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By Daniella Gray
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‘Mom brain’ may be more than just a myth, as a new study finds that pregnancy does change the brain—specifically by reducing one's "fear memory".
Researchers at Northeastern University found that pregnancy appears to dampen the brain’s learned response to threatening or stressful experiences.
Fear memory plays a key role in survival, helping individuals remember and avoid danger, but it is also involved in anxiety disorders and post-traumatic stress.
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The findings offered a fresh perspective on how pregnancy reshapes the brain, beyond the well-known forgetfulness or mental fog many expectant mothers report. While “mom brain” has often been dismissed as anecdotal or cultural shorthand, growing evidence suggests pregnancy triggers meaningful neurological changes.
In the new study, the researchers examined how pregnancy affects the formation and recall of fear memories, using established experimental models that measure how the brain learns and responds to perceived threats.
The results showed that pregnancy was associated with a reduction in fear memory retention, meaning fearful associations were less strongly remembered compared to non-pregnant states.
Researchers said hormonal shifts are likely to be central to the effect. Pregnancy brings dramatic increases in hormones such as estrogen and progesterone, which are known to influence brain regions involved in memory and emotional processing, including the amygdala and hippocampus.
These same brain areas play a critical role in how fear is learned, stored and later recalled.
Importantly, the researchers emphasized that a decrease in fear memory is not necessarily a negative change. In fact, they suggest it may serve an adaptive purpose.
Pregnancy is a period of heightened vulnerability and stress, and dampening fear responses could help protect maternal mental health during a time of profound physical and emotional change.
Reduced fear memory may also support caregiving behaviors after birth by lowering anxiety and promoting bonding.
The findings add to a growing body of research showing that pregnancy is a period of intense brain plasticity. Previous studies have documented structural and functional changes in the brain during pregnancy, challenging the idea that cognitive changes are purely subjective or temporary lapses in attention.
While the study does not suggest pregnant people lose the ability to recognize danger, it highlights that the brain may prioritize emotional regulation differently during pregnancy.
Researchers noted that further work is needed to determine how long these changes last after birth and whether they influence vulnerability to anxiety or mood disorders postpartum.
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Reference
Vincelette, L. K., Ulgenturk, E., Adel-Zadeh, B., Ravaglia, I. C., Hanson, L. R., Lubash, R. W., & Shansky, R. M. (2026). Pregnancy’s lasting imprint: Late pregnancy allopregnanolone alters rat fear recall and medial prefrontal cortex activity. Hormones and Behavior, 178. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yhbeh.2026.105882
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