Baby brain, also called pregnancy brain, is when people feel more forgetful or have trouble focusing during pregnancy. You might find it harder to remember things or finish tasks. During pregnancy, your body goes through many changes, including changes to your brain. Your hormones shift a lot, and your mind often focuses on getting ready for your baby. Baby brain is a normal part of pregnancy, and most people only have mild symptoms that go away on their own. In this guide, we'll explain what baby brain is, why it happens, and tips for dealing with it. We'll also talk about brain fog after giving birth and when you should talk to a doctor. Understanding Baby Brain Baby brain means small changes in memory, concentration, and focus during pregnancy. Many pregnant people feel forgetful, distracted, or less sharp than usual. Some describe it as feeling "foggy" or like there's a haze in their mind. These changes happen because your brain responds to higher hormone levels. With all the physical demands of pregnancy and getting ready to be a parent, it's normal for your mind to work differently. Not everyone gets baby brain, and those who do experience it in different ways. For some people, these thinking changes might continue after the baby is born. This is often called postpartum brain fog. It happens because of lack of sleep, hormone changes, and adjusting to caring for a new baby.

Brain fog makes your thinking feel cloudy and unclear. People with brain fog often feel forgetful, unfocused, and have trouble finishing tasks. While everyone feels foggy sometimes, brain fog that doesn't go away can affect your daily life and mental health. Brain fog is often linked to stress, health problems, or lifestyle habits. Common signs of brain fog include: Feeling like you're "thinking through a haze" Forgetting small details or tasks Finding it hard to focus during conversations or activities Brain fog isn't a disease on its own. It's usually a sign of something else happening in your body or mind. What Causes Brain Fog? Brain fog can come from many different sources: Lifestyle Factors: Not getting enough sleep Too much stress or worry Poor diet and not drinking enough water Medical Conditions: Chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia (conditions that cause pain and tiredness) Menopause (when women's hormones change) Autoimmune disorders like lupus or multiple sclerosis Thyroid problems (when your thyroid gland makes too many or too few hormones) Medications and Treatments: Some cancer treatments ("chemo brain") Common medications like allergy pills (antihistamines)

Failure to thrive describes when a child is not growing or developing as they should. It is commonly diagnosed in babies and toddlers when they haven’t met the height or weight we would expect for their age compared to the national average. It’s more of a symptom than a condition and requires a bit of investigation to determine the underlying reason.

Stress is an important and often overlooked cause of hair loss. Everyone sheds hair daily as part of a normal hair growth cycle, but at certain times in people's lives the rate of hair loss can pick up momentum, becoming more noticeable. Stress-induced hair loss is common and may result in hair loss from a certain area of the head or from all over the head. It can happen in both men and women of any age. The good news is that hair will usually grow back once the stressful event has passed, or you have recovered from a significant illness that caused physical stress or even from pregnancy.

Everyone goes through phases of feeling unmotivated or lacking in energy – it can be part of life’s normal ups and downs. But if fatigue and lethargy persist without obvious cause – you're not working long stressful hours or have a new baby – then perhaps you need to consider an underlying cause.

Panic attacks are quite common, with around 1 in 10 people experiencing them. They can be a scary experience. Here at Healthwords, we believe that knowledge is power, so understanding more about these panic attacks and how to tackle them can hopefully help. We’ll explain when to see your doctor and what treatment paths are available.