I’ve been warned about the ‘baby brain’ phenomenon – where your mental capacities shrink as your stomach grows bigger. I thought that was ridiculous, but now I wonder if it is starting to happen to me.
I’ve left things like my keys and lunch at home, and forgot to post our registration for the hospital’s parenting classes for the second time. And I nearly forgot a lunch date with a friend I’d been looking forward to.
But I’ve got no doubt that the vivid, adventure-filled, sometimes scary dreams I’ve been having every night are related to the pregnancy.
I’d read that it happens to some women and thought it was a load of malarkey. It’s not.
There’s a theory that by week 28, babies dream as well, because they display similar brain activity to newborns, including REM (dreaming) sleep patterns.
If babies dream, what on earth do they dream about?
At least I’m not missing anything on TV by going to bed early – I’m being hugely entertained in my sleep, with full colour and spectacular effects that would need mega-bucks to bring to life.
For example, I’ve handled a dramatic street shoot-out and an apocalypse-type flood with extraordinary resourcefulness and calm.
Maybe it’s one way I’m being prepared for parenthood; a little thing such as caring for a baby can’t be so scary or taxing after that, surely?