By Luke Voogt
A Deakin University study showing ‘baby brain’ is real comes as no surprise to soon-to-be mother-of-two Sarah-Jane Hildreband.
“Only yesterday I forgot my two-year-old’s maternal nurse appointment,” the 28-year-old from Curlewis said.
“Mainly with me I forget words that you would use every day – silly words like car. I’m like, ‘What’s that word I’m thinking of?’
“It’s quite frustrating, I’m normally never like that.”
Deakin University this week released an analysis of 20 studies examining 1230 women, which showed significantly lower concentration and memory during pregnancy.
Sarah-Jane had heard plenty of baby brain stories from family and friends before she fell pregnant.
“Prior to that I just thought it was an excuse to be a bit silly when they were pregnant,” she said.
But her first pregnancy smashed her doubts.
“You’re a bit all over the shop,” she said.
“I felt scattered all the time.”
Sarah-Jane was due to give birth in March and was in her third trimester, a time when baby brain was at its worst, according to Deakin.
She said her first and third trimesters were the most mentally challenging, which she attributed to “an influx of hormones” and exhaustion respectively.
The third trimester of her second pregnancy affected her most, with daughter Millie barely giving Sarah-Jane a chance to put her feet up.
“I’ve been running around after a two year old,” she said.
