Pregnancy Alters Woman's Brains 'For At Least Two Years' (bbc.com)

EzInKy writes: The BBC and others are reporting the results of a study that women's brains do in fact change during pregnancy. BBC reports: "Pregnancy reduces grey matter in specific parts of a woman's brain, helping her bond with her baby and prepare for the demands of motherhood. Scans of 25 first-time mums showed these structural brain changes lasted for at least two years after giving birth. European researchers said the scale of brain changes during pregnancy were akin to those seen during adolescence. But they found no evidence of women's memory deteriorating. This study, from researchers at the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona and Leiden University and published in Nature Neuroscience, looked at the brain scans of women before they became pregnant, soon after they gave birth, and two years later, to see how the brain changed. And they compared these women's brains with those of 19 first-time fathers, 17 men without children and 20 women who had never given birth. The researchers found 'substantial' reductions in the volume of grey matter in the brains of first-time mothers. The grey matter changes occurred in areas of the brain involved in social interactions used for attributing thoughts and feelings to other people -- known as 'theory-of-mind' tasks. The researchers thought this would give new mothers an advantage in various ways - help them recognize the needs of their child, be more aware of potential social threats and become more attached to their baby." Thanks Mom! As for first-time fathers, the researchers found no changes in their grey matter.

Comments

Oh well...

[x0ra]

So much for the feminazis out there claiming that there is no difference between a male and female brain, and that what constitute gender is nothing but a social construct.

Re:Oh well...

[x0ra]

If there was no feminazi, Brianna Wu, Anita Sarkeesian, Zoë Quinn, or even freebsdgirl wouldn't spur their venom trying to forbid the games I have fun to play with.

Re:Oh well...

[Ol Olsoc]

Does that mean the male brain is superior, being an evolved version of the female brain with more bits acting in concert to handle more-demanding intellectual problems; or that it is inferior, being a hobbled version with bits weakened and disconnected so as to interfere with cognition?

Trigger warning - I'm replying about the story instead of the predictable direction the comments went.

It isn't a matter of superior or inferior. A pregnant woman goes through a fair number of biological adjustments, and it isn't too surprising that some of them are in the brain. And a lot of men can attest to their wife becoming a rather different person after childbirth. While this may or may not present a problem for the male isn't totally relevant, as the changes are related to survival of the child on the mother's part.

I suspect that these changes are more permanent than lasting only a couple years.

But as to being superior or inferior, it isn't that. This goes a long way toward explaining some personality changes, and might even be tied into the unfortunate post-partum depression that affects some women.

Mental superiority by gender is one of those ridiculous concepts just like racial superiority by some IQ test. Because even if it were somehow true, nothing could ever be determined about any individual's intelligence by looking at them and judging the intelligence by the person being male or female, light or dark skinned.

And I don't even know how to address the weird transgender bender the discussion went on, so I'll leave it at that.

Re:Oh well...

[BarbaraHudson]

They're attention-whoring profit-seeking trolls, not feminazis. If it weren't feminism, it would be something else. Most people recognize that their brand of feminism is toxic. There's a huge difference between wanting ot be treated as equals and making a career out of dumping on men. You can include Germaine Greer in that latter group - a feminist well past her best before date stuck in an alternate future.

Baby brain

[RobinH]

All the moms around here call it "baby brain." The memory thing that most moms (and dads) experience just has to be sleep deprivation. When I did basic training they cut us back to 5 hours of sleep a night for weeks, but that was to show us that we could still function on that little sleep. When I became a father, I was getting two sessions of about 2 to 2.5 hours of sleep per night, for months. The latter was definitely much worse and affects everything - mood, work, and relationships. The mom also has (a) many more social pressures to be the "perfect" mom - (thanks Facebook), (b) tons of weird hormone changes going on, (c) physical trauma from the birth, (d) a weird combination of stress and mind numbing boredom, and (e) whatever this "baby brain" thing is. It absolutely sucks for her (and sometimes seems to manifest as anger), so she's going to take all that shit out on someone, and as the father you're the only one that's handy, so you get to grin and bear it. Over the course of several years things do improve a lot. It never goes back to the way things were though - sometimes too many things get said, too much animosity and frustration build up. People can hold grudges for a long time.

Nobody can really be prepared for being a parent. Even if you're told all the stuff to expect, it doesn't sink in until you're actually in the situation, and at that point there's nothing you can do but take a deep breath and do your best.

Re:Baby brain

[Kokuyo]

Once again very late to this party but as a father of 2.5 year old twins who also had a major case of ulcerative colitis right when they were born I can only totally agree with you.

I'd say the lack of sleep isn't even the major problem. You still function. However, the constant attention you pay them. Every little sound you hear. You never wind down. Your brain rests even less than your body.

And when they scream in tandem or take shifts (and I am unable to decide which is worse!), your mental walls, your ability to restrain your emotions and function is severely tested.
But worst of all? Children mirror you! Meaning you can't even distance yourself and go into zombie mode because that will really unhinge them and scream in a futile attempt to get their caregivers back instead of having zombies.

It's a very vicious cycle. The only thing that saved as was honest conversation and admitting that we were in way over our heads, our fears and yes, even the regular fantasies of repeatedly throwing the kids against the nearest wall.

Explaining raising children to childless people (and making them understand) is like explaining colors to a person born blind. It cannot be done.

We had expected the work. It didn't faze us. We had expected the dirt, broken things and such. We were unprepared for the emotional, psychological warfare going on. Some of the shit parent sgo through is what makes Amnesty criticize Guantanamo! Only we chose this for ourselves! Can you imagine the regret?

And the dichotomy.... Dude, the dichotomy kills you. While I would have gladly taken the opportunity a year ago to be transported back in time, before we had kids, not remember a thing but with the guarantee that we'd decide on not having them in the first place, I would have taken it in an instant. In contrast, had someone offered to just take them away so we could have our freedom back, I would have declined.

As strange as it sounds, that is what being parents is all about. You ask yourself why you were ever stupid enough to do this thing but just stopping isn't an option either.

One thing that has changed in a remarkable way is how I look at parents who break and do something drastic. A few months back a woman threw her kids out of a window from the tsecond or third floor. Kids survived without permanent damage.
Before I had kids, I would have condemned the behaviour to the utmost. Now I just pity the parents. They were in a war for their sanity and lost a major battle. The moment they get a chance to reflect on it, I can only imagine the guilt and pain they must feel from the realization what they have done.

A lot of people could do better as parents. However fuck me if it ain't the hardest job with the least possibility to prepare yourself for that I have ever encountered...

Re:It explains the time dilation

[Anonymous Coward]

Yea, no those things have to eat every hour when they first come out and freak out when mom isn't around. The only way they get any normalcy back is through a great support structure, which comes from having a partner that doesn't make the kind of dumbass assumptions mentioned here..

Re:Marxist BRAINFUCK

[Maritz]

The worst thing about being white is I have to share my "race" with dopey cunts like you.