The Lasting Effects of Pregnancy Brain

There's some new science to back up "pregnancy brain." According to a study published in the journal 'Nature Neuroscience' on Monday, pregnancy causes more changes to a woman's brain than was previously known. Researchers tracked brain changes in one healthy first-time mother, then compared them to eight women who were not pregnant. In the pregnant woman, they found decreases in brain tissues that control sensations like speech, thinking, and memory. But they found *increases* in other areas that help the brain communicate and process information. Researchers said these brain changes are normal and healthy. By two months post-partum, some brain changes had reverted back to pre-pregnancy levels. Others remained for up to two years after birth.