You’ve probably heard of having “mom brain.” People use it this term to describe when things
slip mom’s minds - turns out, this is likely just the result of sleep deprivation and exhaustion.
So, what is actually happening inside a mother’s brain? Hi mom!
Hello sons and daughters, Lissette here for Dnews. Many mothers report that having a child
is one of the most meaningful events they’ve ever experienced. It’s life changing. And
from a science perspective, they’re right - even when it comes to the structure of their
brains.
Mothers experience neurological changes that start in pregnancy and continue throughout
early motherhood. In a study published in the Journal Behavioral Neuroscience, researchers
looked at moms’ brains at 2-4 weeks after giving birth and then again around 3 months
later. Using mri technology, they found that mothers had increased gray matter in certain
areas: the parietal lobes, prefrontal cortex, and others. Yes, their brains literally grew.
What’s more, some of the growth happened in areas like the amygdala and hypothalamus,
which are associated with emotional regulation, survival instincts and hormone production.
The changes here seem to be linked to mother’s having a positive view of their babies and
an increase in positive feelings towards them - it’s what helps moms get up 5 or 6 times
at night to a screaming baby without losing any love for them.
In a study, researchers at The University of Toronto Mississauga analyzed the brain
activity of 22 mothers to see if there was anything special going in their amygdala when
mothers looked at their babies versus the babies of strangers. What you’d expect is
that mothers would respond more strongly to their own babies. And some women did - these
women reported higher feelings of satisfaction with motherhood, a more positive mood, and
generally good experiences with being a mother.
Conversely, when the amygdala did not become more sensitive during motherhood, it ended
up affecting the bond between mother and child negatively. The women who had reduced amygdala
responses to photos of their babies reported poorer quality of maternal experience, including
increased levels of stress and anxiety. Essentially, these mothers felt they were having a hard
time. We know from other studies how important activating these brain regions can be in buffering
against negative emotions or feelings in new mothers. In fact, postpartum depression is
associated with the binding sensitivity of receptors in the brain that affect the amygdala
and other structures involved in the dopamine reward system.
This is the same system that is activated when we fall in love with our high school
sweetheart. In fact, studies have shown that the same neurological processes are involved
in falling in love romantically as with falling in love with your baby. One hormone involved
in this process is oxytocin - commonly dubbed the love hormone for its role in bonding and
affection. Your body releases it when you hug someone or cuddle - it’s when you get
that “ahhhh” feeling and everything is ok.
But it is also released when women are giving birth, it’s associated
with breastfeeding, and it facilitates bonding with a newborn. The hormone spikes during
pregnancy and regions with high density of receptors for oxytocin, like the amygdala,
are specifically activated in mothers’ brains when responding to babies faces and scents.
In one study published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology, researchers gave women baby
pajamas that were worn by two day old newborns. In one group were mothers who had just given
birth and in the other, women who had never had children. When the women were asked to
sniff the PJs, all women could smell the “baby scent” to the same degree. But what was
happening in their brains, was different. Mothers had more intense brain activity in
the dopamine reward system, than women had never had children. This system is involved
in reward learning and its the same that makes us crave certain foods or become addicted
to drugs. It motivates us to act in ways that get us closer to the reward - in mother’s
cases, a baby. So yes, mothers can pretty much be addicted to babies.
It’s why moms can’t stop with the kisses - even when you’re 22. So how about you
show your mom some love in return - with something special from Kay Jewelers. Because, every
kiss begins with Kay. Look at the spelling, it’s right there. Kay Jewelers is one of
our sponsors at Discovery Digital, they help keep the lights on and the episodes coming,
so if you want score bonus points with mom, go ahead and check out Kay’s line of jewelry.