Mom brain
Also called mommy brain, baby brain, pregnancy brain, momnesia, mumnesia
Mom brain is the everyday name for feeling forgetful, foggy or scattered during pregnancy and after having a baby. Parents often blame a lost word or a forgotten errand on it.
How it's said
Does anyone else think the phrase 'baby brain' is a bit of a cop out?
I know "mom brain" is a real thing, but this just feels so severe.
All these factors can contribute to mom brain and feeling like you're not functioning at your best.
Who says it
In the UK people say baby brain, and it's often used for forgetfulness during pregnancy too.
Where it came from
Wiktionary records baby brain and mommy brain as informal words for a new mother who is forgetful, absentminded or easily distracted. Its earliest quote for baby brain comes from pediatrician Marc Weissbluth's 2005 book Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, which ties it to a sleep-deprived parent after the birth.
In 2023 three researchers wrote a viewpoint in JAMA Neurology titled It's Time to Rebrand "Mommy Brain", arguing that the term needs to change.