Shweta Mendiratta: Did You Know a Woman’s Brain Changes During Pregnancy?
Shweta Mendiratta, Director and Head of Unit II Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Yatharth Super Speciality Hospitals, shared on LinkedIn:
”The moment a baby is born, all eyes are on the newborn.
But Pregnancy and childbirth don’t end when the baby is born. In many ways, that’s when the real recovery begins.
Most people know that a woman’s body changes during pregnancy.
Far fewer realize that her brain changes too.
A landmark study published in Nature Neuroscience found that pregnancy is associated with changes in specific areas of the brain involved in social understanding and maternal bonding.
Researchers believe these changes may help mothers become more attuned to their baby’s needs, not make them ‘less intelligent.’
Now add to that:
- Sleep deprivation from waking every few hours.
- Physical recovery after delivery or a Caesarean section.
- Hormonal changes.
- Breastfeeding challenges.
- Anxiety about whether the baby is feeding enough, sleeping enough, or growing enough.
- And for some women, postpartum depression or anxiety.
It’s no surprise that many new mothers say they don’t feel like themselves for a while.
That doesn’t mean they’re weak. It means they’ve been through one of the biggest physical and emotional transitions a human body can experience.
So if you have a new mother in your family, don’t just ask to hold the baby.
- Ask if she has eaten.
- Ask if she has slept.
- Ask if she needs an hour to herself.
Sometimes, the greatest gift you can give a newborn is by taking care of the person who brought them into the world.
As doctors, we spend months monitoring the baby’s growth. I hope, as families, we learn to monitor the mother’s well-being with the same care.
Because a healthy baby deserves a healthy mother too.”
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