Whether you are in the prenatal or postpartum period (ANY time after birth), “mom brain” is real. It is often more common in the prenatal period than most women are aware of. I often hear pregnant women say things like “my brain just isn’t working”, “I just can’t remember things like I used to”, etc. The truth is your brain is working, just very hard!! It is working overtime to create a new life while keeping you going. This is not a negative, but only means you need more support at this time.
During pregnancy, your brain is also changing for the better. Different parts of it are preparing to:
1. Expandability to process and feel emotions
2. Perceive danger
3. Multi-task
Although no one enjoys having memory loss or brain fog, if you can make it through the foggy times you can get to the point where you enjoy the positive changes your brain is making!
Another common theme with moms I have seen lately (pregnant or not) is their answer, “I’m not sure” to most of the questions I ask about their personal health. I can ask a question about their child or even husband, and they can tell me exactly what’s going on with each person in their family, but not about themselves. Answering a question about their personal health seems like an entirely different feat. Sometimes it is difficult to take care of yourself when you have other people to care of! This is when it is important to have a support team around you that can help in ways or areas you did not even realize you needed help!
In order to make it through this tricky time, there are a few ways to support your body and brain that can make all the difference.
As a Chiropractor, part of my job is to support your nervous system in a way that helps you:
1. Process and adapt to stress
2. Properly heal
Chiropractic adjustments can help alleviate and change the dysfunction that you may not even realize you are having!
In our office, we also have acupuncture, massage therapists, and cranial sacral therapy that can help you heal and function. When you are taken care of, you are able to care for and serve those around you in a greater and better capacity.
A few other suggestions to help:
-Magnesium-most prenatal vitamins have magnesium in them, however, you may need to up your dose to help reach optimal levels of brain function.
-Sleep-quality sleep will make all the difference. A tired brain can often be confused for pregnancy brain. While both are real, make sure you are getting adequate sleep so your brain doesn’t have to fight both battles! A tired brain will mimic and cause similar symptoms to pregnancy brain.
-Support team-make sure you are communicating your needs to those around you. Whether that be friends, family or your husband, let them know how they can help support you during this time!
-Hydration and diet-Dehydration and a high intake of processed foods will only serve to increase the brain fog, and will not serve you in any other way.
As always, if you have questions or concerns about this topic or others, reach out to us at Opp Family Chiropractic.
Dr. Sophie, Chiropractor