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Baby brain is real! Scientists reveal the surprising ways pregnancy transforms your grey matter

Baby brain is real! Scientists reveal the surprising ways pregnancy transforms your grey matter

Research reveals dramatic brain changes occur in pregnancy to prepare women for motherhood. From memory lapses to stronger bonding, here’s what science now knows about baby brain.

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Hollie Bond
, Ruairidh Pritchard

Published: March 4, 2026 at 9:53 AM

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If you've ever walked into a room and forgotten why, or randomly cried at an advert during pregnancy, science says there’s a powerful reason why.

In an exclusive report, the BBC was given access to researchers behind the groundbreaking Be Mother project — one of the most detailed investigations yet into how pregnancy reshapes the brain.

The study found that pregnancy triggers significant structural and functional brain changes, particularly in areas linked to emotion, empathy, and social understanding. Far from being a myth, “pregnancy brain” appears to be a biologically programmed transformation designed to prepare women for motherhood.

Researchers say these changes may help mums become more attuned to their baby’s needs — but they could also help explain why some women are more vulnerable to conditions such as postnatal depression.

The findings add powerful new evidence to what many mums already know: pregnancy doesn’t just change your body — it changes your brain.

What happens to the brain during pregnancy?

The groundbreaking study from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) found that pregnancy physically changes a staggering 94% of a mother’s brain.

Researchers tracked 127 women before conception, during pregnancy and postpartum using MRI scans — the largest neuroimaging study of pregnancy to date.

They found reductions of up to 4.9% in grey matter volume, particularly in areas linked to social cognition and emotional regulation. While that might sound alarming, scientists say these adaptations likely help mothers respond instinctively to their baby’s cues.

To separate pregnancy itself from the general experience of becoming a parent, the study also included non-gestational mothers whose partners were pregnant. The results showed the brain changes were primarily biological — not simply caused by sleep deprivation or new responsibilities.

Another detailed 2024 study from the University of California mapped one woman’s brain across 26 scans from pre-conception to two years postpartum. It revealed a 4% reduction in grey matter across nearly 80% of brain regions, alongside temporary increases in white matter — a pattern researchers compared to the brain changes seen during puberty.

Together, these studies — including insights emerging from the Be Mother project — are helping scientists explore possible links between brain changes, bonding, postnatal depression and even pregnancy complications such as pre-eclampsia.

The role of hormones in baby brain

The Barcelona research found that the brain changes observed closely follow fluctuations in pregnancy hormones, particularly two forms of oestrogen—estriol-3-sulfate and estrone-sulfate.

These hormones rise dramatically during pregnancy and drop postpartum, mirroring the structural changes in the brain.

Interestingly, the study found that women who experienced greater recovery of grey matter postpartum also reported a stronger emotional bond with their baby at six months.

This suggests that these brain changes are an important part of the transition to motherhood.

So, can mothers blame baby brain for their forgetfulness?

Frustrated mother failing her responsibilities due to bad memory

Yes! While “pregnancy brain” – or mumnesia as some people call it – is often associated with forgetfulness or brain fog, this research shows that pregnancy genuinely rewires the brain.

Instead of being a sign of cognitive decline, these changes are likely an evolutionary advantage – helping mothers tune in to their baby’s needs and emotions.

But what does this mean for maternal mental health?

By mapping out these changes, scientists hope to gain a better understanding of how pregnancy impacts maternal mental health.

Future research could explore whether differences in brain recovery postpartum play a role in conditions like postnatal depression, potentially leading to better support and treatments for new mums.

Pregnancy doesn’t just change your body – it changes your brain, too. And now, science confirms that pregnancy brain is very, very real.

What does baby brain feel like for mums?

A brain changing by 94% sounds seriously dramatic, but before you worry that you’re going to change personality or lose all your faculties, in real life it’s not quite as extreme. We asked real mums in our MadeForMums Club what their experiences of baby brain were and unearthed some hilarious, but all too familiar anecdotes...

One of the most common stories involved wrong items ending up in the fridge. “I put the TV remote in the fridge,” says mum Joanna Hellowell, and “I put my phone and keys in the fridge” says Tatty Normford.

I remember crying because I couldn’t remember if my surname was Edward or Edwards.

New mum Angharad Edwards

Forgetting your age and name is also a common symptom of baby brain: “I couldn't remember how old I was when someone asked and even struggled to do the calculations to work it out,” says Katie Tallulah. “I also found myself saying multiple names before getting to the right name with the children in the family. I basically turned into my grandma!”

Amy Brooks had a similar experience: “I forgot that I had changed my name and spent weeks not doing actions assigned to me at work because I didn’t realise I was ‘AB’.”

“I remember crying because I couldn’t remember if my surname was Edward or Edwards” says Angharad Edwards.

Being at a loss for words is another classic sign you’ve got mum brain: “I can never find the right words for things, I'm forgetful and it feels like my mouth can't keep up with my brain,” says Sherren Amy Wels.

“I would keep saying the opposite or just completely wrong word to what I meant – it was a nightmare at work” agrees Simrit Ghatorae.

And good luck trying to hold down a full conversation if you’re in the thick of pregnancy brain: “The worst part for me is that sometimes I’m in the middle of a conversation and I go blank and forget what I was talking about or was about to say!” says Andrea Dunkley Cepeda.

I drove home to my house. Shame it was the one I lived in five years ago!

New mum Philippa Jane

Some mums even found themselves in strange places or in embarrassing outfits without realising it:

“I got lost in a car park,” says Gemma Paterson. “I walked around for ages searching for my car which I'd parked on level five. I eventually worked out that I'd actually parked on level three and was looking at the 5mph speed limit signs!”

For Philippa Jane the issue wasn’t finding her car, but her house: “I drove home to my house. Shame it was the one I lived in five years ago!”

And spare a thought for mum Katie Morrison: “I took my baby swimming for the first time at around three months. When I got out to get changed, I realised I was still wearing my big stretchy grey nursing bra under my swimming costume, and it was very, very visible!”

So next time you can’t find your keys and they’re inexplicably in the fridge, or your doctor asks what your name is and you have no idea, don’t panic – it’s just that 94% of your brain has changed. Two years post birth, you should be back to normal… until perimenopause hits, that is – but that’s another story!

Authors

journalist and two young kids sat on a bench in France for a review of Eurocamp

Hollie BondSenior Digital Journalist

Hollie is Senior Digital Journalist at MadeForMums. She writes articles about pregnancy, parenting, child health and getting pregnant. She has written for a number of national lifestyle magazines and websites over the past 12 years including Family History Monthly, You and Your Wedding and Muddy Stilettos. She has two children aged 5 and 8 and hasn't slept since 2017!

Ruairidh PritchardDigital Growth Lead

Ruairidh is the Digital Lead on MadeForMums. He works with a team of fantastically talented content creators and subject-matter experts on MadeForMums.