How Motherhood Shapes A Woman’s Brain
Becoming a mother brings about profound changes in a woman’s brain. ‘Mommy Brain’ is actually a science thing! Who knew? Here are four illustrations of the phenomenal changes that happen:
In this article by Jenni Gritters, we read about Dr. Hoekzema’s findings that the mother’s brain undergoes ‘synaptic pruning,’ a phenomenon that eliminates certain connections between brain cells to encourage the facilitation of new connections. According to Jenny Gritters:
“Researchers believe this process could help people focus on specific behaviors or activities — in this case, taking care of an infant. In other words, a “loss” of brain material might seem like a bad thing, but the changes could actually, in part, be beneficial to people faced with new conditions like parenthood, according to Dr. Hoekzema.”
Another research paper talks about neuroplasticity — the ability of the brain to change — taking place in the brain of a mother:
“A distinct neural plasticity characterizes the female brain during this period, and dynamic structural and functional changes take place that accompany fundamental behavioral adaptations, stimulating the female to progress from an individual with self-directed needs to being responsible for the care of another life.”
