Pregnancy Brain: The only myth is that it does't exist!

That's it- after today, I felt the need to have a whole post dedicated to nothing but Pregnancy Brain. Having experienced it three seperate times today alone, I am throwing my hands up in frustration and have realized there is nothing I can do- I have contracted the terrible thing called preggo brain.  Best described as living in a constant fog (and feeling like a total ditzo!) So what happened today that has pushed me over the edge and prompted me to dedicate an entire post to this topic?  For starters, I forgot about a very important commitment that i had made last week for work today and didn't even remember it.  Then, I forgot where I was driving to this morning (I was supposed to be going to work) and ended up at the Target parking lot before I realized I had completely no idea how I had gotten there (seriously no clue!)  Lastly, i completly forgot about a 12 page paper due tonight in my ECE class- and have spent the last 3 hours trying to put it together. (Notice now I am blogging instead of writing my paper...)   My husband thought it wasn't real when I first got pregnant, but there is no denying it now.  Pregnancy brain is real, and might be the worst side effect of being knocked up so far..  so this is my fair WARNING, and information for those of you that are or want to be preggo in the future.

• Some other names for Pregnancy Brain are:
  
• baby brain
• mommy brain
• pregnancy amnesia
• momnesia

Pregnancy Brain — What It Is

Pregnancy-induced brain fog, a true (and truly frustrating) hallmark of pregnancy. You may forget appointments, what you just walked into the store for, where you left your purse, whether you turned off the stove — and maybe, your phone number. 

Pregnancy Brain — What Causes It

As usual in pregnancy, it's just your pregnancy hormones having some fun, this time at the expense of your memory. And believe it or not, your brain-cell volume actually decreases during the 3rd trimester (which could explain why you can't remember what you just read about in that last paragraph). Not to worry, your brain will plump back up a few months after delivery. 

Pregnancy Brain — What You Need to Know

First of all, pregnancy forgetfulness is completely normal — and extremely common. It's also temporary — you'll have total recall again long before you start to have your "senior moments." And try not to be too hard on yourself, as stress will only cloud your pregnancy brain even more.

Pregnancy Brain — What You Can (and Can't) Do About Forgetfulness During Pregnancy

• Write it down. If you really need to remember something — an appointment or to take your prenantal for example — leave a big note in an obvious place. You might also stash a notepad and pen in easy-to-remember spots like your purse, your car, and your bathroom.
• Turn high tech — using your Blackberry, laptop, or other electronic organizer to help keep you, well, organized and less forgetful. 
• Reduce the number of things you need to remember — cut down on what you're responsible for by delegating some jobs to others. Easier said than done, but worth a go. (You'll forget about the less important stuff, anyway.) 
• Have a sense of humor about this airhead stage and encourage your partner to do the same. Who cares if you left the car keys in the refrigerator? 
• Forget about taking the herbal supplement gingko biloba. This "memory-booster" has not been proven safe for use during pregnancy. 
• Expect the haze to hang in during the first weeks after you give birth..