, these affect each and every organ in the body.

One of the organs that significantly get affected by pregnancy is the brain, wherein the brain structure goes through some long-lasting changes. The grey matter in the brain, particularly, experiences a reduction during pregnancy, and according to a study this reduction only occurs in expecting women and not in fathers or women who do not experience childbirth.

Since the grey matter is responsible for memory, cognition, emotion, speech, and decision making among several other functions, depletion in this part of the brain can lead to several consequences, pregnancy dementia being one of them.

What is pregnancy dementia?

If you are pregnant and experiencing frequent bouts of forgetfulness and memory lapses, chances are you are going through pregnancy dementia. This is simply pregnancy-infused dementia or fog that makes one forgetful during pregnancy and decreases their ability to focus on logical tasks and activities.

This may also include forgetting certain common words during conversations, being unable to find things like the car keys or your wallet, failing to remember recent events, etc. It is also one of the major hallmarks of pregnancy which means that almost every woman has to go through it when she is pregnant.

What causes it?

Structural changes in the brain

A number of factors and reasons can contribute to pregnancy dementia, one of which is the changes in the brain structure, as mentioned earlier. Studies also show that a woman’s brain contracts by almost 6 percent during this time and eventually bounces back afterwards, which also causes structural changes.

Moreover, it is also observed that during the third trimester, the brain cell volume decreases which can possibly explain instances like forgetting what you read an hour ago.

Surge in hormones

Soaring pregnancy hormones and hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy can also lead to memory loss and forgetfulness. These hormones include estrogen, progesterone, FSH, LH, etc., where each hormone leads to some changes or the other.

Lack of sleep

Another common reason of pregnancy dementia is lack of quality sleep, which is quite a recurring factor during pregnancy. Pregnant women go through numerous sleep-busting conditions like the frequent need to go to the loo, general discomfort, heartburn, leg cramps, insomnia, etc. These conditions together can ruin a good night’s sleep which, in turn, leads to problems associated with memory and focus.

What can you do about it?

If these daily spells of forgetfulness and poor memory are stressing you out, you must know and remember that it is only temporary. Not to mention, it is also completely normal and very common.

There is no hard and fast rule on how to deal with pregnancy dementia; however, there are a few simple ways you can make the process easy and bearable.

Relax your mind

You can start off by relaxing; take a deep breath and don’t be too hard on yourself if you forget things. Stress will only worsen the situation for you.

Use daily reminders

Make use of sticky-notes lying around your house and write important things on them that you are most likely to forget such as important dates, names, words, numbers, etc. These will come in handy every time you experience a memory lapse. You can also use your phone and put reminders on it about daily tasks and activities.

Eat choline-rich foods

Research has it that eating foods that are rich in choline during pregnancy can significantly enhance brain function in both the mother and baby. Choline is a brain-boosting mineral that also stimulates the formation of a memory-forming brain chemical called acetylcholine.

Get more sleep

Make sure to get adequate sleep to feel fresh and active. While this may be a little difficult with a growing belly, it is still important that you get 7-9 hours of restful sleep every day.

While it may all be temporary, it does highlight the need to exercise caution and care both during and after pregnancy. Get a brain test done if these lapses in memory become too frequent. Regardless of all that, have faith in your abilities and don’t stress too much!

Alma Causey is a mother, wife and a professional blogger. She writes frequently on health, technology, and management. Her time is divided between writing and creating exotic cuisines in the kitchen. She loves to discover new places and you’ll often find her globe-trotting with her twins.