You walk into a room and stop short, unable to remember what you came in for.
You type a message to a colleague, delete it, then type it again. Sentences that used to come easily now take ages to put together. In the evening, your husband asks what to eat tomorrow, and the question feels as heavy as a major decision.
Many mothers put up with this quietly and tell themselves they have "gone dull" since giving birth. In fact, this state has a proper name and a clear physiological mechanism, and you can recover from it.
What postpartum brain fog looks like
Postpartum brain fog is the name for a temporary decline in thinking skills after giving birth. Short-term memory is poor, thinking is slow, it is hard to concentrate, any decision feels overwhelming, and sometimes the right word is hard to find. The brain is not permanently damaged.
Estrogen, allopregnanolone and broken sleep
The first cause is estrogen. Throughout pregnancy, the placenta keeps estrogen at very high levels, and that source is gone as soon as the placenta is delivered. Estrogen helps regulate blood flow to the brain, neurotransmitters such as acetylcholine, serotonin and dopamine, and the flexibility of connections in the hippocampus. When it drops suddenly, short-term memory is affected most clearly.
Allopregnanolone also falls sharply after birth. It is made from progesterone, acts on GABA-A receptors and helps the nervous system calm down. Without it, a mother is more easily restless and emotional, and her mind has a hard time settling.
Then there is sleep. Waking every two to three hours, you lose deep sleep and dreaming sleep, which is when the brain sorts out the day’s memories.
Waiting a few months for it to pass is too long for a working mother
It is true that in most cases it eases over a few months. But for a mother who is back at work, with meetings during the day and a baby to care for at home, a few months is a very long time.
Many women also carry loads beyond hormones and lack of sleep. Some are low in iron after blood loss. Some breathe shallowly and tense their shoulders all day from carrying the baby, and some live with long-term stress they have not yet put a name to. Any of these can make the fog thicker.
Neck, shoulders and breathing while caring for a young baby
Breastfeeding, carrying the baby and dozing off beside them keep the neck, jaw and shoulders tense almost all day. Shallow chest breathing, with little use of the diaphragm, keeps the nervous system on alert. These things do not directly cause brain fog, but they make it harder for the body to recover.
Taking your history and muscle testing after birth
First we ask in detail about the birth, how much blood was lost, sleep, eating and breastfeeding.
Then we use Applied Kinesiology muscle testing, checking one at a time each thing that may be making your fog thicker: a tense area, chest breathing, a group of nutrients. Whatever makes the muscle respond differently is a place where your body is carrying a load.
Based on the results, we work on the neck and shoulder area and the diaphragm. When appropriate, traditional medicine may be added, chosen to suit your constitution and with the fact that you are breastfeeding in mind.
When to see a specialist
If forgetfulness comes with sadness or a sense of emptiness lasting more than 2 weeks, if you lose interest in things, cannot sleep even when you have the chance, or have thoughts of harming yourself or your baby, you should see a mental health specialist soon. Physical recovery cannot replace specialist treatment.
What we can help with, and what needs time
You are not becoming less capable. Your brain is adapting to the biggest change a woman’s body goes through. Seeing it this way helps you blame yourself less, and gives your body room to recover. What we can work on are the things that make recovery harder, such as a tense neck and shoulders, shallow breathing and nutritional gaps. Estrogen, allopregnanolone and sleep still need time to settle again.
