During pregnancy a number of changes occur in a woman's body. Some of them cause strange sensations and changes. One of them is problems with memory.
Not every pregnant woman experiences similar symptoms, but a number of studies show that similar disturbances are present and there are reasons for them.
A 2007 Australian study analyzed data from 14 other international studies of more than 1,000 women. Scientists have found that memory processes change not only during pregnancy, but also up to a year after birth.
The effect is minimal and affects mostly the new tasks that the mother faces with the baby as opposed to the routine things of everyday life encoded in the memory.
Memory problems can also be due to changes in hormones during pregnancy and after childbirth, sleep difficulties, changes in daily routine caused by pregnancy.
Another 2008 Australian study conducted at the Australian National University found that pregnant women demonstrated unchanged memory and reasoning abilities both before and after pregnancy.
Another long-term study from 2010 published in the British Journal of Psychiatry also confirmed that there was no difference in memory processes in pregnant women, both during and after pregnancy.
The bottom line is that such symptoms are too individual to give a clear answer as to whether pregnancy affects memory. One thing is clear - the myth that pregnant women "go dumb" during the 9 months can be seriously refuted.
