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Motherhood’s Lasting Effects on the Brain: What Science Reveals

While it is easy to imagine the psychological changes that come with motherhood, we are not necessarily aware of what is happening concretely on a cerebral level.

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After giving birth, a woman’s brain is not quite the same as it was before, according to research detailed in a “Carte blanche” in Le Monde by psychologist Sylvie Chokron. Recent studies show that changes in both gray and white matter persist after childbirth.

Being pregnant is not just about having strange cravings, eating for two, or preparing to sleep less. It also involves deep biological transformations. And if you think this only lasts for the nine months of pregnancy, think again!

Recent research shows that mothers’ physiology changes for years, even decades, following the birth of their child. But it doesn’t stop there. Having a child transforms an adult into a parent. This means that not only the body but also the mind undergoes radical changes. While it is easy to imagine the psychological changes that come with motherhood, we are not necessarily aware of what is happening concretely on a cerebral level.

Elseline Hoekzema from the University of Amsterdam and her colleagues from the University of Madrid were able to track the morphology of the cerebral gray matter of women before and after pregnancy, up to two years after delivery, compared to fathers and control women who had never had a child. The results of this first large-scale study are remarkable. They reveal that pregnancy is specifically associated with notable and lasting modifications of the volume of cerebral gray matter, with the reorganization of a small region known for its involvement in social cognition, particularly in our ability to put ourselves in someone else’s shoes. This is precious for making sense of the newborn’s reactions, who cannot express themselves verbally. But that’s not all.

The changes in the white matter, which links different brain regions, appear to be associated with improvements in mothers’ ability to multitask and manage their emotions during interaction with their child.

The study also showed that these changes could occur after adoption, confirming that the brain is highly adaptable to environmental factors, including those associated with motherhood.

In short, the scientific literature shows that having a child is a transformative experience that changes both body and mind, and this transformation is not limited to the nine months of pregnancy. The implications of these findings are significant, not only for mothers but for society as a whole, highlighting the importance of supporting and empowering mothers during and after pregnancy.