Working on textbook reading for my lactation counselor course and just came across this little wonderful gem:

"When we think and act we use both sides of our brain - left and right - which are joined by the corpus colosseum and, therefore, work together. However, certain modes of thinking are more associated with one side of the brain than with the other. For example, the left brain is associated with planning ahead and the logical, sequential and analytical. The right brain, on the other hand, is associated with relationships, being in the moment, the intuitive and the holistic. Newborns use their right brains because their left brains are not yet well developed. Some suggest that during early postpartum, a mother's right brain may become dominant to make it possible for her to connect better with her baby (Simille, 2008).

During the early weeks, many mothers report difficulty following instructions, remembering facts and keeping track of time, all primarily goverened by the left brain. Some researchers have referred to this phenomenon as a 'cognitive deficiency' (Eidelman, Hoffmann, & Katz, 1993).

However, for the survival of the species, mothers must want to care for their newborns, and it is the right brain that governs a mother's emotions. This may explain in part why the right brain appears to take a more active role in the early weeks. Rather than referring to this as a 'cognitive deficiency', it may be more accurate to say that new mothers have 'enhanced right brain function'."

I love this! I felt totally disorganized and... to use their word... deficient in the postpartum periods after both of my babies.... when in fact I may have been intuitively responding to my children, prioritizing those attentions and activities that were most necessary to their survival.

What a great way to reframe the experience into a positive and make a new mom feel powerful instead of strung out and crazy.