Mother Brain: How Neuroscience Is Rewriting the Story of Parenthood
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- Create Date：2022-08-27 20:21:41
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Chelsea Conaboy
- ISBN：1250762286
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Summary
Health and science journalist Chelsea Conaboy explodes the concept of “maternal instinct” and tells a new story about what it means to become a parent。
Conaboy expected things to change with the birth of her child。 What she didn’t expect was how different she would feel。 But she would soon discover what was behind this: her changing brain。 Though Conaboy was prepared for the endless dirty diapers， the sleepless nights， and the joy of holding her newborn， she did not anticipate this shift in self， as deep as it was disorienting。 Mother Brain is a groundbreaking exploration of the parental brain that untangles insidious myths from complicated realities。
New parents undergo major structural and functional brain changes， driven by hormones and the deluge of stimuli a baby provides。 These neurobiological changes help all parents—birthing or otherwise—adapt in those intense first days and prepare for a long period of learning how to meet their child’s needs。 Pregnancy produces such significant changes in brain anatomy that researchers can easily sort those who have had one from those who haven't。 And all highly involved parents， no matter their path to parenthood， develop similar caregiving circuitry。 Yet this emerging science， which provides key insights into the wide-ranging experience of parenthood， from its larger role in shaping human nature to the intensity of our individual emotions， is mostly absent from the public conversation about parenthood。
The story that exists in the science today is far more meaningful than the idea that mothers spring into being by instinct。 Weaving the latest neuroscience and social psychology together with new reporting， Conaboy reveals unexpected upsides， generations of scientific neglect， and a powerful new narrative of parenthood。
Conaboy expected things to change with the birth of her child。 What she didn’t expect was how different she would feel。 But she would soon discover what was behind this: her changing brain。 Though Conaboy was prepared for the endless dirty diapers， the sleepless nights， and the joy of holding her newborn， she did not anticipate this shift in self， as deep as it was disorienting。 Mother Brain is a groundbreaking exploration of the parental brain that untangles insidious myths from complicated realities。
New parents undergo major structural and functional brain changes， driven by hormones and the deluge of stimuli a baby provides。 These neurobiological changes help all parents—birthing or otherwise—adapt in those intense first days and prepare for a long period of learning how to meet their child’s needs。 Pregnancy produces such significant changes in brain anatomy that researchers can easily sort those who have had one from those who haven't。 And all highly involved parents， no matter their path to parenthood， develop similar caregiving circuitry。 Yet this emerging science， which provides key insights into the wide-ranging experience of parenthood， from its larger role in shaping human nature to the intensity of our individual emotions， is mostly absent from the public conversation about parenthood。
The story that exists in the science today is far more meaningful than the idea that mothers spring into being by instinct。 Weaving the latest neuroscience and social psychology together with new reporting， Conaboy reveals unexpected upsides， generations of scientific neglect， and a powerful new narrative of parenthood。
Reviews
Daphney Davis
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This book was spot on！！！ I wished someone would have offered this to me when I had my first child！
Sarah
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This book was incredible， and I wish it had been available earlier in my postpartum journey。 This look at the neurological research of what happens during early parenthood was fascinating。 It also helped me better understand the changes I experienced and feel less alone in my experience。 I'm recommending this to all my friends who have asked me questions about what becoming a parent is really like。Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review。 This book was incredible， and I wish it had been available earlier in my postpartum journey。 This look at the neurological research of what happens during early parenthood was fascinating。 It also helped me better understand the changes I experienced and feel less alone in my experience。 I'm recommending this to all my friends who have asked me questions about what becoming a parent is really like。Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Allison
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What I love most about this book is picturing the author physically （virtually？） organizing mounds of scientific studies to find the nuggets that pack this book。 And to learn this is just the tip of the iceberg because “mother brain” research is in its nascency。 Alloparents！ As someone who chose not to have kids， but has many special kids in my life， it was really cool to learn about this。 I loved how the book tied science to common sense— and made humanistic points— of how our society should su What I love most about this book is picturing the author physically （virtually？） organizing mounds of scientific studies to find the nuggets that pack this book。 And to learn this is just the tip of the iceberg because “mother brain” research is in its nascency。 Alloparents！ As someone who chose not to have kids， but has many special kids in my life， it was really cool to learn about this。 I loved how the book tied science to common sense— and made humanistic points— of how our society should support families with a network of care。 This book is an observation deck for viewing a much larger pool of people as being changed by having kids in our lives。 。。。more
Mira Ptacin
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This is a book that should be required reading to not just mothers but to all family members。 Well-researched， well-written， and vital to repairing the harms that we inflict upon caregivers because of our ignorance on the maternal instinct myth。 A must-read。
Ivonne A，
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I love how this book looks into the myth of "mommy brain。” An excelente read for every parent。 I love how this book looks into the myth of "mommy brain。” An excelente read for every parent。 。。。more
Cynthia Lippstreu
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Fascinating！
Jenny GB
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I received a free copy of this book through Goodreads Giveaways。 Thank you！Mother Brain dives into the science and history of motherhood to try to illuminate the changes in our brains as we become mothers。 Our brains surge with hormones and make new connections that will help us to care for our babies in the urgent present and into the future。 A key point the author makes is that mothers aren't the only people who change。 Any caregiver is changed by caring for a baby or as the author puts it "at I received a free copy of this book through Goodreads Giveaways。 Thank you！Mother Brain dives into the science and history of motherhood to try to illuminate the changes in our brains as we become mothers。 Our brains surge with hormones and make new connections that will help us to care for our babies in the urgent present and into the future。 A key point the author makes is that mothers aren't the only people who change。 Any caregiver is changed by caring for a baby or as the author puts it "attention is the beginning of devotion"。 Those brain changes from care can come to parents of any gender， family （such as grandmothers）， and really anyone in the larger social group that takes on the work of caring for the baby。 There's no such thing as a "mother instinct" and instead caregiving begins with intense hormonal changes coupled with the sensory experience a baby creates through its cuteness， coos， and cries that demand our immediate attention。 Once the babies have our attention， we activate our brain networks that can perceive and respond to other people's mental states as parents/caregivers learn the cues from the baby and help the baby survive and thrive in the long term。 The title of this book is disappointing given how much time and attention the author gives to making a point that mothers are not the only or necessarily the most important relationship in a baby's life。 She tries very hard to be inclusive， but unfortunately， the research is barely there for mothers let alone other caregivers。 So either this title is trying to reflect that scientific focus or it was forced on her by the publishing company。 I think it's the latter， but it's disappointing because there's enough gendering of information around parenting and with a more neutral title maybe other caregivers would be more likely to read it。A lot of the information in this book was frustrating to read because we're just at the beginning and the studies are small and not given much attention。 However， what is here is interesting and validating。 The two things I will probably remember from this book are that antidepressants haven't been studied specifically for postpartum disorders which completely shocked me given how concerned the medical community is about it and the constant messaging around seeking help。 The other thing was the author discussing the reluctance to share the realities of motherhood with soon-to-be new mothers。 I really felt seen as a brand new mother of a 3-month-old who found the struggles of breastfeeding shockingly difficult and then learned almost everyone I knew had similar big struggles and didn't say a word about it before I became a mom。Overall， this book was an entertaining blend of science， speculation， and storytelling。 I hope there will be future books written that can further illuminate this subject as the science progresses。 。。。more
Rachelle
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Mother Brain。。。 thoroughly researched and well explained study over mostly women and a few men before， during， and after pregnancy and parenthood。 Results of changes emotionally and physically to the brain are mixed， but somewhat consistent between studies and areas of research。 Technical book， but an average non-researcher can still understand the facts and outcomes。 Interesting science！
Lisa
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Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance audio copy of this book。 I DNFed this audio book at about 35% of the way through。 I am certainly interested in this topic and would like to know more about how our brains change after becoming mothers， especially as I'm a mom of two myself and became a mother later in life than most people do。 However， I would prefer to read about topics in neuroscience from people who have actually studied neuroscience rather than from journalists who have Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance audio copy of this book。 I DNFed this audio book at about 35% of the way through。 I am certainly interested in this topic and would like to know more about how our brains change after becoming mothers， especially as I'm a mom of two myself and became a mother later in life than most people do。 However， I would prefer to read about topics in neuroscience from people who have actually studied neuroscience rather than from journalists who have a history of writing about health。 I think I'm becoming a cranky old woman when it comes to my reading， because it often feels like writers who are younger than I am （which is quite a few of them） are not being very thorough in their work and are catering to an audience that doesn't require much of them。 This might be an unfair assessment since I didn't finish listening to the book， but when I had made it more than a third of the way through and hadn't learned anything new， I figured I could safely put it aside。 I know very little about neuroscience， so I was expecting to learn new and interesting things。 This would definitely appeal to folks who haven't given it much thought or read about this topic before， as an entry into these ideas。 It's not for me。 。。。more
Elaine Hall
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As a new parent， I found this absolutely fascinating。 The topics explored were presented in a way that felt informative without going over my head， which I appreciate as a not particularly science minded person。 Despite what you might think based on the title， I think this book did an excellent job examining the neurological effects of parenthood from all angles。 Of course being a gestational mother has a massive effect on a person， but I’m so glad this book also included the experience of fathe As a new parent， I found this absolutely fascinating。 The topics explored were presented in a way that felt informative without going over my head， which I appreciate as a not particularly science minded person。 Despite what you might think based on the title， I think this book did an excellent job examining the neurological effects of parenthood from all angles。 Of course being a gestational mother has a massive effect on a person， but I’m so glad this book also included the experience of fathers as well as trans parents， adoptive parents， caregivers， extended family， etc。 It’s shocking to learn how little research has been done on the topic and how much we simply label things as a “biological response” without any actual proof。 I particularly enjoyed the part about how brands and influencers are attempting to capitalize on the self-doubt of new parents with “quick fix” programs and products， which is something I have become hyper aware of since becoming a mom and find super gross。 If the neurology of parenthood is a topic of interest then I’d definitely recommend this one！Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced listener copy。 。。。more
Leslie
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This was definitely my slow read！ Mother Brain goes into the science of the changes on the brain during parenthood。 She touches on the history of motherhood， the views， and what is being revealed today。 A recommendation to anyone wanting tha beginner course into the subject。 The writing was very much easy to follow and a lot of references to futher reading。
Mandy Rocha
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This book offers wonderful insight into a relatively new and under-researched science of parenthood。The author debunks myths with real scientific evidence， exploring the ways that becoming a parent changes the brain。 Down-to-Earth language explains many concepts in an easy-to-understand way that is relatable and impactful。 Unlike the title suggests， this book focuses on parenthood rather than motherhood， citing the adoptive， trans， and other parents that are equally valid journeys into motherhoo This book offers wonderful insight into a relatively new and under-researched science of parenthood。The author debunks myths with real scientific evidence， exploring the ways that becoming a parent changes the brain。 Down-to-Earth language explains many concepts in an easy-to-understand way that is relatable and impactful。 Unlike the title suggests， this book focuses on parenthood rather than motherhood， citing the adoptive， trans， and other parents that are equally valid journeys into motherhood as gestational mothers。 From mental health and PPD， to sex and gender， work， equity and science， and time， this book aims to change the way we view and talk about parenthood。 Fans of Emily Oster will love this book！ 。。。more
Natalie Doran
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I was very excited about getting to give this a listen， thank you NetGalley。 I liked that the author made sure to emphasize that the maternal instinct is human and not exclusive to cis women。 I thought this was well written and made some good connections from the general struggles of caregiving with the he own so personal experiences。 Overall， this book had a lot of potential but ended up falling flat for me。 I think if I had physically read it I would have taken more away from it but the narrat I was very excited about getting to give this a listen， thank you NetGalley。 I liked that the author made sure to emphasize that the maternal instinct is human and not exclusive to cis women。 I thought this was well written and made some good connections from the general struggles of caregiving with the he own so personal experiences。 Overall， this book had a lot of potential but ended up falling flat for me。 I think if I had physically read it I would have taken more away from it but the narrator made it easy to zone out。 That may just be my personal opinion。 I typically enjoy books about Neuroscience but this was less of a science book and more of an examination of sociology via personal accounts。 I understand that there are limits in research on the subject and I do feel the author did a decent job of making the most of the information she did find。 。。。more
Melissa
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Important， if only because it validates many birthing parents’ experiences and will hopefully get people talking about the importance of child caring。
Kristin
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I loved this book！ It felt like a key that unlocked a centuries old patriarchal lock。 Motherhood is the most incredibly transformative， life changing， event but， the lived experience of mothers has so often been dismissed with feelings left unexplained and anxiety amplified。 The author gave voice to the why through history， research， science， and masterfully woven personal stories。 I would offer this as critical reading if you plan to become a mother， are a mother， know a mother， think about mot I loved this book！ It felt like a key that unlocked a centuries old patriarchal lock。 Motherhood is the most incredibly transformative， life changing， event but， the lived experience of mothers has so often been dismissed with feelings left unexplained and anxiety amplified。 The author gave voice to the why through history， research， science， and masterfully woven personal stories。 I would offer this as critical reading if you plan to become a mother， are a mother， know a mother， think about mothers， work with mothers， work with babies， or are someone who mothers mamas in a myriad of ways。 。。。more
Marie
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This book was transformational for me。 My life was changed when my oldest was born and this book was validating， explanatory， and reassuring。 I was drawn in by how well the author related the history and science to the day to day; to her life and experience， the lives of the people she interviewed， and how history and science inform her beliefs。 Our lives today， in 2022， are influenced by the work and beliefs of men centuries and decades ago， but I really never understood how much or in what way This book was transformational for me。 My life was changed when my oldest was born and this book was validating， explanatory， and reassuring。 I was drawn in by how well the author related the history and science to the day to day; to her life and experience， the lives of the people she interviewed， and how history and science inform her beliefs。 Our lives today， in 2022， are influenced by the work and beliefs of men centuries and decades ago， but I really never understood how much or in what ways。 To read it in plain language was eye opening and， at times， infuriating。 I feel so empowered by what I have learned through these pages， over and over。 The complicated neuroscience was detailed in ways that were accessible and easy to understand， without glossing over the details or simplifying things。 Every single chapter felt relatable and I just wanted to keep reading。 。。。more
Lory Widmer Hess
，
" ' maternal behavior' is， in fact， a basic human characteristic， not uniquely maternal after all" （Ch。 1） "New parenthood is a developmental stage that takes time。" Ch。 1I started skim-reading this partway through。 Then stopped altogether。 The premise was fascinating， but more research on this topic needs to be done。 The studies the author cited were often inconclusive， too small， not published or peer-reviewed。 I grew weary after many pages spent simply summarizing such studies。 I agree from p " ' maternal behavior' is， in fact， a basic human characteristic， not uniquely maternal after all" （Ch。 1） "New parenthood is a developmental stage that takes time。" Ch。 1I started skim-reading this partway through。 Then stopped altogether。 The premise was fascinating， but more research on this topic needs to be done。 The studies the author cited were often inconclusive， too small， not published or peer-reviewed。 I grew weary after many pages spent simply summarizing such studies。 I agree from personal experience that caregiving changes the brain， and that parenting is a developmental stage that takes time to unfold。 I wish I had known these things earlier， and that more research and knowledge were available to help new parents， but it seems this awareness is just unfolding。 I hope for tomorrow's parents it will become more established， but this book is not quite the means to do it。I also grow so weary of books that explain everything about human behavior in terms of natural selection。 It's like explaining someone's journey from New York to San Francisco by describing how a train operates。 It addresses the HOW but not the WHY。 Without a spiritual element， the study of neurology becomes a deadening exercise in mechanization。 And that particularly does not belong in any discussion of human relationships。 We are more than brains walking around in bodies， and it's exactly our relationships of care that can open us to understanding that。 So I'll be thrilled when a book appears that can put those pieces together。 。。。more
Kate
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