Page 7 - The First 60 Days Magazine - August 2025
P. 7
Pregnancy Reshapes
the Brain
From: A LinkedIn post by Emily Little, Ph.D.
Pregnancy reshapes the brain. Literally.
Here’s what researchers found with MRI…
During pregnancy:
⇢ Regions of the brain literally shrank.
⇢ Pattern was consistent across mothers.
⇢ The changes lasted for at least two years.
Location matters:
These gray matter reductions weren’t random. They were clustered in regions known for social cognition,
areas involved in understanding emotions, beliefs, and intentions.
The study was prospective and longitudinal:
• 25 first-time mothers
• 20 control women (non-mothers)
• 19 first-time fathers
• 17 male controls
Researchers measured gray matter volume, cortical thickness, surface area, and maternal attachment. They
also ran an fMRI task showing women pictures of their own babies.
Specific results:
⇢ First-time mothers showed consistent gray matter volume loss in regions like the medial prefrontal
cortex, posterior cingulate, and superior temporal sulcus, key hubs of the social brain.
⇢ These changes were so distinct they could classify every mother from the control group with 100%
accuracy.
⇢ No similar changes observed in new dads, ruling out general parenthood as cause.
⇢ The brain areas that shrank during pregnancy were the same regions that lit up when mothers viewed
their own baby’s face.
⇢ The more the brain changed, the stronger the mother’s reported attachment, and the lower her hostility,
on validated postpartum measures.
⇢ Most of these brain changes persisted two years after birth.
“Mommy brain” gets a bad reputation.
But this neuroplasticity indicates preparation, adaptation, and transformation. Not weakness.
To access the post and the great corresponding graphics, and also follow
Emily Little, Ph.D., click on the QR code above.
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