Hi, I'm Amy and I'm a Momnesiac.
Momnesia is the new term of art for the lapsed memory that moms experience after having a baby. The condition itself isn't earth shattering news to us moms, but it's gotten alot of press this week. Don't know about you, but this story sure made me feel a whole lot better knowing that the condition is significant enough for researchers to actually give it a name.
It especially gave me comfort when on the same day the momnesia story hit, I forgot to pick up DD#2 at preschool (Ok, I didn't actually forget to pick her up. I forgot to note her ballet class schedule on my calendar and didn't realize we were between sessions which meant she was supposed to go home in regular school carpool instead of staying an extra hour for ballet. Same difference.). But I didn't beat myself up when I got the frantic "Where are you?" call from the preschool teacher. It's not my fault. I have momnesia!
Researchers attribute these memory lapses to an overabundance of hormones and sleep deprivation after having a baby. Since I haven't given birth in the last five years (unless I did and forgot?), these researchers clearly have some more work to do to understand why momnesia doesn't seem to go away. In the meantime, I'm not going to feel bad when the kids ask me for something and I forget that they've even asked me two minutes later. And I'm not going fret when I forget to RSVP to the latest kids' birthday party invitation. And I'm going to forgive myself when I forget that a really lovely neighbor has invited my daughter over to play.
In fact, I think we deserve to use this to our advantage. Didn't get to work yesterday? Ooops! Forgot...momnesia! Didn't get to that party you were dreading so excited to attend? Oh, no! That darn momnesia!
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3 comments:
I love that there's finally proof that we are not all going crazy!!
I knew there had to be a scientific explanation for what happened to me! Thank you. ;-)
And I totally agree that it doesn't go away so soon. My son is six and I'm still seriously sleep deprived because he is a late sleeper. Maybe they can do a study on cases like mine!
So true. My kids are 5 1/2 and 3 and I used to have the sharpest memory and now I forget the strangest things. Haven't forgotten to pick up the kids yet but I stress about it. I'm still working on how to forgive myself for stuff like that!
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