Aug 28 2008
Placenta Brain
While cleaning a sink full of dishes and transferring them to the dishwasher last night I picked up a pair of BBQ tongs, washed them, and then instead of putting them in the dishwasher (as I had done with everything else) I walked to the other side of the kitchen and tossed them into the garbage. It was until several minutes later that I discovered I had done something wrong and then it still took a few more minutes to figure out what.
My friend affectionately calls this placenta brain. I thought she was joking but a quick search proved that this is a pretty commonly reported problem among preggos. I forget everything (even while I’m doing it), I’m totally disorganized, and I can’t seem to finish anything I start.
The theories about what causes placenta brain are wide spread. The most common is that it is caused by the increased progesterone that pregnant women seem to produce. Since it appears that the placenta takes over the production of progesterone during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy the phrase “placenta brain” has developed. It has also been called pregnancy amnesia and baby brain.
Another theory that I found absolutely no support for (but I still thought it was fun) is that women’s brains shrink 3-5% during pregnancy, which accounts for the loss of memory, coordination, and intellectual conversation. This might be my favorite reason even though it I couldn’t find any actual proof of its existence.
Research has discovered however, that the influence of placenta brain can last up to a year after your baby is born (isn’t that great news?). They don’t know exactly why it happens although hormones and lifestyle seem to be the most common theories.
In any case, I will be sure that my children grow up with an adequate sense of guilt at their role in the loss of mom’s brain cells.
