Many New Mums Suffer from Mumnesia

The mental fuzziness and memory lapses, which can set in shortly after having a baby, are symptoms of the condition mumnesia. Many new mums suffer from mumnesia in the days, weeks or even months following their baby’s birth. The condition even stretches to forgetting many details about the labour and birth. Details and negative memories began to slowly slip away. Some say if it wasn’t for this mumnesia many women would not go on to have a second baby. But as well as an almost anesthesia effect of the brain regarding the birth, many women do find after childbirth they are a little more sluggish in the memory department. Hormones can be partially blamed for mumnesia, and lack of sleep too. Women have incredibly high oestrogen levels in late pregnancy which drop right down after delivery. This hormone is known to act as a neurotransmitter, sending signals in the brain, so a sudden drop in levels is bound to have an effect. Breastfeeding can also add to the overall effects as it circulates hormones to help mothers relax and promote a mellow, unfocused feeling of wellbeing. Another explanation is that as a new mum a woman is gathering so much new information, and is so obsessed with simply keeping their baby alive and well fed that it fuddles the brain. It’s as though the new mum’s brain is geared to being super vigilant and in-tune with their baby, recognising her cries, if something is wrong or she is unwell. Other, unnecessary brain functions take a back seat for a while. This mumnesia can last up to a year, although most women start to get back to normal as soon as they establish a good routine and their baby allows them to get more sleep. In a few cases mumnesia can be dangerous, for example when a mum forgets to strap her baby in securely in a car seat or accidentally leaves the baby in the car and takes her shopping in the house. Some cases have tragically hit the headlines. Like the American mum of four who left her baby in her car mistakenly thinking she’d dropped him at the day care centre. That case ended in tragedy as the five month old baby died in the searing heat. But some experts say mumnesia may actually give mums an evolutionary advantage as it turns women into someone whose whole existence is to serve and protect her infant ensuring the continuation of our species. Other parts of her brain that usually work at high speed are almost taken offline while this important task is undertaken. The good news for mumnesia sufferers is that once a woman’s brain gets readjusted, they tend to get more efficient. They become smarter, learn things faster and become masters at multi-tasking able to cope with all the new toddler and child-related tasks ahead.