Is "mommy brain" a self-fulfilling prophecy? If I hadn't heard that motherhood would affect my memory and intellect, would I notice any difference? True, my vocabulary isn't as rich as it used to be. I've found myself searching for the right word or phrase and just giving up and using something adequate, if not the most appropo. But maybe that's just because I haven't slept for more than five straight hours since December 10.
Maybe it's an indirect result of motherhood. If I had a nanny to wake up with the baby during the night and I had been sleeping a full eight hours, perhaps I wouldn't find those words so elusive. So, rather than a physiological reaction to childbirth, it's a circumstantial reaction.
Maybe it's because I'm distracted by the constant aching and tenderness in my breasts from nursing. If I fed the baby formula, perhaps I could write an eloquent speech or engage in some devastating repartee.
Maybe it's because I've started referring to myself in the third person, because babies don't understand pronouns (or so I've read; who knows what babies understand?). Or because my life is divided into two hour chunks of feeding, wiping up spit-up, changing diapers, and finding out if it's going to be a good day (naps) or a good night (playtime!). Could it be because it takes me the whole day to finish two cups of coffee, or because I count myself lucky when I get a chance to brush my teeth or go to the bathroom? (Thanks to the nap fairies for this short time to write.)
Whatever the cause of "mommy brain," I'm trying to combat it by doing crossword puzzles while I pump breast milk in the evenings. It used to be my anti-Alzheimer's exercise, but mental deterioration ...
(Sorry,I had to stop because typing the words "pump breast milk" made my breasts start leaking through my shirt.)
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
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