There are some brain-boosting steps you can take to sharpen your mental acuity. Sleep can be elusive in pregnancy and completely evasive in those early postpartum weeks and months. Taking a few measures to try to quiet your mind and relax your body can help cultivate a more restful environment.
Establish an evening routine, turn off your cell phone, and do some breathing exercises. During sleep, your brain can form important connections that help encourage cognitive function — so do what you can to prioritize rest. When all else fails, a cat nap can help. Twenty minutes of shut-eye will do the trick. A longer nap may sound tempting, but can leave you feeling groggy, as you will transition into a deeper stage of sleep — so keep the midday snoozes short and sweet. You may have intense cravings and an insatiable appetite during pregnancy, and we support your need to feed, but we also suggest adding a few key ingredients to your next meal.
Certain foods high in antioxidants and vitamins have been proven to help with brain function. Here are a few to add to your upcoming grocery list:. Your brain needs water to function properly.
Even mild dehydration can have adverse effects on your ability to concentrate and totally zap your energy level — so drink up to perk up. A daily agenda planner can help you feel less scatterbrained and more organized. Use your smartphone — set alarms and fill in your calendar. Just like your muscles need exercise to reach peak performance, your brain will benefit from a mental workout, too.
Crossword puzzles, Sudoku, and other solo games will get your creaky gears going. Apps like Lumosity, Peak, and Elevate also offer clever activities to engage your mind.
You have a lot going on physically, mentally, and emotionally during pregnancy and after a little one is born. Learn to forgive when you forget, and try to find humor in the situation. Pregnancy brain could have you feeling less than sharp. You might make a few mindless mistakes or temporarily lose your ability to think clearly, but, in time and with patience and sleep , you will feel like your quick-witted self again. In the meantime, recognize that there are real mental, physical, and physiological reasons why this is happening.
And that is something worth remembering. Between your dancing hormones and breastfeeding, your girls will never be the same. What you eat during pregnancy is important for your health, as well as the health of your baby. Here are 13 foods you should eat when you're pregnant. Research on the existence of "baby brain" is mixed. The term refers to memory problems, poor concentration and absent-mindedness reported by many women during pregnancy and early motherhood.
A recent review of 20 studies assessing more than pregnant and nonpregnant women concluded that general cognitive functioning, memory and executive functioning were significantly poorer in pregnant women. However, the changes are likely to be noticeable only to the pregnant women and those close to them and less likely to affect job performance. Other research suggests that memory problems during pregnancy aren't as widespread as believed, but can be seen in women experiencing depression shortly before childbirth.
Beyond the relationship between pregnancy and memory, some researchers are looking at the ways pregnancy might positively change a woman's brain. Another recent study compared the MRI scans of women's brains before pregnancy and after giving birth to the brain scans of women who have never given birth.
The scans of women after pregnancy showed changes in brain structure that might help women adapt to motherhood. If you're pregnant or a new mother, don't assume that you're experiencing a cognitive decline. Becoming a mother involves an emotional and physical transition. If you have any concerns about your moods, talk to your health care provider. There is a problem with information submitted for this request.
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