How Your Brain Can Change During A Second Pregnancy

Heading into a second pregnancy can be daunting, especially if you didn’t have a particularly great experience the first time around. Will the sickness return? Will the first trimester be as challenging as it was last time?

However, according to new research from Amsterdam University Medical Center, second pregnancies can have significantly different impacts on the brain. In fact, Building on earlier work showing that a first pregnancy reshapes the brain, the researchers found that each pregnancy leaves its own unique imprint on the maternal brain.

The researchers explain: “It appears that during a second pregnancy, the brain is more strongly altered in networks involved in reacting to sensory cues and in controlling your attention,

“These processes may be beneficial when caring for multiple children.”

Interestingly, the study also identified a relationship between pregnancy related brain changes and the emotional bond between mother and child. This connection was stronger after a first pregnancy than after a second.

The researchers also observed links between structural brain changes and peripartum depression, both during a first and a second pregnancy.

Researchers say: “This provides the first evidence that the changes that occur in a woman’s cerebral cortex during pregnancy are related to depression. In women who became mothers for the first time, this was particularly noticeable after giving birth.

“In women who had their second child, this was the case during pregnancy. This knowledge can help us to better recognise and understand mental health issues in mothers. We must understand how the brain adapts to motherhood.’”

Of course, to many mothers, this will not be news. In fact, according to The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), in pregnancy, depression and anxiety are the most common mental health problems, affecting around 12% and 13% of women, respectively.

In the first year after birth, around 15–20% of women experience depression and anxiety.

NICE also highlights that there is evidence to suggest that perinatal depression may be commonly missed or undertreated in general practice.

Let’s hope this new research leads to meaningful change and support for mothers.