Most of us are quite familiar with "baby brain", a term that's often used to describe a mom's or soon-to-be-mom's tendency to have a fuzzy memory. But a new study suggests that not only may baby brain be a myth, but also that motherhood may actually boost women's memories and make them smarter. No longer can we moms claim our bad memories are the result of having had a baby!
MSNBC reported on the surprising study, which looked at the memory skills of new mothers versus women who had never been pregnant. Researchers claimed that women who had recently had children could recall information about their surroundings better than childless women. The study was small and the women who participated were comprised of one ethnic group, all around the same age. Still, the mothers displayed stronger visuospatial memory skills than expected.
Many moms won't find these results that surprising. After all, motherhood forces you to become detail-oriented in a way you never had to be before. You can't exactly forget to pack baby's diapers or a spare outfit when you leave the house. That's why it's not really that shocking that the moms in this study could recall and replicate specific symbols on a piece of paper they were shown for ten seconds better than non-mothers.
Researchers posited that the biological reason behind moms having stronger memories is so they can survey the surrounding environment for hazards to their children. Indeed, most moms can enter a room and identify a coin on the floor 15 feet away. They see that the electrical outlets aren't safety-proofed and that a cord from a window blind is hanging down within their baby's reach.
In other words, we moms may misplace our keys or accidentally put out cell phones in the fridge. But when it comes to the important stuff like keeping our kids safe, we may have an advantage.
Do you think baby brain is a myth or have you seen improvements in your memory since becoming a mom? Tell us below in the comments section!
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