The only legit way to conquer "Mom Brain" (which is real, BTW)

The research is split on Mom Brain, with some studies suggesting that mothers actually have enhanced cognitive abilities post-partum, especially when it comes to protecting themselves and their babies. But anyone who's returned to work—hormonal, lactating, and with a darling bundle of up-all-night—is likely to side with the opposite research camp, which confirms: Your memory while postpartum, especially for words and phrases, sucks. That's the technical term, by the way.

  ‘Mom Brain’ Isn’t a Joke

When our culture makes fun of mothers’ forgetfulness, it is abdicating responsibility for the overwork women are experiencing and its effects on their health.

 Does Having a Baby Really Make It Harder to Concentrate?

There are scientific reasons why women may feel a foggy ‘Mommy Brain’—and why ultimately parents can concentrate better than before they had children.

 Reframing ‘Mommy Brain’

A new mother finally gets her fussy baby to sleep and steps into a relaxing hot shower — with her glasses on. At a family barbecue she can’t recall the name of a relative she rarely sees. It’s easy to laugh off such lapses as “mommy brain,” but there remains a cultural belief that pregnancy and child care impact a woman’s cognition and mental life, long after a baby is born.

Think motherhood turns your brain to mush? Think again

New research shows that maternity builds the brain up rather than dissolving it. Which makes a lot of sense.

Neuroscientists say having a baby shrinks mothers’ brains

Women who are pregnant often report feeling a little fuzzy, a little dim and more forgetful than usual, but medical research has produced mixed data to support the so-called “baby brain” phenomenon. Now a study that used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) confirms that mothers lose brain volume when they’re pregnant, adding to the debate.

Pregnancy may change mom’s brain for years afterward

The scientists observed that first-time mothers, but not fathers, exhibited reduced gray matter in brain regions associated with the ability to attribute thoughts, feelings, and intents to themselves or other people. But that doesn’t mean that those social capabilities were dampened — on the contrary, the researchers think the shrinkage was evidence of maturation of those social networks.

Scanning reveals what pregnancy does to a mother’s brain

New mothers experience reductions in the volume of grey matter in their brains.

The Science of "Mom Brain"

So what’s the deal? Is “mom brain” just an excuse we use when we're a mess, or does becoming a mother really affect our brains?

This Is Your Brain on Motherhood

How pregnancy and parenthood kick neurological development into high gear.

Yes, Mom Brain Is Real, but There’s Still Much to Learn

“Mom Brain,” (though it could also be called “birthing parent brain” depending on how you identify), is a term that’s been floating around for a while now and is known to affect both pregnant people and those that have already given birth.

‘Mommy Brain’ Is Real

How to deal with forgetfulness, and embrace your mind’s new ‘superpowers.’

‘Momnesia’? No, Pregnancy May Boost Intelligence

Research suggests that mental changes last well past delivery.

“Mombrain and Sticky DNA”: The Impacts of Neurobiological and Epigenetic Framings of Motherhood on Women's Subjectivities

The maternal brain as a “kind” of brain has not only conjured maternal brain-related vulnerabilities or deficits such as “mombrain”-related-amnesia, but has also engendered dichotomous messaging speaking to maternal brain-based superpowers afforded by the unique window of maternal neuroplasticity.