Mommy Brain with Dr. Jodi Pawluski

Maybe this has happened to you, you’re late in your pregnancy (or you just had a baby), you walk into a room and think, why did I even come in here? Or possibly you’ve walked out the door with...

Nov 23, 2022 - 21:02

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Maybe this has happened to you, you’re late in your pregnancy (or you just had a baby), you walk into a room and think, why did I even come in here? Or possibly you’ve walked out the door with two different shoes on (no, not the left and right but different pairs of shoes). Instances like this are often attributed to “Mommy Brain”. No, you haven’ lost intelligence, but yes there can be a little forgetfulness. However Mommy Brain is actually a super power! Instead of thinking about it in the negative, let’s look at some of the amazing things Mommy Brain can do.

To learn about our superpowers, I’ve brought Dr. Jodi Pawluski a behavioral neuroscientist and therapist onto Yoga| Birth| Babies today. Jodi and I have a really great conversation about what’s happening with the brain late in pregnancy, after baby, the environment that we’re dealing with, the chaos, as well as the impact of having a baby and parenting decades later. Once a parent, always a parent. I think you’re really going to enjoy this conversation.

In this episode you will learn:

Learn about Jodi and what led her to focus on neuroscience and motherhood. What “mommy brain” is and how it can impact the new parent. Specific changes a person may experience. How knowing about Mommy Brain in advance may help with the transition into parenthood. How the environment of living with a new baby impacts the memory of a new parent. How the brain gets rewired to feel the pull to care for the new baby and continue the motivation to continue to care for that child even decades after birth. How having a baby affects the brain of an adopted parent, partner or dad. The positive side of Mommy Brain. The permanent brain changes of parenthood. One final tip/piece of advice Jodi would like to offer new or expectant parents. Where you can find Jodi’s work.

About Jodi:

Dr Jodi Pawluski (she/her) is a neuroscientist, psychotherapist and author. She
received her MA in Psychology from the University of Toronto, a PhD in Neuroscience from the
University of British Columbia and a Habilitation Degree (HDR) in Life Sciences from the
University of Rennes 1. She is a member of the Canadian Professional Counsellors Association,
an international coordinator for Postpartum Support International and a perinatal counsellor on
the Tinto App.
For nearly 20 years her research has focused on the neuroscience of motherhood and the
effects of maternal mental illness and antidepressant medications on mother and offspring. She
regularly speaks nationally and internationally about her research findings, as well as the
fascinating effects of parenting on the brain. Dr Pawluski is passionate about increasing our
understanding of the amazing things our brains do when we parent and is an advocate for
improving perinatal mental health. You can find her talking more about the neuroscience of
parenthood with other leading researchers in the field on her podcast Mommy Brain Revisited.
Also check out her book Mommy Brain (Larousse) available in French but coming in other
languages soon. For more see www.jodipawluski.com .

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