Memory loss and pregnancy

Mind blanks

It can be worrying for women who start to forget the simple things that they used to recall automatically. For example, there may be problems remembering a phone number previously known by heart or forgetting a point while mid-sentence.

Dr Wheatley explains: 'We can put a great deal of pressure on ourselves. Everyone forgets things and it's easy to blame pregnancy. Moving house or changing job is just as likely to stretch the brain. Pregnancy is simply on the list of pressure situations where we are more vulnerable to making simple mistakes.'

Dr Louise Knight, an editorial director from Ely, is five months pregnant with twins. She says: 'I am aware that my driving is no longer quite as accurate as it was and I had a rather embarrassing episode in Waitrose car park recently where I couldn't manoeuvre out of a space without repeatedly hitting the metal post on my right hand side.

'After I'd hit it three times, a lady came over to advise me how best to turn the wheel to avoid the post. Only then did I realise that I was not thinking rationally. I could have exited the space easily but had a total mental block about how to do it.'

Short-term memory loss

The most common type of forgetfulness during pregnancy is related to the short-term memory, where we store our daily information. You get to the shop only to forget what you went for, for example, or can't remember where you parked the car.

Georgina Cox from Kew is six months pregnant with her first child. 'I tend to forget absolutely everything,' she says. 'My brain can only cope with one thought at a time. Multi-tasking is out of the window. I feel a bit like my grandmother must have felt - long-term memory is fine - it's the short-term memory which is sporadic, to say the least!'

Feeling hormonal?

Studies show that hormones affect mood and anxiety levels during pregnancy. Dr Pam Spurr, psychologist and author, agrees memory is down to an emotional state. 'As a mother and psychologist I know that memory is affected with hormonal changes,' says Pam. 'Our whole emotional and intellectual abilities get affected. It's one of nature's ways of slowing us down during pregnancy so we're not juggling too much.'

Tips to help you remember

Sleep well
Recharge your brain every day with a good night's sleep, or take a power nap during the day to help you feel refreshed.

Make notes
Write down everything you need to remember and carry a 'to do' list. Cover your desk with reminders on post-it notes or set reminder alarms on your mobile phone.

Prepare yourself for pregnancy
'Things will happen that you have no control over, but if you have thought through all eventualities and are semi-prepared, you won't feel out of depth,' says Dr Wheatley.

Exercise your memory
Try to retain as much information as you can. The mind is like a muscle that needs flexing. So, shop from memory, using your list as back up.

Try not to worry about it!
'If you are using up valuable memory and energy by worrying, try to stop. You might find extra gigabytes are freed up,' adds Dr Wheatley. 'It's only for nine months and your memory will come back.'