Mommy Brain. It's a Real Thing.

Mommy Brain is a real thing.  The absentmindedness started while I was pregnant. I would forget to buy milk at the grocery store. Or I would order my husband the wrong coffee drink on a morning doughnut run. It was funny, most of the time. But then the baby came out and took my sanity along with it. When I look into my future, I don’t see it coming back any time soon. Pregnancy brain has been replaced with mommy brain.

Regularly, I turn on the Keurig and don’t put a coffee mug under it. Or put apple juice in my mug instead of creamer. I reply to texts and later swear that I have no idea what people are talking about. I know a fraction of what’s happening in the world, and what I do know likely came from Facebook.

I swear I used to be a super organized, punctual businesswoman who had it all together. I balanced housework, commuting, work travel, and managed multi-million dollar brands. I knew people’s phone numbers by heart and remembered people’s birthdays. But then, I grew a human inside my body and started taking care of her in this great big world. And my brain turned to mush.

Or so I thought.

• The prices and SKU numbers of products I once sold were replaced by the sizes of diapers my child wears and how much they cost at each store.

• The flight duration from Minneapolis to Denver was replaced by the estimated time it takes to get 2 kids ready and out the door to school on time.

• The chemistry of beauty product ingredients was replaced by the plethora of ingredient label names that will make my allergic child sick.

• My tidy kitchen, with no dirty dishes in sight, was replaced by no less than 3 sippy cups waiting to be washed.

• The state of the economy and current events were replaced by the names and theme songs of my children’s favorite shows.

• My quiet 60-minute commute filled with audiobooks was replaced by the Frozen soundtrack

  
  

My kids are thriving, even if I feel like my new brain isn’t as great as the pre-kids version. There’s only so much room in there, and I’m keeping the stuff I use most at the forefront. Just like animals adapt to their surroundings, I’ve adapted to become great at my new job. I am, however, holding out hope that once I don’t have to keep track of their poop schedule, I can once again remember people’s phone numbers and birthdays.

And to all of you moms who manage amazing careers while being amazing moms, I take my hat off to you!

Original content by Kristin, updated by Green Bay Area Mom