How Pregnancy, Postpartum & Perimenopause Affect Your Brain - And How to Support It
- Amy Simpson
- Sep 5, 2024
- 4 min read
Updated: Feb 13
Brain fog, mood swings, and sleep struggles aren’t just in your head. Pregnancy, postpartum, and perimenopause all trigger major brain changes, affecting memory, focus, and emotional balance. But with the right support, you can improve cognitive function, reduce stress, and feel more like yourself. Let’s dive into what’s happening in your brain and the simple strategies that can help. ⬇️
What happens to the brain during pregnancy and postpartum?
During pregnancy and postpartum, a woman’s brain undergoes significant changes, particularly in areas related to empathy, anxiety, and social interaction, which enhance maternal instincts and the ability to bond with our baby. This period can also lead to postnatal depletion—a state of profound physical and emotional exhaustion caused by the relentless demands of motherhood, the physical and nutritional toll of pregnancy and breastfeeding, and insufficient recovery time.
Symptoms like fatigue, anxiety, rage and brain fog can persist for years.
What happens to the brain during pregnancy and postpartum?
During perimenopause, the brain ALSO undergoes significant changes due to fluctuating hormone levels, particularly estrogen and progesterone. These hormonal shifts can affect neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, leading to symptoms such as mood swings, anxiety, and difficulty with memory and concentration, often referred to as "brain fog." As the brain adjusts to these changes, women may also experience sleep disturbances and increased sensitivity to stress.
During perimenopause and after the menopause transition, our nervous system stays in our 'flight or fight' mode, making us prone to higher stress, anxiety, and brain fog.
What can we do to support ourselves?
Understanding these brain changes can help us navigate all this drama with better self-care strategies, including stress management, proper nutrition, and adequate sleep.
Here are my top tips that you can do right now👇
☀️Morning sun: Exposure to natural light in the morning helps regulate circadian rhythms, supporting better sleep patterns and stabilising mood by boosting serotonin levels. This is crucial for both new mothers and women in perimenopause, as sleep disruptions and mood swings are common during these phases.
🍗Eating enough protein: Protein provides essential amino acids that support neurotransmitter production, such as serotonin and dopamine, which help stabilise mood and improve cognitive function. For new mothers and perimenopausal women, this is key to reducing anxiety, brain fog, emotional imbalances, and keeping our blood sugar steady (which in itself causes extreme fluctuations in our cortisol, stress and moods).
🍴Eating during the day (fuel when you need it!): Regular meals during daylight hours help stabilise blood sugar levels, preventing energy crashes, irritability, and mood swings. Maintaining stable energy levels is critical for coping with the physical and emotional demands of motherhood and our changing bodies.
💧Hydrating with salt in your water: Adding salt to water helps maintain electrolyte balance, supporting hydration and proper nerve function. This can alleviate symptoms like brain fog and fatigue in new mothers and women going through perimenopause, who are often more sensitive to dehydration. Even mild dehydration causes cognitive and mood decline.
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🏋️Lifting heavy weights: Strength training supports the production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which enhances cognitive function and mental resilience. It also helps combat the loss of muscle mass and bone density, which are common concerns in both new motherhood and perimenopause by attenuating some of the loss of oestrogen that we face without a cycle (during breastfeeding) and as we age.
💤Going to bed at 9:30: Prioritising early sleep allows for deeper, restorative rest, which is essential for hormone regulation and brain recovery, especially as we tend to our babies overnight. Both new mothers and women in perimenopause often struggle with sleep disruptions, so getting to bed early helps improve sleep quality and cognitive clarity.
📱Blue light blocker on your phone after dusk: Blue light can disrupt melatonin production, making it harder to fall asleep. Blocking blue light after dusk helps maintain natural sleep-wake cycles, promoting better sleep quality, which is crucial for brain health in both phases of life.
🌕Dimming all lights after dusk: Dimming lights signals to your brain that it's time to wind down, encouraging the natural production of melatonin. For new mothers and perimenopausal women, this helps counter sleep disturbances and supports a more restful night, which is vital for emotional and cognitive balance.
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Struggling with brain fog, mood swings, or sleep issues? Whether you're navigating postpartum depletion or perimenopausal changes, personalised naturopathic care can help. I offer specialist 1:1 support in Bendigo or via telehealth, focusing on hormone balance, nutrition, and evidence-based strategies to support your brain and overall wellbeing. Book a consultation today and take the first step toward feeling clear, calm, and energised again. 💛
Amy is a degree-qualified naturopath dedicated to helping busy, tired clients regain their energy and vitality.
She combines evidence-based naturopathic medicine, nutrition, and lifestyle interventions to empower clients on their journey to optimal health. Whether it’s reclaiming energy, balancing hormones, resolving digestive issues, or enhancing overall well-being and longevity, her personalised approach focuses on identifying and addressing the root cause of health concerns. With a Bachelor of Health Science, ongoing studies in a Master of Advanced Practice, and full membership in the Naturopaths and Herbalists Association of Australia, Amy offers a unique blend of traditional wisdom and science to support individuals and families at every stage of life.
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