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When women become mothers, they both emotionally and physically change. This is not surprising given the increased hormones that women have when they are pregnant. What may be surprising is just how permanent some changes are and just how they can impact women’s lives forever.
It’s nothing that should preclude women from becoming mothers but things they should be aware of nonetheless. Because the more women know about what happens to them once they become mothers, the better they can be prepared when the changes happen.
It used to be believed that once women had their babies and their hormones went back to their pre-pregnancy levels, they were the same people as they were before babies were born. Over time, it has come to light as a result of science, that women are forever changed after their first babies are born.
The emotions they feel, the way their brains work, and how they are physically changed. This does not mean that women are worse off because of having babies. It just means that motherhood is a magical experience. And it is an experience that makes women different, if not better, people for it.
Here is what happens to women once they become mothers.
Brain Matter Can Change Permanently
During pregnancy, the amount of brain matter that women have changes dramatically. It would seem logical that it would increase given the more responsibilities that women have once they become mothers. But instead, the size of brain matter decreases, something that can take time to rebound, if it does at all.
According to Science, when women have their first babies, the “architecture of the brain” changes. The changes come from the brain matter shrinking in the areas that have to deal with “processing and responding to social signals.”
When the thought of shrinking brain matter comes to mind, it seems like it would make the brain work less efficiently. However, per the publication, the exact opposite is true. The less brain matter causes the brain to wire itself to better be able to respond to babies’ needs and detect any threats in infants’ environments.
Some women can expect the brain matter to return to its normal size after approximately two years, according to Science. But for others, the size of the smaller brain remains. And what that means for mothers as they age is still in the process of being determined.
Oxytocin Increases In The Body
The hormone that is responsible for people loving one another increases in the body after women become mothers. Scientists are working to determine if it remains permanently after babies are born or decreases over time as children age.
According to The Atlantic, when babies are born, the levels of oxytocin that exist in mothers’ bodies are higher than at any point in time in their lives. It does not matter how in love women are with their partners or how much they love others in their lives. Becoming a mother increases oxytocin levels to heights never before seen.
The more that mothers participate in the caregiving of their children, per the publication, the more oxytocin courses through the body. Regardless of whether the levels remain high consistently, there are further permanent changes in the brain that cause this great amount of love to exist from mothers to their babies.
Hair Texture Can Change
More often than not, women hear about how their hair will grow faster during pregnancy and that they will be prone to losing a fair amount of hair as the pregnancy hormones begin to subside. But what they may not know is that the hair texture itself can change after pregnancy. Giving women a whole new head of hair to become accustomed to.
According to Self, the hair that women eventually end up having after their hormones go back to normal can be thinner, thicker, curlier, or coarser. This all has to do with genetics. As such, if other women in the family have had significant hair changes after giving birth that is permanent, it is a strong likelihood that future generations will experience the same.
Midsection Size May Permanently Change
When pregnant, women’s bodies have to internally shift to accommodate growing babies. Because of this, women may find that they have a different midsection size after they become mothers, even after they have returned to their pre-pregnancy weight.
According to Health, the ribcage expands to make room for growing babies and the organs that shift as babies get larger. The hips can change size as well. As a result of this, women can find that their waist and/or hips are slightly larger than they were before having kids, regardless of hitting their target weight they were at before babies. It should not be looked at as a negative. It is an excuse to go shopping for a fabulous wardrobe instead.
Feet Size May Change
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Given the extra weight being carried and swelling that occurs during pregnancy, the size of women’s feet can permanently change as a result of women becoming mothers.
According to BabyCenter, the foot size that women have can increase by two to 10 millimeters after becoming mothers. For those who increase by 10 millimeters, they will go up a shoe size. Meaning that old shoes will need to be thrown out and new ones purchased.
Breasts Are Forever Changed
As a result of the glands in the breasts getting larger to be able to carry the milk that babies need, the size of the breasts can increase by two cup sizes while breastfeeding, according to Vogue. But, when women make the decision to no longer breastfeed and wean their babies, the breasts will return to their normal size, if not smaller, per the publication. Making women think they should have the same breasts they had pre-pregnancy.
However, according to Vogue, the breast tissue has been stretched to limits where the lack of volume makes them sag. And as a result of being a mother, breasts are forever changed.
Source: Science, The Atlantic, Self, Health, BabyCenter, Vogue
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