The number of times I’ve misplaced my keys and phone is embarrassing. So many times I’ve walked into a room and can’t remember what I needed. Coming up with something to fix for dinner was a daily struggle. “Mom brain.” I’d say. I remember telling people I lost brain cells with each baby that I had, and after 4 babies, I didn’t have many left. I accepted this new level of forgetfulness and foggy-headed state of existence as typical mom life, never even questioning if this had to be my reality forever now. But what I came to realize is that accepting mom brain means we are ignoring our second brain.
Mom brain is a very real thing, and most of us assume it’s from the increase in stress that naturally comes with having kids. That is part of it- elevated cortisol levels keep us in survival mode, where we are reactive and distracted instead of being able to focus. It disrupts our sleep, in case we don’t have enough uninterrupted sleep with the kids waking us up, and it causes blood sugar swings. But the piece that so many of us don’t know about is the connection between our brain and our gut.
In the functional medicine world, our gut is often referred to as our second brain. Communication signals go from our brain to our gut and also from our gut to our brain. An imbalance in one place often leads to an imbalance in the other. The bacteria in our gut make neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine. When there is an imbalance in your gut, it directly affects how much of those feel-good chemicals your body makes, and how well they are used. It also makes short-chain fatty acids that influence brain health. When there is inflammation in the gut, it can trigger things like brain fog, mood swings, and difficulty concentrating. So, how did we end up with an imbalance and inflammation in our gut?
The first, and probably least surprising, way a gut imbalance happens is by stress. Stress keeps our cortisol levels elevated, which interrupts our sleep. Stress and lack of sleep disrupt our gut bacteria. A disruption in our gut bacteria directly impacts our brain health. If you’re thinking this sounds like a vicious cycle, you’d be 100% correct. If allowed to continue, the effects of this vicious cycle compound over months and years, making it harder to correct.
Hormone changes during pregnancy, postpartum, and perimenopause also cause a gut imbalance for moms. During pregnancy, soaring hormones like estrogen and progesterone naturally slow down your digestion and shift which gut bacteria thrive, so you might notice constipation or bloating. After your baby is born and those hormone levels suddenly crash, your gut bacteria scramble to re-balance, especially if you’ve taken antibiotics or are under sleep-deprived stress, leading to more upset stomachs, brain fog, and mood swings. Then, as you approach perimenopause in your 40s and early 50s, steadily falling estrogen again slows digestion and thins the protective gut lining, making it easier for bad organisms to overgrow and trigger inflammation or food sensitivities. In each of these life stages, hormone shifts can tip your gut out of balance.
Another major cause of gut imbalances in moms is processed foods and sugars. When you rely on processed foods and sugary snacks, you’re essentially feeding the bad organisms in your gut while starving the good ones that keep your digestive system running smoothly. The quick-digesting sugars give yeast and harmful bacteria the perfect fuel to overgrow, while the lack of real fiber means your beneficial bacteria can’t thrive. Over time, this imbalance leads to inflammation, a leaky gut lining, and even weakened immunity, so you might notice stomach troubles, mood swings, frequent illness, or that lingering mom brain fog.
If you look closer and notice symptoms like bloating, gas, constipation, food sensitivities, skin issues, fatigue even after sleeping, or anxiety, then your gut might be the real cause of your mom brain. A gut test can give you a comprehensive look at everything that’s happening inside your digestive system, like which good microbes are missing, which unwelcome ones are taking over, and how well you’re digesting and absorbing nutrients. With those insights, you and your functional medicine practitioner can create a targeted plan to restore balance in your gut. You can implement diet and lifestyle changes on your own, and they are important, but if the imbalance in the gut isn’t specifically addressed, the vicious cycle will continue.
Losing your keys, forgetting why you walked into a room, and struggling to make a plan for dinner is a real thing, but it doesn’t have to be your everyday reality just because you’re a mom. These things have become such a common experience for moms, but that doesn’t mean it’s normal. If you’re ready to fix the mom brain, start with a closer look at your gut. Because mom brain isn’t all in your head.
Becky is a wife, mom of four boys, nurse, and Functional Health Practitioner who’s passionate about helping women feel like themselves again. After spending over a decade in women’s health, it was her own journey through motherhood that highlighted the gaps in our healthcare system. Now, she applies her medical knowledge through a functional medicine lens to uncover the root causes of symptoms and help women move from surviving to thriving. Becky is the founder of Rooted and Restored Functional Health, where she walks with moms looking for real answers and lasting wellness. Learn more at www.rootedandrestoredhealth.com