Thursday, December 22, 2005

Explanation for Pregnancy Brain

I was reading a book on water birth last night and it explained the reason pregnant women often feel spaced out and forget things. I always knew it had to do with hormones, but was unsure why. A very simple explanation is that our brain is divded into 2 parts, the thinking part of the brain and the emotional part of the brain. It is the emotional part of the brain which releases hormones essential for your baby's development. The only way for your brain to release these hormones is to shut off the thinking part of the brain, thus we feel a little retarded from time to time.

This is also true during labour as your body needs to dump all sorts of hormones to help the uterus contract. I have heard of "Labour Land" the place that women retreat to in labour - this is because the thinking brain has taken a backseat for a while. It is extremly important during labour to feel relaxed and comfortable in your surroundings so you don't have to use the thinking part of your brain as it will release endorphins and adreniline which can block the hormones and cause labour to slow down. Once you are fully dilated your thinking brain will kick in, block your emotional brain from dumping hormones and release all those endorphins and adreniline so you will feel the urge to push. After the baby is born once again your thinking brain takes a backset and large amounts of the hormone Oxytocin are dumped causing you to fall madly in love with your little bambino and at the same time helps you to birth the placenta.

I love our bodies! It is just so cool that it just knows how to do all that!

Another cool thing my body can do - inspired by Corrine and Cathy, I gently squeezed my right nipple last night in the bath and low and behold, a little drop of milk came out!!!! Holy shit I really am going to feed my baby thru my own boobies!!! Oh I can feel the love hormones flowing freely now...

7 Comments:

Blogger Corinne said...

hahahaha... Totally awesome!!! Very much like a zit eh?! *grin* But that's awesome about all the horomones!! Explains a lot too...

December 22, 2005 12:05 PM  
Blogger Isabel said...

Our bodies are very interesting, aren't they? It's like they were just *made* to have babies!!

I am not too sure about this whole "liquid coming out of my boobies" thing...but maybe I will be once it happens. I guess I have a few more weeks.

Happy Holidays!

December 22, 2005 12:14 PM  
Blogger Anth said...

That is so interesting about the endorphins and hormones during pregnancy and labor. I've only had a couple of "pregnancy moments" so far, but it's such a weird feeling to not have my brain function correctly at all times! I don't particularly like feeling ditzy!
Do you have any books on pregnancy & labor that you recommend? I am looking for something more specific/scientific than books that tell you "Your boobs will grow! You might have morning sickness and heartburn!" Blah blah, those don't help.

December 22, 2005 1:36 PM  
Blogger Heather said...

i love it!!! what a great post with so much information. our bodies really are miracles. lovely. to the previous poster. you must read Birthing From Within. A fabulous book. better than most i have read and being a doula i have read LOTS!
thanks again for this beautiful post!

December 22, 2005 4:47 PM  
Blogger sarahlocks said...

Hey Reesh & Dev,

I love reading all about the baby in progress. Just dropping by the blog to wish you a fab Christmas, and just think next year, there will be a fast growing little kiddy playing with empty boxes & wrapping paper! You'll have to drop me your new address (not that I have your Vancouver one - id just send it to 2080!),

Ho, ho, ho,

love sarah

December 24, 2005 2:30 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

You might want to be careful about the milk thing -- I've heard that when pregnant women get as close as we are, that kind of nipple stim can induce labor.

December 26, 2005 7:59 AM  
Blogger Cathy said...

So interesting!! I did NOT know that our hormones/endorphins worked with our brain that way! It does explain a lot, though...and the fact that our bodies just know what to do is completely amazing, too!

December 26, 2005 7:03 PM  

Post a Comment

<< Home