Sara Dobson
Rachel Henwood - Freelance WriterIncrease your IQ – Have a baby!
November 4th 2008 11:22
I have been trying to decide whether I should complete my masters’ degree next year, or have another baby. But after reading Katherine Ellison’s new book The Mommy Brain, I have realised that I would be better off doing both, because having a baby makes you smarter.
It is a myth that our brain cells die off after a certain age, and are not replaced. Brain cells continue to grow and flourish throughout our lifetimes. It is up to us to ensure these brain cells survive by constantly challenging them. What better way to challenge your brain cells than figuring out how to teach your toddler drink out of a sippy cup, or use the toilet. Or trying to remember everything that needs to be done in the morning, as you try to get everyone fed and off to day care or work.
Ellison outlines 5 ways in which motherhood can improve a woman’s mind. These are:
Scientist have also discovered that hormones released during labour and breastfeeding improve our ability to learn.
Although I cannot see myself studying for exams in between contractions, at least I do not have to defer studying until after pregnancy.
It is a myth that our brain cells die off after a certain age, and are not replaced. Brain cells continue to grow and flourish throughout our lifetimes. It is up to us to ensure these brain cells survive by constantly challenging them. What better way to challenge your brain cells than figuring out how to teach your toddler drink out of a sippy cup, or use the toilet. Or trying to remember everything that needs to be done in the morning, as you try to get everyone fed and off to day care or work.
Ellison outlines 5 ways in which motherhood can improve a woman’s mind. These are:
1. Perception: A mother's sensory-rich life with her newborn actually remaps part of her brain—improving her ability to interpret new information.
2. Efficiency: Pregnancy and early motherhood enrich the brain, improving memory and setting a mother up for a lifetime of multitasking.
3. Resilience: Oxytocin is a powerful hormone abundant in mothers, which effectively combats stress, clearing the way for improved learning. It is so effective, that scientists are studying its potential as an anti-depressant and even as a therapy for Alzheimer's.
4. Motivation: The fierce biological urge to defend their children, bolstered by mind-altering hormones, helps mothers become more creative and competitive.
5. Emotional Intelligence: Mothers get basic training in this important kind of smarts as they tone their brain's "empathy muscles" by instinctively imitating their babies' facial expressions
2. Efficiency: Pregnancy and early motherhood enrich the brain, improving memory and setting a mother up for a lifetime of multitasking.
3. Resilience: Oxytocin is a powerful hormone abundant in mothers, which effectively combats stress, clearing the way for improved learning. It is so effective, that scientists are studying its potential as an anti-depressant and even as a therapy for Alzheimer's.
4. Motivation: The fierce biological urge to defend their children, bolstered by mind-altering hormones, helps mothers become more creative and competitive.
5. Emotional Intelligence: Mothers get basic training in this important kind of smarts as they tone their brain's "empathy muscles" by instinctively imitating their babies' facial expressions
Scientist have also discovered that hormones released during labour and breastfeeding improve our ability to learn.
Although I cannot see myself studying for exams in between contractions, at least I do not have to defer studying until after pregnancy.
| 40 |
| Vote |
Shared on
Comments (2)
Add Comments
