Baby Brain: The surprising neuroscience of how pregnancy and motherhood sculpt our brains and change our minds

by Dr Sarah McKay

If you think baby brain is bad for you, think again - because neuroscientist Dr Sarah McKay (author of The Women's Brain Book) has looked at studies and talked to experts from all over the world and the proof is giving birth is one of the best things to ever happen to a woman's brain.

Moreover, the positive effects of baby brain last well beyond the baby stage - even into old age, with elderly mothers' brains showing resilience to ageing. Plus, the benefits of baby brain show up for non-birth parents - even fatherhood has a profound effect on the hormones and brains of men.

This fascinating book weaves together baby brain research and interviews with neuroscientists and women's health specialists - many of whom are mothers - with personal experiences from parents concerning baby brain, nesting, maternal instinct, social support, anxiety and sleep. In each aspect the conclusion is having a baby improves a mother's memory, and makes her smarter and more empathetic, intuitive and socially savvy.

Baby Brain contains the ultimate good-news story about mothers' brains, backed up by scientific research from leading experts and presented in highly readable bite-sized sections by one of Australia's leading science communicators.

Genres: Nonfiction, Parenting

304 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 26, 2023

Reviews

[Tamara Robson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Loved the concept but it got repetitive very fast. This book could’ve been an article.

[Mehreen · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF after a couple of chapters because got a bit dull with all the studies, although still an important topic to be discussed.

[Mohadese · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book starts with fascinating information and experimental results and after that it repeats all the results which makes it really boring and honestly a waste of time. The other drawback is that most of the researches it talks about are the researches that have been done inside Australia and I would be happier to see the observations and results of researches from all over the world. In the end, I recommend reading the first 4-5 chapters and then start researching the interesting topics separately.

[N · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating.

Especially the study about the synchronization between maternal and baby brain during heel prick test. I - what felt like irrationally- cried during the test as the student midwife struggled to draw blood. Only to be told coldly by the midwife, "you'll get used to hearing your baby cry". Lmfao.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written and filled with great neuroscience research, Dr Sarah McKay has presented the issue of ‘Baby brain’ with facts but also with warm anecdotes of her own experience as a mother, as well as other women and their stories.

I found this book compelling and highly recommended reading in third trimester or after the 6 week postnatal bubble.

[Isabella · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fascinating read! Having just had my first baby I was so intrigued to read about how the brain changes during pregnancy and motherhood. I especially loved the section on matrescence and prescribing sleep for new mothers. Such important topics

[Monika]

DNF at 21 %

As someone more interested in social sciences and cultural theories, I'm just not the right audience for this book.

[Mickayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything about this was excellent and I'm so glad I read it, not even just for the understanding of the pregnancy / post partum brain changes but all the little tidbits in between.

[Nicki Krenzien · Rating 2 out of 5]

Preachy and repetitive after the halfway point. Solid neuroscience at the beginning.