Mom Brain

Sounds like a fairly benign condition, right? Or does it? Chances are someone you know is suffering from this very affliction. Or maybe you are the one who is suffering!! Fellow mothers, I urge you to unite with me and suffer in silence no more!

I amaze myself on a daily basis. And sometimes not in a good way!! I know the phone numbers of our primary care doctor, the pediatrician, the neurologist, the dentist, family members and close friends. I can remember the weight, height and social security numbers of each of my children. So how come I haven't been able to find my cell phone in over two months?? Or remember what I just came downstairs for??

Today was one of those days where mom brain really affected my life. Actually the past few days have been that way!! I forgot to pay our phone bill and AT&T actually shut down our long distance, so we couldn't call anyone that wasn't in our area code for a couple of days. And today I got all the way to the store and realized that my debit card wasn't with me. Then thinking I had enough cash to at least pick up some lunch so that packing up all three children and taking them out wasn't completely in vain, I headed over to the Taco Bell. Nope. Not enough cash to feed four people. By the way, since when did Taco Bell become so damn pricey!!! Needless to say, I felt like a complete idiot in front of my children today. I can't even say that I'm losing it because I think "it" was gone a long time ago. My brain has reached maximum capacity. "How sad", you say!! "She was only 29 and such a nice girl."

Do all moms feel this way or am I the only one here?? Is mom brain an epidemic?? I have never been one of those organized, got it all together types. My locker in school was always a mess, that is if I could remember the combination to even open it. I usually waited until the last minute to study for that big math quiz or finish that book report. But when did THIS happen to me? Scatterbrain doesn't quite cover it, but airhead sounds a little too harsh. I know there are people out there with way more kids and way more on their plate that are doing this way better than me. I'd write things down to help me remember, but I wouldn't remember where I put the paper they were written on!! What am I doing wrong and how can I make it better? For the sake of my family and all those involved, I feel the need for answers.

In my quest for those answers, I came across a study by a health correspondent from the UK. It says that 'mom brain' is not a myth and that psychologists have proven that forgetfulness from pregnancy and childbirth lasts for years. Some even call it 'momnesia.' Yikes. Other studies have argued that no such thing exists. Ya, right. Have those people give me a call when they have had to get a new debit card twice because they keep losing theirs. Or when they forget words like "the" and "you" in the middle of a sentence. Or when they leave the hot rollers plugged in overnight and the chord melts all over the bathroom counter. Have the people from that study give me a call!

Mom brain is real and it exists!!! But if there's a cure, I guess I don't want it. I wouldn't trade my dumbness for my three gorgeous kiddos for anything. I guess if it means anything, maybe they got all the good brain cells I did have! Good luck to each of them because I'm sure there weren't many!!!

So the next time you lose your keys for the tenth time or call your husband by the dog's name, remember that mom brain is real but it won't last forever. We can only hope!!!