“A child grows in her guts” This is the simplest expression for a woman’s pregnancy. A child cannot grow without compensation and without influence, as it grows by building itself from the woman’s body.
From the very first moments of pregnancy, a woman's body begins to undergo a large number of physiological changes, some of which appear immediately, such as morning sickness and mood swings, and some of them are invisible and affect the brain.
During pregnancy, a woman undergoes modifications in the functional structure of the brain, and pregnancy constitutes a turning point in her life, and this change in the brain is necessary in order to adapt to her new life requirements as a mother.
Brain structure
A team of researchers in the Netherlands and Spain imaged the changes that occur to women during pregnancy through a CT scan (magnetic resonance imaging), and compared them with imaging of the brain before pregnancy and after childbearing, the researchers found the shrinkage of gray matter in the brain, which is represented in radiography of the intertwining tissues and cells With nerves, the women in the experiment continued to lose those cells over the course of two years after birth.
It seems at first glance harmful and frightening, but scientifically the effect is just the opposite, those areas that have shrunk help women to enhance levels of social awareness that helps the mother care for her child, which enables her directly to decipher the mysteries of dealing with the infant and knowing its needs through crying, and more From a willingness to interpret needs through body language, all things that benefit the mother.
These changes may cause women to suffer from some problems with memory, but somehow the body redirects energy and resources in the body to take care of the child.
Hormonal changes caused by pregnancy affect the woman's behavioral skills towards her child later (communication sites)
Things return to normal later
The study confirmed that there are long-term changes in the woman's brain, which is normal due to hormonal changes and biological modifications caused by pregnancy, as most of the lost volume is restored in the absence of pregnancy during that period.
Although the researchers do not expect to achieve results in humans at the same level in rodents, as studies in rodents allow examination through brain anatomy, the conclusion was tended to be that the losses in gray matter gave women the advantage of adaptation.
And in the scientific journal Science, scientists indicated - commenting on the study - that it is not only the first study to show large-scale anatomical changes in the human brain of a pregnant woman, but it goes further by showing that the changes persist for at least two years.
"It opens the door to the possibility that it causes maternal changes to have implications for decision-making and behavior later in life," says Mel Rutherford, an evolutionary psychologist at McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada.
Mood Swings
Quite a few factors contribute to the mood swings of pregnant women and women in general, among them hormones, sleep deprivation and insomnia, all of which are just a few of the many changes that women experience.
Perhaps the biggest mutation that occurs to a woman is during the first days of pregnancy, and she experiences a flood of estrogen and progesterone, and these hormones can activate conflicting feelings, as estrogen works to regulate mood and therefore is associated with anxiety and depression, and progesterone on the other hand helps to feel the muscles and joints and prevents premature contractions (Talc) to maintain and stabilize the pregnancy, and thus any disturbance in its levels, causing a feeling of fatigue, fatigue, stagnation and intense sadness.
Therefore, any sudden rise in both hormones causes a complete collapse of the pregnant woman, the feeling of joy that afflicts some women when they see their stomachs expanding is the same main reason for some of them to panic and not understand what they are about to do, so dealing with women with the image of the ideal body is close and cannot be underestimated. And the extent of its impact on their psychological state.
A woman's experience of motherhood has to do with her exceptional behavioral experience (Getty Images)
Is pregnancy scary news?
Knowledge of the news for a woman’s pregnancy is often associated with being good news, but one out of 5 pregnant women suffer from mental health disorders due to pregnancy between depression and anxiety.
The problem here lies in knowing the reason behind the psychological problems, is it due to hormonal disorders that occur on the background of pregnancy, or because of real pressures and tangible fears that the woman experiences?
But whatever the reason, there are several tips to reduce distress, the most important of which is exercise and getting a balanced diet, because many women go into depression with excessive weight gain due to pregnancy, in addition to getting adequate sleep, according to the Royal College of Psychiatry. In England.
There is no doubt that the experience of motherhood adds to the woman and refines her personality with several motives related to the behavioral and exceptional experience that she is experiencing, and in order for a child to grow in her guts, physiological conditioning must be adapted from the body first, whether the brain is preparing to receive the newborn or the soul needs to be trained on full time without any leave.
All this means that the body is preparing to receive a new life, and that the woman needs support, in exchange for forgetfulness she becomes more equanimous and affectionate and can explain the needs of her child before he speaks, and in any case, studies confirm that all these effects are temporary and the woman quickly regains her balance after two years Gradually.