What happens to the brain when a woman becomes a mother?
In this episode of The Armen Show, I speak with neuroscientist Dr. Susana Carmona, author of A Mother’s Brain: The New Science of the Neuro-Maternal Revolution, about how pregnancy and motherhood reshape the brain and body.
Carmona began studying the maternal brain after noticing how little longitudinal human research existed, despite decades of animal studies. Her work helped show that pregnancy produces large, measurable brain changes, especially in networks involved in self-representation, social cognition, attention, and bonding.
We discuss matrescence, the idea that becoming a mother is a major developmental transition somewhat comparable to adolescence. Pregnancy involves major hormonal, immune, metabolic, and neurological changes, and Carmona argues that it may represent another important window of adult neuroplasticity.
We also talk about the placenta, the scale of hormonal change during pregnancy, and why simple labels such as “oxytocin is the bonding hormone” miss the larger picture. Hormones act more like an interacting system, with timing and context shaping their effects.
Another major topic is “mommy brain.” Many mothers report memory problems or brain fog, but Carmona explains that there is little evidence that the structural brain changes seen during pregnancy represent deterioration. Sleep deprivation, metabolic demands, stress, mental load, and the way babies automatically capture attention may explain much of the experience.
The conversation also covers fathers and nonbirthing parents, whose brains can change through caregiving and repeated interaction with a child even without pregnancy.
Finally, we discuss the other side of neuroplasticity: vulnerability. A brain that is especially open to change may also be more sensitive to stress, difficult birth experiences, lack of support, and other environmental pressures.
Topics discussed
- Matrescence and motherhood as a developmental transition
- Pregnancy-related brain changes
- The default mode network and identity
- Hormones and the placenta
- Oxytocin and maternal behavior
- “Mommy brain,” memory, and mental load
- Fathers and nonbirthing parents
- Maternal bonding and well-being
- Postpartum mental health
- The future of maternal neuroscience
Susana Carmona is the author of A Mother’s Brain: The New Science of the Neuro-Maternal Revolution.
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