Have you ever walked into a room and completely forgotten why you went in there in the first place? Has a word been on the tip of your tongue, but you have absolutely no recall? Or perhaps you've found yourself frantically searching for your phone, only to realize it's been in your hand the entire time? For many of us, especially new parents, experiencing moments of forgetfulness, absent-mindedness, and general cognitive fuzziness is all too familiar. But did you know there's a scientific explanation behind this phenomenon?

Amanda is a mother and an Infertility and Postpartum Doula and Coach. She is passionate about sharing her education and experiences with new parents and parents-to-be. When she started trying to conceive she knew nothing about infertility. But negative pregnancy test after negative pregnancy test left her feeling overwhelmed, disappointed, and alone. As Amanda chronicled her fertility journey, she realized how hopeful she was that her experiences would prevent other moms-to-be and new moms from feeling alone in their stories. Amanda founded Heartfelt Beginnings and began helping others the way she wished that someone had helped her.

I first met Amy when her son, Henry, was one-week-old. You could tell— even then, that underneath the exhaustion, overwhelmed and awestruck feelings brought up by early motherhood—she was a #MightyMama. This is confirmed in Amy’s candid and thoughtful reflections of motherhood. But she admits she struggled to believe that she could have anything unique or helpful to contribute to other mothers.

Jamie Kreiter is a Chicago-based therapist who treats clients with postpartum depression and anxiety issues around fertility, pregnancy and parenthood. She is partnered with Better and recommends our services to her clients and we wanted to learn more about her practice and how she uses Better to give her clients more access to treatment.

Pregnancy is a time of excitement, anticipation and transition. You may envision the child that you are going to have or the parent that you are going to be. You may attempt to plan and prepare. You may feel well-supported or lost and overwhelmed. Stress and perinatal mood disturbances are common and can begin any time during or after pregnancy. Pregnancy can be a time of emotional vulnerability due to the many biological and hormonal changes happening in the body.  For this reason and others, many of the women that I work with experience stress and anxiety during pregnancy and following pregnancy.  Mindfulness is a powerful coping tool that can help alleviate stress and anxiety in the general population and for mothers during pregnancy. But how does mindfulness work? What evidence is there that mindfulness can be used during pregnancy?

It is obvious to state that during pregnancy the body goes through many physical and hormonal changes. Yet little is known about how pregnancy affects the brain. There is new research that suggests women’s brain structures changes during and after pregnancy. A first-of-its kind study, looked at brain scans of women before and shortly after pregnancy and found that the volume of grey matter in certain parts of the brain decreased in women who were or had been pregnant—these structural changes were found to last for at least two-years.