Advice for Memory loss during pregnancy

Mothers-to-be have long complained about forgetting the simplest things as soon as they fall pregnant, jokingly blaming their 'preg head' or 'baby brain'. Now a major study has found that many women expecting a child do in fact suffer considerable memory loss, which continues even after birth.

Memory Loss and the Third Trimester

According to studies online, the third trimester is the worst time for memory during pregnancy. During these three months, the female is 15% more like to experience memory loss or lapse than women who are not pregnant. Some doctors believe this loss of memory during pregnancy could be attributed to the rise in oxytocin levels. Others believe the rise in female hormones above normal levels are the cause.

Although there hasn't been a huge amount of scientific research into this area, several studies have found a link between memory loss and pregnancy. However, as memory is such a complex phenomenon, when considering empirical research into this topic it is necessary to remain sceptical. This is because the results depend heavily on the type of memory test being used and this affects their ability to be generalised to the 'real world'. More recent studies have found that while the performance of pregnant women on a series of different memory tests is no different to that of a woman who is not pregnant; pregnant women do perceive themselves as having more memory related problems.

Although this may be down to the tests not being sensitive enough to detect changes in different types of memory or the widely held belief that pregnancy has a negative affect on memory influencing the perception of their own memory performance; several studies have suggested that this phenomenon is simply due to information overload.

Short Term Memory or Long Term Memory
It seems the short term memory is the only one affected in the third trimester. The long term memories that have been stored remain intact for the duration of the pregnancy. The short term loss, however, can bleed into postpartum. Luckily, women who experience late pregnancy memory loss or post partum memory lapse often recover 100% after the baby is born or within one year of birth.

The Effects of Memory Loss During Pregnancy
There are no real physical effects of losing memory during pregnancy. There are, however, mental side effects of the condition. Many women feel depression, disoriented or full of anxiety after a short period of time with difficulty remembering the most common things. This stress can be harder on the pregnancy than the memory loss. The less stable the mental condition, the less prepared the women will be to raise her baby in a healthy and happy home.

Nine Ways to Improve Memory During Pregnancy

• While the loss of memory may be common, the pregnant woman does not need to sit back and forgot why she wants to remember. Three tools to use for better memory retention are reviewing, learning, associating.
• Reviewing the information you have already learned or already know will help to keep that memory fresh and bright for the pregnant woman. The memory loss will not be complete, but the haze could be enough to cause stress in the pregnant woman's life. 
• Learning about a topic can increase memory retention. Learning how to create the best cheesecake is a great choice, but retaining what you have learned is about more than just memorizing the steps. Learning about the cheesecake and where the recipe originated may help to remember the steps. 
• Associating is G.O.O.D. NASA is just one of the government communities that use Mnemonics. NASA stands for National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Learning new words, topics and just about anything can be returned to this style of Mnemonics. 
• Repetition - believed by many to factilitate the transfer of information from short term memory into more permanent storage; repeating a name or item over and over will help you remember it when you need to. 
• Mneumonics - A mental imaging technique that uses word associations to help you remember. Using acronyms (where a list of words is remembered by using the first letter of every word on the list to form a new word or string of letters i.e. ABC - AskBaby.Com ) or mental imaging (where you associate an item on a list with a specific image) may help you to remember important items. 
• Health - Remember to exercise and eat healthily; this will not only ensure your brain has plenty of oxygen to help with thought processes but also will help to reduce stress. 
• Sleep - Get as much sleep as you can, this will help to reduce anxiety levels, improve concentration and hopefully help boost memory - (a half hour nap in the afternoon will do wanders if you're not sleeping well at night). 
• Carry a little notebook around with you so that you can constantly update your 'to do' list 

Failing the above, cover your home in post it notes!!! If you are experiencing memory loss symptoms it can be extremely frustrating (especially at a time when you have so much to do), but try not to worry as they should disappear once your baby is born. In the meantime try to relax and if you are overly concerned it is always best to take a visit to your GP or healthcare provider.