We've all heard of 'baby brain', and many of us will have experienced that 'fog' of forgetfulness that seems to take over after giving birth.
While many people have accused us mums of making excuses, the scientific proof is in – and we can confirm that baby brain is a real thing.
Obviously, your brain changes after becoming a mother, as you adapt into the role of motherhood; but there are other unseen changes at play.
A new study carried out by scientists in the Netherlands has found that motherhood triggers volume changes to key parts of the brain.
The research, published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, revealed that grey matter in areas that process and respond to social signals actually decreases.
Elsewhere, the hippocampus (i.e. the memory centre) also gets smaller – hence the forgetfulness.
Interestingly, greater levels of change in a new mother's brain signified a higher level of emotional attachment with her baby.
As part of the research, the scientists studied the MRI scans of 25 women who had never given birth.
Further scans were then carried out when the women got pregnant, and again, a few months after they gave birth.
These were compared, along with similar scans belonging to new dads as well as both men and women without children.
The final results showed that, when all cases were compared, it was the new mums who demonstrated the most consistent loss of grey matter throughout.
So, does it last? In all areas except for the hippocampus, yes, apparently – but only for about two years.
Did you suffer from 'baby brain'? What do you think of the latest findings?
