Next Self: What Pregnancy ACTUALLY Does to Your Brain: Neuroscientist Dr Sarah McKay Explains

What actually happens to a woman’s brain when she becomes pregnant, and why are we still calling it “baby brain”?

In this episode of Selfdom, I’m joined by neuroscientist and author Dr Sarah McKay to unpack the incredible neuroscience of pregnancy, matrescence and motherhood.

We explore how the brain physically changes during pregnancy, the role hormones play in rewiring the maternal brain, why emotions and protective instincts can become heightened, and whether “maternal instinct” is something we’re born with or something our brains develop.

We also dive into why your priorities and identity can begin to shift, how long these neurological changes last, and the empowering truth about what the maternal brain may actually be becoming better at.

This conversation completely changed the way I think about pregnancy. Rather than seeing these changes as something we lose to motherhood, the science shows just how extraordinary and adaptive the female brain really is.

Whether you’re pregnant, already a mother or simply curious about the female brain, this is an episode every woman should hear.

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