What Happens to Your Brain During Pregnancy?

Summary

In this interview, Dr. Don Kingston discusses the importance of prenatal mental health, highlighting that many women face mental health challenges during pregnancy. She emphasizes the lack of focus on prenatal mental health compared to postpartum depression and the need for better screening and support. Kingston's book, 'Your Brain on Pregnancy,' provides guidance for managing mental health during pregnancy and busts myths about the impact of stress and mental health issues on babies. She stresses the importance of acknowledging mental health issues during pregnancy to prevent long-term damage.

Takeaways

• 🤰 Mental health issues during pregnancy are common, with one in four women experiencing problems.
• 🔍 Postpartum depression is well-known, but prenatal mental health struggles are often overlooked.
• 👶 Prenatal mental health challenges can affect not only the mother but also the baby's development.
• 🧠 Stress, depression, and anxiety during pregnancy can lead to prematurity and impact child development.
• 🏥 There is a lack of routine mental health screening during prenatal care in North America.
• 🌐 In contrast, countries like the UK and Australia have had national screening programs for over a decade.
• 📚 The book 'Your Brain on Pregnancy' provides screening tools and resources for mental health during pregnancy.
• 🚫 Societal expectations and stigma can prevent women from discussing mental health issues during pregnancy.
• 🔑 Key risk factors for prenatal mental health issues include lack of social support, partner conflict, high stress, and previous mental health problems.
• 🌱 Intergenerational trauma and genetic factors can contribute to mental health challenges.
• 💊 While medication is sometimes necessary, many women prefer to start with self-management strategies for mental health.

Q & A

What is the focus of Don Kingston's book 'Your Brain on Pregnancy'?

The book focuses on understanding and protecting mental health during pregnancy and beyond, highlighting that mental health challenges during pregnancy are common and often overlooked.

What is the ratio of women experiencing mental health problems during the prenatal period?

One in four women will experience mental health problems during the prenatal period.

What led Don Kingston to research the intersection of mental health and pregnancy?

Her work as a neonatal nurse and the discovery of a link between stress and prematurity led her to research further into mental health challenges during pregnancy.

Why is there more awareness around postpartum depression compared to prenatal mental health issues?

There has been an overemphasis on postpartum issues, particularly postpartum psychosis, which has overshadowed the importance of prenatal mental health.

Why do pregnant women hesitate to discuss mental health issues with their healthcare providers?

Women may hesitate due to societal expectations of happiness during pregnancy, fear of judgment, or lack of awareness that mental health support is available.

What are some risk factors for mental health challenges during pregnancy?

Lack of social support, high partner conflict, high stress, and a history of mental health problems are significant risk factors.

How can healthcare providers better address mental health during pregnancy?

Providers can incorporate routine mental health screenings into prenatal care and be prepared to offer support and resources for those who screen positive.

What are some self-management strategies for dealing with prenatal mental health issues?

Strategies include seeking social support, practicing stress management techniques, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and when necessary, considering professional help or medication.

What are the potential long-term impacts on the child if a mother experiences untreated mental health challenges during pregnancy?

Untreated mental health challenges can potentially affect the child's development, emotional well-being, and physical health.

How can women tell the difference between normal mood swings and serious mental health issues during pregnancy?

Screening tools can help identify if a woman is struggling more than average. Persistent symptoms beyond a situational event that last for an extended period are a cause for concern.

What is the importance of addressing mental health issues during pregnancy for both the mother and the baby?

Addressing mental health issues can lead to better emotional and physical outcomes for both the mother and the baby, and can prevent long-term complications.

Outlines

00:00

🤰 Mental Health During Pregnancy

The paragraph discusses the prevalence of mental health issues during pregnancy, which are often misunderstood and under-researched compared to postpartum depression. The author, Don Kingston, highlights her research and book 'Your Brain on Pregnancy', which aim to guide women and their partners on understanding and protecting mental health during pregnancy. Kingston, a neonatal nurse and associate professor, emphasizes the link between stress, depression, and anxiety during pregnancy and outcomes like prematurity and children's development. She points out the lack of attention to prenatal mental health within the healthcare system and the societal expectation that pregnant women should be happy, which can lead to feelings of guilt and self-blame when they experience mental health challenges.

05:02

📚 Advocacy for Prenatal Mental Health Screening

This section focuses on the advocacy for prenatal mental health screening. The author contrasts the common prenatal checks for physical conditions with the rarity of mental health screenings, despite the latter being more prevalent. She mentions that countries like the UK and Australia have had national screening programs for over a decade, while North America lacks such initiatives. The author has included screening tools in her book and on her website to address this gap. She also discusses the reluctance of healthcare providers to conduct such screenings due to perceived awkwardness and the challenge of addressing any identified issues within the North American healthcare system, which is not well-prepared to handle perinatal mental health problems.

10:03

🧬 Risk Factors and Intergenerational Trauma

The paragraph delves into the risk factors for mental health problems during pregnancy, such as lack of social support, high partner conflict, high stress, and previous mental health issues. It introduces the concept of intergenerational trauma and how mental health challenges can be passed down through generations, affecting not just the mother but also the child. The author discusses the societal pressure on pregnant women to feel happy and the internalization of negative emotions when they don't, which can exacerbate mental health issues. The paragraph also touches on the difficulty in distinguishing between normal mood swings and serious mental health problems during pregnancy.

15:03

🤱 The Impact of Maternal Mental Health on Child Development

This section discusses the impact of a mother's mental health on her child's development. It addresses the societal expectation that pregnant women should naturally know how to care for their babies and the lack of focus on the mother's well-being. The author brings up research on interpersonal biology, which shows how emotional well-being is regulated through interpersonal relationships, emphasizing the importance of a mother's emotional health for her child's emotional regulation. The paragraph also covers the risks associated with untreated mental health challenges during pregnancy, such as chronic depression, anxiety, or stress.

20:04

💊 Balancing Self-Management and Professional Help

The final paragraph addresses the balance between self-managing mental health symptoms and seeking professional help. It discusses the stigma surrounding prenatal and postnatal mental illness and the fear of being judged as incompetent parents. The author encourages mothers to view mental health symptoms as red flags that require attention, similar to physical symptoms of illness. She also mentions a study showing that nurturing a child can reverse the effects of prenatal stress and depression, highlighting the brain's neuroplasticity. The author concludes by emphasizing the importance of education and understanding to combat stigma and the need for further research to improve treatments based on a better understanding of women's brains during pregnancy.

Keywords

💡Postpartum Depression

Postpartum depression refers to a type of mood disorder associated with childbirth, which can affect new mothers after they give birth. In the context of the video, it is traditionally a well-known issue, but the discussion pivots to highlight that mental health struggles during pregnancy are equally, if not more, prevalent. The script mentions that while one in four women will experience mental health problems prenatally, postpartum depression has overshadowed the need for attention to prenatal mental health.

💡Prenatal Mental Health

Prenatal mental health pertains to the emotional and psychological well-being of pregnant women. The video emphasizes that this aspect is widely misunderstood and often neglected. The author's research indicates a significant link between prenatal stress, depression, and anxiety, and outcomes like prematurity and long-term developmental issues in children, underscoring the importance of addressing prenatal mental health.

💡Mental Health Challenges

Mental health challenges encompass a range of emotional and psychological issues such as depression, anxiety, and stress. The script discusses how these challenges are not only common during the postpartum period but are also prevalent and impactful during pregnancy, affecting the mother's well-being and potentially the baby's development.

💡Prematurity

Prematurity refers to babies born before the 37th week of pregnancy. In the video, it is mentioned as a risk associated with maternal stress during pregnancy. The author's initial research into preventing pre-term birth led to the discovery of a link between prenatal stress and mental health challenges, highlighting the significance of prenatal care.

💡Stigma

Stigma in the context of the video refers to the social disgrace or discredit associated with having a mental health issue, particularly during pregnancy. The script discusses how this stigma can prevent women from seeking help, as they fear being judged or deemed incompetent as mothers. It is a barrier to addressing prenatal mental health.

💡Self-Management

Self-management in the script refers to strategies and techniques that individuals can use to manage their mental health symptoms without necessarily resorting to medication or professional help. The author suggests that most women prefer to start with self-management strategies, such as lifestyle changes and emotional support, to cope with mental health challenges during pregnancy.

💡Neuroplasticity

Neuroplasticity is the brain's ability to change and adapt as a result of experience. The video mentions a study showing that even if a woman experienced depression or anxiety during pregnancy, nurturing behaviors such as holding the baby could lead to positive changes in both the mother and baby's brain, illustrating the concept of neuroplasticity.

💡Intergenerational Trauma

Intergenerational trauma refers to the transmission of traumatic experiences from one generation to another, often affecting mental health. The script suggests that mental health problems can be passed down through generations, potentially impacting a woman's pregnancy and her child's future mental health.

💡Epidemiological Research

Epidemiological research involves the study of the distribution and determinants of health-related states or events in specified populations. The video discusses how such research has shown that a significant number of women experience mental health issues during pregnancy, indicating a need for better awareness and intervention.

💡Screening Tools

Screening tools in the context of the video are instruments or questionnaires used to identify individuals who may have an undiagnosed mental health issue. The author advocates for the use of such tools during prenatal care to identify and address mental health problems in pregnant women.

💡Pandora's Box

In the script, 'opening Pandora's Box' is used metaphorically to describe the concern that acknowledging and addressing prenatal mental health issues might lead to complex challenges. It suggests that there is hesitancy within the healthcare system to delve into these issues due to the perceived difficulty of managing them.

Highlights

Postpartum depression is well-known, but research shows that many women also struggle with mental health during pregnancy.

One in four women will experience mental health problems in the prenatal period.

Don Kingston's new book, 'Your Brain on Pregnancy', aims to guide understanding and protection of mental health during pregnancy and beyond.

Kingston is an associate professor in the faculty of nursing at the University of Calgary.

Research began with a focus on neonatal care and the risks of prematurity, leading to a discovery of the link between stress and prematurity.

Mental health challenges during pregnancy affect not only prematurity but also a child's development and well-being.

There is a lack of attention to mental health in pregnancy despite its significant impact.

Awareness of postpartum depression overshadows the importance of prenatal mental health.

Prenatal mental health problems are the biggest risk for postpartum mental health issues.

During prenatal visits, physical conditions are screened, but mental health problems are less commonly addressed.

Healthcare systems in North America have not implemented national screening programs for mental health during pregnancy.

Healthcare providers may feel awkward discussing mental health or unsure of how to address it.

Self-management is a preferred starting point for most women dealing with mental health challenges.

The four biggest risk factors for mental health challenges in women include lack of social support, high partner conflict, high stress, and previous mental health problems.

Intergenerational trauma can affect mental health and may be passed down through generations.

It's important to distinguish between normal mood swings and serious mental health issues during pregnancy.

Screening tools can help identify if a woman is struggling more than average with her mental health.

70% of women are hesitant to talk to their prenatal provider about their mental health.

Education and understanding can help reduce stigma and encourage women to seek help for mental health issues during pregnancy.

Not addressing mental health challenges during pregnancy can lead to chronic depression, anxiety, or stress.

Strategies for mitigating symptoms can be effective, but if they are not working, it may be time to seek professional help.

Nurturing a child can reverse the effects of prenatal mental health issues, demonstrating the brain's neuroplasticity.

A recent study shows that nearly every part of a woman's brain is affected by pregnancy, indicating the need for further research.

Transcripts

while there is some understanding of

postpartum depression research shows

that just as many if not more women

struggle with their mental health during

pregnancy one in Four Women will

experience mental health problems in the

prenatal period but this is still widely

misunderstood Don Kingston examines that

and more in her new book your brain on

pregnancy a guide to understanding and

protecting your mental health during

pregnancy and Beyond she is also an

associate professor in the faculty of of

nursing at the University of Calgary and

she joins us on the line from Edmonton

Alberta hi Don good morning thank you

for having me it's so nice to connect um

I've had two kids my kids are pre-teens

11 and 13 I've read a lot of pregnancy

books a lot of baby books and I have to

say that your book in my view is um if

not one of the most important books for

women to read and their Partners to read

excellent thank you so much um what

brought you to research the intersection

of mental health and

pregnancy ma' it really started in my

neonatal days as a neonatal nurse

understanding the risks of prematurity

and uh when I started to do graduate

work I really wanted to think about how

can we prevent pre-term birth small

babies being born and I discovered a

real link between stress and prematurity

and then as we researched it more I

realized it's not just stress it's de

depression anxiety any form of Mental

Health Challenge in pregnancy and it

wasn't just prematurity it was also CH

children's development emotional

well-being physical development and so

that really led us on a train of

discovering uh what was pre pre you know

prenatal mental health about and then

secondly really understanding that we

had a system that wasn't paying any

attention to mental health and pregnancy

and that really started

uh our advocacy Journey as well um I

think there's this idea that when

someone becomes pregnant they are so

happy they're excited and when you're

pregnant you um you are told that

everything that you do everything that

you eat impacts the baby that if you get

stressed out there's a lot of guilt

about you know I can't be stressed and

it's really hard to do over the period

of nine months well actually 10 months

because it's 40 weeks um but you write

that there is much more awareness around

Mental Health health problems after

giving birth like postpartum depression

so if you are experiencing anything

during pregnancy sometimes you uh you

blame yourself um so why has there been

so little focus on mental health

problems like during pregnancy when

people are

pregnant I think n it's been an O an

over Focus to be honest that started on

in on the postpartum period which

started really I think with post

postpartum psychosis you know it was

wonderful to bring awareness to

postpartum psychosis postpartum

depression and there were lots of media

and and stars that did that for us but

what it did is I think it overshadowed a

little bit what happens in the prenatal

period And when we started really

studying the data and looking at our own

work we realized that three out of four

women who had postpartum depression had

depression or anxiet Y in

pregnancy and so prenatal mental health

problems are actually the biggest risk

for postpartum mental health problems

and so it really it really to us showed

a disparity in where the focus was and

so again while I think that postpartum

depression awareness was a wonderful

thing and very needed I think we just

need to now broaden our understanding of

the perinatal period in total pregnancy

and postpartum um I want to read uh a

passage from your book you write women

see healthc care providers during

pregnancy more regularly than almost any

other time in their lives during

prenatal visits women undergo physical

exams ultrasounds and laboratory tests

that screen from physical conditions

such as diabetes high blood pressure

infection and Fetal anomalies but these

are far less common than mental health

problems yet rarely are a few minutes

devoted to asking simple screening

questions that would identify the most

common mental health problems in

pregnancy um you know when you are

pregnant you are tested for diabetes

blood pressure and you write uh that

those uh conditions are actually less

likely to happen than mental health

problems uh why isn't depression

tested you know it it's a North American

thing in the UK and Australia they have

had screening National screening

programs during pregnancy and postpartum

for well over a decade they have good

policies they have a great health care

System they have trained their midwives

nurses Physicians to do screening so

there has been a call for screening in

North America in the US and Canada but

we haven't lifted it off the ground and

I think in some ways it's because there

isn't a central way of doing that and

that's in part why we have put screening

tools in the book and why we put them

also on our website which is which has

free resources hope for mentalhealth.com

but we really um this is a North

American uh blockage in some ways why we

don't screen women I think the other

piece of it is there is This Feeling by

health care providers that this is

awkward it's a difficult conversation

women don't want this but actually our

research shows that well over 98% of

women want to be screened for emotional

health and then the other piece of it is

what do you do when you open Pandora's

Box and you discover that you have a

patient who has a mental health

challenge our North American system

isn't all that well set up to address

mental health problems in the perinal

period again it's also why in our book

we wanted to really focus on

self-management because actually it is

the place most women want to start um

you mentioned Pandora's Box and I think

a lot of um if you're pregnant you're

looking for this information and if you

don't find it because we still live in a

society that says that when you're

pregnant it's the best time of your life

you're supposed to be happy but if

you're feeling any kind of uh emotions

opposite that you internalize them but

you know what are the gaps did you

identify in the healthare system in

terms of Mental Health Care during

pregnancy yeah our team is going to

phrase it so women don't tell and

providers don't

ask uh again if you have routine

screening as part of a well woman's

checkup as part of one of the 13

prenatal visits then you don't have to

rely on a particular physician asking

questions or a woman having to bring it

up most women will not bring up men

mental health challenges however again

in our work the vast majority of women

women have identified if a provider asks

me how I'm doing I would tell them

honestly um you do say in the book that

one the most important thing to keep in

mind is that if we don't acknowledge

there is a mental health issue that's

the thing that's going to cause

long-term damage I want to talk to you

more about that but um what are some of

the factors that would make someone more

likely to experience mental health

problems during

pregnancy yes I'm so glad you ask about

those n because without those women feel

like there this is a random thing you

know postpartum depression that's the

impression we have and and I think it

will carry on over into pre prenatal

mental health problems if we're not

really clear the four biggest risk

factors that lead a woman to have a

mental health challenge at any point in

her life not having enough soci social

support so not having friends that love

and care and nurture nurturing

relationships having high partner

conflict and we're not talking about a

single argument we're talking about a

constant tension and fighting in a in a

close relationship with a partner having

high stress you know we've known that

for 30 years that high stress can cause

challenges in unborn um animals unborn

babies and then finally um really having

a previous mental health problem and

that's an important point

because we are starting to put a picture

together in our research team that says

it's not postpartum depression or

anxiety prenal depression anxiety it

really is about what's happening across

a woman's life so the book focuses in

pregnancy but the more we uncover this

work the more we see long-term

struggle as brain and nervous system

disregulation that probably started way

before pregnancy and has existed across

a woman's life is that uh what you would

call intergenerational trauma in part

intergenerational trauma is more about

you know something being passed down

from Grandma to the mother to the baby

and that can happen when it comes to

mental health problems and there can

be genetic t eggs that can be sort of

added on to our DNA and that are we're

born with we think we're born with a

clean slate of DNA but we're not and

mental health problems are one of the

things that can add a little tag now

that tag is impermanent it can be taken

off by good support and nurturing and

all of the good things that uh that lead

to good mental health can take those

tags off but you have to acknowledge

that there's a there it's there right

yeah you have to be um intentional yeah

um there's a joke around when you're

pregnant you know you're eating all the

foods um you are going through the mood

swings but on the serious side how can

you tell the a difference between

someone who could just be experiencing

mood swings versus something that's

really serious mental healthwise during

pregnancy right I think that's where the

screening tools can really help because

then we're not having to guess we just

do a screening tool it tells us if we

score above a certain level then you

know we're we're struggling more than

average but in general we're really

concerned about women who so so if let

let's use a situation someone's cat dies

and sort of a situational thing right I

feel kind of crummy sad grief loss angry

angst but it doesn't last now in the DSM

you know kind of our Bible of psychology

it would say six months but that's a

long time in pregnancy in general

something that is goes beyond a

situation and lasts for a period of time

is where we start to think this is just

a little be Beyond normal Beyond yeah

healthy normal but if someone is

experiencing symptoms how can they tell

the difference between depression

anxiety and toxic stress or does that

matter often they come together and

especially in pregnancy often they come

together and that's actually why it

makes it a little bit hard to diagnose

but in general if uh and and so you know

we can actually put that all under brain

and nervous disregulation too so what

does that look like trouble sleeping

Beyond a physical discomfort uh sleeping

too much not sleeping enough eating too

much not eating enough a sense of loss

of Joy a sense of dread not not worry

about a particular situation that's more

worry but kind of this anxious dread

that something terrible is going to

happen something terrible is happening

to me and where it really tips over into

unhealthy is where a person feels

immobilized by the

situation really you know that there

there there is no hope it is in

escapable and it's never going to be

different and that's impacting

themselves and the baby yes mhm um I

want to take a look at some of the

statistics in the book regarding how

women feel about reaching out to their

health care providers for help um 70%

are hesitant to talk to prenatal

provider about their mental health

that's a big number uh 44% worry about

being put on anti-depressants 46%

believe symptoms will just get better on

their own we seem to live during a time

where we're having a lot of open uh

discussions about a lot of different uh

topics that might have been taboo 20 30

40 years ago even 10 years ago why is it

still so hard for us to talk about

mental health

challenges I think Ma because it speaks

to the very heart of who we are as a

person to our identity to our sense of

Competency to our sense that we are a a

broken

person and that's where in the book we

are really and our team is really really

starting to focus on the idea about

isn't it just brain and nervous system

disregulation we've been Jarred we've

been Jarred Often by circumstances in

our lives as children or as adults that

we had no control over but it affects

how we see ourselves and depression

anxiety stress are symptoms that are

kind of oozing out of those experiences

that have become embedded in our nervous

system but if we can think about it like

that and take it away from the fact that

we are broken and

wounded and um you know we're in trouble

because of that it's a very different

look at what we're

experiencing um maybe this is just my uh

experience but even just talking to some

of my friends who've had kids when

you're pregnant there's so much uh

there's a lot of concern about the baby

uh there are rarely any questions asked

about the mom and even after you have

the baby as soon as the baby is born it

just kind of feels like okay you know

here you go and if your first time Mom

it's like oh gosh I have to keep this

person alive for the like what did I do

um do you think it's there's a little

bit of a that societal expectation that

you're supposed to know what to do and

maybe it makes it harder for women to

talk about the difficulties they have

with their mental health during

pregnancy yeah it's a really good point

um

you know and I think many women who have

not been nurtured as children you know

in a loving nurturing

home also feel uh a bit um unable to or

are they going they've lost confidence

about whether they'll be able to nurture

and love their child as well so I think

that plays into it too but I agree and I

I I think I'm going to bring in at this

point n um some of the research that's

been done on on Dan seagull Dr Dan seag

is a big um proponent and um researcher

in the area of interpersonal biology and

it's the idea that we regulate each

other uh Partners regulate each other

our nervous systems we regulate each

other mothers and children regulate each

other it's why we put babies on a

mother's chest after birth right we know

that it regulates the heart rate and

breathing but there is a bigger picture

to this which is it regulates emotions

as well and so that really speaks to me

about the importance of mothers being

emotionally healthy so that they can

regulate the emotional well-being of

their children as well is that danle did

he write the book uh zebras don't get

ulcers no no that was Robert

sapolsky such a big fan of

him love I think one of the things that

I um I found really helpful in your book

is that um once you identify it the most

important thing is to identify it

because then you can actually address

what's happening um but if you don't do

that what are the risks if a mother is

experiencing these mental health

challenges while she's pregnant yeah

yeah the biggest risk is chronic

depression anxiety or stress that is not

doing anything about it and I'll go back

to that statistic 44% perc of women

don't want to talk to their doctors

because they fear going on

anti-depressants and what most women our

research showed most women don't

understand that there are actually lots

of ways

of dealing with uh depression anxiety

and stress that don't involve

medication and so the main issue with

not identifying it a challenge is yes

not being able to take steps to do

something about it and then the dread

that exists right when you don't know

there's a dread but when you have the

facts then you're able to kind of draw a

line in the sand and you can create a

plan and you can go forward and with

mental health it's just like I in the

book I talk about it's just like

diabetes it's just about managing you

know you you mentioned medication and

there is this kind of I know when you're

pregnant you um you you shouldn't be

taking any medication at all um but

sometimes medication is needed yes yeah

it is and um I I wouldn't say it's the

first thing unless a person has left

their Sy so long that it really is

needed to sort of begin the process of

getting

well but most women really want to start

with something else they want to start

with some kind of

self-management and that's completely

reasonable and then if that isn't

helping go forward and consider

medications and yes sometimes

medications are needed yeah um in the

book you described strategies that

people can use to mitigate symptoms uh

when they might be experiencing how do

you know when these strategies are

enough versus when it's time to seek

professional

help I put a put together a bit of a

list sort of five items in the book that

women can use questions to ask about is

it is it time to get help if you are

using strategies and they are helping

and your symptoms are lessening and

you're feeling better and you're feeling

confident about managing your own mental

health that's the Place most women want

to be in but if if that's those are not

working if you're feeling like I'm

getting worn out from doing this on my

own if you feel that it would be helpful

to have talk with someone who is

compassionate um then then it is time to

get help and you know it doesn't have to

be an all in you can you know try a

couple of sessions with a professional

and if it's not helpful you can turn

around and go

back um we only have a few minutes left

I want to sneak in a couple more

questions uh we talked a little bit

about stigma um but we kind of danced

around a little bit around it what would

you say to mothers who don't want to

talk about prenatal or postnatal mental

illness because they worry others will

question their competency as a

parent I would go back and really have

them focus on what is it that started

this journey a a woman wasn't born

broken she's not

broken what has happened in in her life

that has led to this point where she is

experiencing these symptoms that they

are symptoms they are like a cold or a

flu they're like a fever they tell us

that something is going on inside that

needs some attention ention and so they

are red flags and symptoms much like a

uh fever is a symptom of a

virus and so I

would I I would encourage women I think

it's partly education being able to

educate others and say you know what

it's a symptom it's not me it's not that

I'm broken what if they think that

they've damaged their

child right you know there was a I I

love this I'll just share this one study

it I love it because it shows how

neuroplasticity is the root of of our

brain health our brains change our

nervous systems change and even if a

woman had depression or anxiety or high

stress and pregnancy that does not mean

that the baby's future is sealed and

it's it's the baby's going to be in

trouble going forward there was I love

this study it showed that women who had

depression um the women who held their

babies after they were born their brains

basically

healed and so they they measured the

amount of time that women held their

babies and the women that held their

babies more their brain baby's brains

looked different and so when we talk

about those impermanent changes to the

brain that's what we're talking about

then holding and nurturing the baby

takes those epigenetic tags off and I

love that because it's such a story of

hope that the simple things of nurturing

a child can reverse these effects isn't

that a good news story that's a great

news story I think it uh makes a lot of

women feel much better uh in a recent

study published in Nature Neuroscience

scientists in California took MRI scans

of one woman before she got pregnant

until two years postpartum they found

that nearly every part of the brain was

affected by pregnancy this was a review

of just one person uh but will studies

like this help others learn about the

brain and pregnancy in the

future yes and in fact we just got uh a

$100,000 Grant which is small probably

by comparison for what this work

requires to start looking at scans of

multiple multiple multiple women so

we'll be doing that here in Alberta and

our goal really is to create a database

of what women's brains look like so that

we can really

start um embracing and improving Upon

Our brainbase

treatments Don it was really nice to

connect with you thank you so much for

spending time with us um I think this

book is going to help so many it has it

answers questions that a lot of women

want to ask but maybe are too ashamed to

ask so thank you for that uh I

appreciate your time thank you very much

for having me on today