Pregnant women experience a literal reduction in their brain volume, specifically in areas governing social cognition, which is nature’s horrifying way of hardwiring them to care exclusively about their newborn.

A closer look

Pregnant women experience a literal reduction in their brain volume, specifically in areas governing social cognition, which is nature’s horrifying way of hardwiring them to care exclusively about their newborn. Magnetic resonance imaging scans taken before and after pregnancy reveal significant gray matter pruning that lasts for at least two years postpartum. This biological remodeling makes a mother vastly more efficient at reading her infant's cues and recognizing potential threats. Meanwhile, society expects these incredibly sleep-deprived individuals, whose brains have literally just undergone severe structural downsizing, to return to writing meaningless corporate emails or answering spreadsheets just a few weeks later. So the next time a new parent forgets where they put their car keys, try to remember that their frontal cortex was recently cannibalized by evolution to ensure the survival of a screaming potato