Redefining the mom brain narrative: Adaptive cognitive enhancements during the perinatal period.

This article focuses on the phenomenon known as "mom brain," commonly described by pregnant and postpartum women as cognitive disruptions such as forgetfulness and brain fog. It reviews recent perinatal cognitive neuroscience research that challenges the traditional deficit-based view, proposing instead that neurocognitive changes during pregnancy and postpartum represent adaptive, functionally beneficial enhancements tailored to motherhood. Structural and functional brain alterations, including changes in regions involved in motivation, emotion regulation, and social cognition, support this strength-based narrative, which aligns with the concept of "matrescence"—a developmental phase akin to adolescence. The article emphasizes that reframing mom brain as a period of neuroplasticity and cognitive adaptation may reduce societal stigma, improve maternal well-being, and inform clinical approaches to perinatal mental health.