Word Loss and Forgetfulness
“Hand me that… uh… thing… with the thingy… it’s right next to the yellow thing…” Seriously?! Where did the words go? They used to just roll out, and now they disappear mid-sentence. Half the time you forget what you were just saying, and the other half you forget what someone else told you—literally seconds ago. Phones disappear while they’re in your hand. Keys are… oh… just chilling in the fridge next to the yogurt. Grocery lists fall apart, and pray no one asks your age or you’ll have to panic-count backwards.
Your brain feels foggy, unreliable, and buffering at the WORST possible times. And as harmless as it is—OMG—it’s still SO frustrating.
All-Time Mom Brain Fails 😅
Come on—if you don’t laugh, it’s just sad.
🚪 Walk into a room. Stand there. Leave. Zero idea why you came in.
🧺 Start laundry. Forget it for three days. Now it smells like swamp. Restart cycle.
🛒 Go to the store for one thing. Come home with a haul of snacks. No diapers.
👶 Spend five minutes frantically searching for the baby… only to realize you’re holding them the whole time.
☕ Pour breast milk into your coffee instead of creamer. Stare at it. “Well… technically it’s organic?”
🚗 Carry the baby car seat to the car. Strap it in. Leave the baby inside the house.
👶🛒 Push an empty stroller through the store for 20 minutes. Baby’s with your husband. Classic.
🍼 Buy six pacifiers. Within 24 hours, every single one disappears into the void.
🎵 Rock the baby to sleep. Put them down. Arms and hips keep swinging anyway. Baby’s not there. You’re just… rocking yourself.
Sleep Deprivation & Breastfeeding
Sleep deprivation is a huge factor in brain fog. Long stretches of broken sleep—max 4 hours at a time (if you’re lucky!)—plus the nonstop exhaustion of tending to an infant will wreck anyone’s brain. And if your partner ever teases you about your foggy mind? Hand them the baby and let them try this “sleep schedule.” Funny stories guaranteed.
And if you’re breastfeeding? Oh, that fog sticks around even longer. Even when the baby finally sleeps through the night (YESS! 🎉), your brain doesn’t magically snap back. Nope—it can take weeks, sometimes even months, for your mental “reboot” to actually happen. And while you’re switching between one milk-stained nursing top to another at 3 a.m., the exhaustion still lingers.
Identity Shift and Emotional Impact
The hardest part isn’t just forgetting things—it’s forgetting yourself. Moms who used to thrive on productivity and sharp thinking now feel like a different person, with their heads stuffed with cotton.
It can feel scary and depressing—like, damn, what if this never ends? What if I’m just… less now? It’s more than brain fog; it’s an identity crisis. And yes, sometimes it even feels like the early signs of dementia or Alzheimer’s.
While that sucks, many moms reach a point of acceptance and notice that things get better when they stop chasing their “old version” and start figuring out how to adapt—and even thrive—with the “new you.” Even if she still forgets why she walked into the room. Again.
Work and Cognitive Struggles
Oh, the professional shift hits HARD. You used to be the go-to person—smooth, sharp, no issues at work. Now… you’re rereading the same email five times, still trying to make sense of it. The mistakes are tiny—wrong date, wrong file—but they sting. And then the fear sneaks in: “Am I still good at this? Do people notice?”
Pssst… yes, they do—but honestly, they’re probably forgetting their own stuff too, so maybe you’re fine 😉. Your brain feels slow and overloaded, and you catch yourself thinking, “Did I seriously forget how to do this? I need my brain back!!” Small mistakes at work make a lot of moms doubt themselves. You still get the job done, but it takes way more energy, reminders, and double-checks than before—and sometimes you just sit there wondering… can you fake it ’til you make it, or will your brain ever show up again?
There’s no neat answer here. It’s simply hard—being a woman, raising kids, and keeping a career afloat. It feels unfair to suddenly face choices you never asked for. But whether you power through (and yes, it will be brutaly HARD), lean on outside help for childcare, or choose to pause career goals to focus on family—what matters most is that your decision aligns with your heart.
Overload & Multitasking
There’s just too much stuff to remember! Motherhood is basically like opening 50 new tabs at once in your brain. You’re tracking meal plans, appointments, childcare needs, school stuff, household chores (tons of laundry and cleaning!), and oh yeah… your own work and life—all at the same time.
So yeah, it’s not surprising that little things—like adding eggs to the shopping list—get dropped. Forgetting isn’t about being careless; it’s about carrying way too much at once. Honestly, the fact that most of it actually does get remembered? That’s impressive, girl.
But seriously… you NEED to write everything down.
Safety & Daily Life Adjustments
Sometimes the fog feels funny… other times, not so much. It can actually make life harder—and even riskier—especially in situations where mistakes matter, like driving.
Some moms notice they’re suddenly less sharp behind the wheel. Pro tip: narrate your actions out loud while driving (the backseat audience usually doesn’t mind 👶). And yes, brain fog can make you especially vulnerable—like almost falling for those “too good to be true” scams because your brain is just too tired to think straight.
While most lapses are harmless, they’re a real reminder that functioning in constant fog comes with genuine risks.
Just… Don’t Turn Into a Jerk, M’kay?
Look, forgetting dates or messing up little things? Fine, we’ve all been there. But using hormones or brain fog as an excuse to be rude, inconsiderate, or just plain nasty? Nope. 🚫
“Mommy brain” is not a free pass to be a jerk. It’s brain fog, not bad manners. Snapping at people and then blaming hormones? Sorry—you don’t get to have it both ways. That one’s ALL on you.
Coping & Recovery Tips
Despite the frustrations, there are ways to take the edge off the fog. So, what actually helps?
✨ Check your basics: iron, B12, vitamin D—sometimes it really is that simple.
✨ Get moving: walks, workouts, dancing in the kitchen—it all helps.
✨ Talk it out: journal, vent, or narrate your day like you’re hosting your own podcast.
✨ Feed your brain: podcasts, books, news—anything that isn’t baby-related.
✨ Outsource your memory: calendars, sticky notes, alarms, phone reminders—use them all.
✨Simplify life: breastfeeding-friendly clothes like LULA nursing tops or a comfy nursing t-shirt. Fewer wardrobe worries = one less thing your foggy brain has to juggle.
✨ The big one: give it time. (We know, worst advice ever 😑… but it does get better. Some moms say 2 years, some say more. Sorry, just keeping it real.)