I recently saw an article in the New York Times about changes in a woman’s brain while pregnant. The article discussed how neuroscientist Elizabeth Chrastil underwent a series of twenty-six MRI brain scans while she was pregnant, before, and the two years following the birth of her son. The results showed that during pregnancy a woman’s brain undergoes physical changes. Some of these changes are only temporary during the pregnancy while others are long lasting.
This is something that could lead to a whole new wave of treatment for women who suffer symptoms of postpartum depression and other mental changes during pregnancy. This study allows doctors to analyze the physical changes in a woman’s brain and assess the results. It was stated that similar changes to the brain happen during puberty and infancy. In some cases, if the changes are affected or it does not occur as it should this can lead to neurological disorders.
Women’s healthcare has been such a large topic of debate in the past recent years specifically focusing on abortion rights. This new study can lead the healthcare community toward a new focus. Women who have given birth and the resources available to them. This is not to say that the topic of abortion should be pushed aside. The idea that a woman has access to proper healthcare is a fundamental human right. This new study simply shows how as a woman your body is not only physically changing and creating life but your brain is too.
Many women struggle during pregnancy whether that is from symptoms that make everyday life more difficult or something as simple as “pregnant brain”. The term can now be explained, not as just a phenomenon that happens, but as a physical symptom of creating life. Some women may not have symptoms as severe or even notice any real changes to their behavior or mental state. However, this is not to say that they are not going through changes and other women’s accounts of change hold any less merit.
Looking at this article from the standpoint of women’s access to healthcare makes this so influential. As a woman myself I am more than aware of the difficulties faced to try and get access to healthcare and be heard by a physician. As I have not experienced being pregnant, it is difficult for me to know what struggles some women might face when it comes to having their voices heard. I do know, however, what it is like for a physician to blow you off and claim your symptoms are dramatized with no real answers or solutions.
Healthcare for women has been a fight for well over a hundred years and will continue to be a struggle for some years to come. This article however shows that there is more to learn about a woman’s body and the changes we experience. This article could be the voice some women need to say “Hey I’m not f*cking crazy. Something is physically changing about me.” The permanent effects are unknown thus far and women who struggle with postpartum depression could soon have more answers and ways of treatment. That is why this article is important. It shows what women go through that may not be seen physically but experienced mentally during pregnancy.
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