Mother Dear, This is What's Happened to Your Brain

I have a quirky attachment to old magazines.  I keep them, naively thinking that there might be some shred of priceless information that I'll one day REALLY need. Even in this overwhelming Information-at-your-fingertips-served-up-in-five-seconds Age, I'm convinced that Google doesn't know it all. (Does anyone else suffer with me?)

I'm facing my disorder, though, albeit not as bluntly as I could. Instead of just gathering all these periodicals and mercilessly tossing them or even holding a bonfire celebrated with s'mores, I torture myself by perusing before destroying.  This is a dangerous practice which seriously curbs my elimination rate.

That said, while poring over a favorite edition of a homeschooling magazine( I know it was a favorite because my yellow highlighter graced the pages many a time), I discovered an answer to the question that every mom asks herself at least once.

"What's happened to my brain?"


This is the question asked when you insist on calling your children the wrong names, even neighbors' names or pet's names. It's the question that creeps up when you absentmindedly leave your baby sitting in the cart as you walk out of the store, just knowing that you've forgotten "something," or when you count how much flour you've measured at least five times before finishing the recipe.

This question tortures the Mama Brain when you discover the milk in the pantry and the eggs in the closet and the potato chips in the fridge and your keys in the freezer.  It's actually the question the children ask when mother offers a piece of candy to the child she just told five minutes ago could have no candy for a year.

But now I know why we do these things. And I'm going to share the secret with you....

"The developing fetus literally sucks essential fats out of the mother's body because these fats are so vital for its brain development...a mother's brain, which is 60% fat, can literally shrink 3% each time she has a child unless she intakes essential fats sufficient for the needs of herself and her baby."
~Dr. Udo Erasmus (I kid you not...I did not fabricate that name!)


While I do indulge in those fatty acids now (they're especially good for Crohn's Disease), I promise I wasn't counting this cost of motherhood when I first saw those double lines. It was enough to remember to take my prenatal vitamins, much less toss in some fish oil, too.

Statistically speaking, I guess close to 24% of my brain might be missing. That's low when you consider Michele Duggar, with her 19 blessings, Susanna Wesley , or Sarah Edwards, who had 11 children.

But, like so many studies, this one lacks a major consideration. It only speaks of brain shrinkage while neglecting heart growth. Because even if Mamas have smaller brains for neglecting their fat intake, there's no doubt Mamas have the biggest hearts ever.

Heart-expansion happens each time you kiss a boo-boo or lose sleep to rub a restless child's back. It happens exponentially when you first see your newborn baby or find out you're pregnant. It increases when you hear "I love you," and "I'm so glad you're my Mommy."

Heart size is magnified by holding tiny hands and kissing tiny feet. It advances with each, "Please forgive me," and every covered offense. It multiplies every time you know the grace of God in the midst of your sin and mistakes and failings. It thrives with each, "Mommy, I have something to confess," and every heartfelt prayer.

Yes, heart-expansion occurs virtually every minute of our Mommy lives. We're transformed from self-absorbed, me-obsessed rookies to sacrificing, grace-dependent heart-tenders, who know very well, that but for God's mercy and grace, we'd have shrinking hearts to add to our shrinking brains.

So, don't fret Mother Dear. Just take those fatty acids, or krill, whichever suits you. Ponder the reliability of scientific knowledge which will tell us in 10 years how wrong it was to take fatty acids now, and most of all, praise and trust God for the preservation of our Mommy Brains and the blessing of Mommy Hearts that are so enlarged they're ready to burst.


With love,
Trisha


***from the archives