"My fried brain at the moment" - a digital and artistic delusion by mimitalks, married w/children

 

I would assume that 99.9% of you that read this will say, “YES!” I posted a question about how many of our followers had Mommy Brain, and got a lot of responses! What’s that you say? You put your cell phone in the fridge and the baby bottle in your purse? No problem. This is a normal phenomenon for moms, even while expecting. It will help if we can laugh at ourselves, because it will most likely last for quite a while!There is no doubt that feeling scatterbrained is frustrating, but there is one important thing that we need to remember. Just because we are sometimes forgetful or absent-minded, it does not mean we are less intelligent. Being a mom does not mean we aren’t working, learning, or using our mind. On the contrary, we are using more of our mental capacity for our new role. According to Discovery News, “a woman’s brain changes after giving birth. Parts of the brain that grow are involved in motivation, reward behavior and emotion regulation, which prepare us for our new roles. These are the areas that motivate a mother to take care of her baby, feel rewarded when the baby smiles at her, and fill her with positive emotions from simple interactions with her infant. These brain areas are also involved in planning and foresight, which might help a mother anticipate her infant's needs and be prepared to meet them.” So stress less on what we forget or misplace, and know that we are doing the most important job of all - raising, protecting, and taking care of our greatest resource – our children! Below are some resources that may help alleviate some of the mental fog and make you feel better at the same time. Tips to alleviate sleep deprivation:

• Keep a nighttime routine as much as possible
• Sleep when baby does if possible, for 60-90 minutes (that sounds wonderful, doesn’t it!)
• Co-sleeping may help
• Give partner baby duty once a night if possible
• Go to sleep earlier if possible

According to Parenting Magazine, “New information is solidified in the brain while you sleep, so not getting enough can affect your ability to remember things.” Tips for energy and mental clarity

• Exercise in the morning with your baby (walking, yoga, bicycling)
• Have small amounts of caffeine during the day
• Eat a good diet rich in protein, iron, zinc, vitamin B-12, and folic acid

Tips for stress:

• Realize we can’t always avoid it, but we can manage it
• Exercise
• Take “5” when you can in a quiet place and practice deep breathing
• Sit with your kids and observe them, they will most likely make you smile, laugh, or both!
• Simplify as much as possible
• Try not to multi-task, focus on one thing at a time
• Organize
• Connect with a friend or family member
• Get out as much as possible (maybe a date night with your partner)
• Remember to take care of yourself!

We wish you all the best! ~Sonya   References: http://www.parenting.com/article/mommy-brain?page=0,0 http://news.discovery.com/human/psychology/mommy-brain-maternal-changes.htm http://blogs.babycenter.com/mom_stories/mommy-brain-ill-give-you-mommy-brain/