A Mother's Brain Is Profoundly Rewired by Pregnancy, Scans Show

Brain scans across pregnancy and postpartum show broad changes in brain volume, gray matter, white matter, and blood vessels.

The pattern suggests the maternal brain is being adaptively rewired, not simply suffering from “mommy brain” dysfunction.

Researchers expanded the Maternal Brain Project to include more participants and institutions, deepening study of matrescence.

The findings could reshape how science understands pregnancy’s effects on brain structure, function, and maternal health.