Mommy Brain: Myth or Reality?

Posted on January 17, 2012 by FoBaM-Jamie

My daughter has a birthday this week. As of this Wednesday, I will have been doing this motherhood thing for eight years (nine, if you count the being pregnant part). I can hardly believe that I’ve got nearly a decade under my belt and I still don’t know what I’m doing.

As I careen towards this latest milestone, I find myself reflecting on how being a mom has changed me – specifically in terms of whether it has made me brainier … or not.  “Mommy brain” is something we’ve all dealt with. It’s what makes you put the milk away in the pantry instead of the fridge, leave your coffee on the roof of the car, and occasionally forget the names of your children. Mommy brain is the result of mixing enormous amounts of work and responsibility with equal parts stress and sleep deprivation. It’s a powerful combination that can definitely leave you feeling like you’ve lost a few brain cells.

But, could motherhood also make you smarter? A ten-year study done at the Australian National University in Canberra concludes that there’s no such thing as “mommy brain.” In fact, their data provides evidence that pregnancy and motherhood actually boost a woman’s brain capacity and performance. As one observer said of life as a mom, “When you have small to medium-sized children, your faculties adjust so you can deal with five unexpected, stressful things all at the same time.” She’s not kidding. I only have one child and I definitely had to learn how to handle all kinds of things – at the same time, with no training, and without any sleep.

Even now that my daughter is more grown up, I’m on the fence about whether motherhood handicaps my intellect, or gives it super powers. Some days I feel like the endless routine of my days sucks the brain cells right out of my head, leaving me capable of little more than plopping myself in front of the TV to watch America Idol. Other days, I know that the opportunity to see the world through my daughter’s eyes is giving me a whole new perspective that is broadening my intellectual horizons. I know that being someone’s mom inspires me to do things I might not otherwise have attempted – like starting my own business, singing on stage, and learning trapeze. I know that juggling responsibilities, learning new mommy skills, and adapting on-the-fly is teaching me how to think on my feet.

I think mommy brain exists, but I think it’s an intermittent and temporary condition that afflicts us when we’ve pushed ourselves just a bit too far … when we burn the candle at both ends and stick an extra wick in the middle just for fun. Most of the time, I think motherhood makes us not only smarter, but also wiser. After all, how else would we manage to keep up with our kids and keep our sense of humor?

What do you think? Mommy brain – brain suck, or brain boost?

Image Credit: avlxyz

If You Give a MOM a Minute …

Posted on September 14, 2010 by FoBaM-Meredith

My kids love the popular book series by author Laura Numeroff and illustrator Felicia Bond that started with If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.  The mouse, the moose the cat, and the pig are all cute and quirky animals who are easily distracted by the task at hand.  Eventually, a few pages and a circuitous route later, they wind up back where they started.   For busy moms, it’s a familiar story.

I opened up my laptop to write a blog post, but a couple of unpaid bills amidst the piles on the kitchen counter caught my eye.  Might as well hop online, do some quick banking, and get rid of the clutter.  But, an email from Banana Republic for 40% off and free shipping pinged my inbox.

Well, I’ve been meaning to replace my favorite, yet well-worn pair of black pants, but haven’t wanted spend full price.  Perfect, I’d order the pants at a discount while it’s fresh in my mind.

Of course, I couldn’t quite remember the size and style, so I left my desk and went to my closet to look for the pants.  Wow, was my closet a mess! So I started pulling clothes off their hangers and doing a little reorganizing.  Half an hour later, I had a pile of items to donate and a lot of empty wire hangers on the rod.
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