Mommy Brain Revisited

In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited, host Dr. Jodi Pawluski speaks with Dr. Elseline Hoekzema about her recent research on how pregnancy reshapes the brain—and whether those changes happen differently during a second pregnancy.
Drawing on longitudinal brain imaging studies, Dr. Hoekzema explains how many of the structural brain changes observed in first-time mothers reappear during a second pregnancy, but often to a lesser degree. The conversation explores how pregnancy fine-tunes brain networks involved in social cognition, self-perception, attention, and processing sensory cues, while also revealing unique adaptations that may help mothers manage the demands of caring for multiple children.
They discuss the concept of "maternal memory," why some brain changes appear to be long-lasting, and how becoming a mother for the first time may trigger distinct neural adaptations that are not repeated in subsequent pregnancies. The episode offers a fascinating look at the latest neuroscience of motherhood and what researchers are learning about the remarkable plasticity of the parental brain.
 
The Research
The featured study is published in the Journal of Neuroendocrinology Special Issue on the Parental Brain, edited by Dr Jodi Pawluski, Dr Joseph Lonstein, Dr Susana Carmona and Dr Oscar Vilarroya.
Publication information:
Halmans S, Straathof M, van 't Hof S, Denys D, Crone EA, Månsson KNT, Hoekzema E. Neural variability across the transition to motherhood: Enhanced moment-to-moment neural variability during mentalizing in first-time mothers. J Neuroendocrinol. 2026 May;38(5):e70191. doi: 10.1111/jne.70191. PMID: 42062236; PMCID: PMC13132796.
 
Halmans S, Straathof M, van 't Hof S, Denys D, Crone EA, Månsson KNT, Hoekzema E. Pregnancy changes the variability of brain signaling, NeuroImage, Volume 333, 2026, 121923,
ISSN 1053-8119, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2026.121923.
 
Special thanks to Agnes, the Communications Officer, British Society for Neuroendocrinology for editing!
 
Visit www.jodipawluski.com for more on all things parenting and perinatal mental health.

In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited, host Dr. Jodi Pawluski speaks with Dr. James Rilling from the Department of Psychology at Emory University about his recent paper published in the Journal of Neuroendocrinology special issue on the parental brain.
The conversation explores how fatherhood changes the brain, with a focus on motivation, reward, and neural mechanisms involved in paternal caregiving.
Drawing on both human and animal research, Dr. Rillingdiscusses how becoming a parent may reshape motivational systems in the brain.
Inspired by studies in maternal behavior in rats, his research investigates whether human fathers experience similar shifts in reward processing and caregiving motivation across the transition to parenthood.

The Research
The featured study examined how brain function and caregiving motivation change in first-time fathers from pregnancy through the postpartum period.
The research is published in the Journal of Neuroendocrinology.
Publication information:
The transition to human fatherhood involves increased brain activation to infant stimuli in regions involved with reward and motivation
James K. Rilling, Minwoo Lee, Carolyn Zhou, Esther Jung, Ella Arrant, Sijia Wu, Jessica A. Cooper, Agena Davenport-Nicholson, Michael T. Treadway
First published: 22 December 2025
 https://doi.org/10.1111/jne.70127
 
Special thanks to Agnes, the Communications Officer, BritishSociety for Neuroendocrinology for editing!
 
Visit www.jodipawluski.com for more on all things parenting and perinatal mental health.

In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited, I answer thoughtful and candid questions submitted by midwifery students, our next generation of birth workers.
I dive into what questions they have around brain changes during pregnancy and the postpartum period, what this means for perinatal mental health, what mechanisms may be involved, and more.
This episode offers insight for both students and anyone curious about brain changes in pregnancy and the postpartum period. ---
If you would like to learn more about the parental brain and perinatal mental health, check out my workshop and training offers at www.jodipawluski.com

In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited, Dr Tim Oberlander and I briefly discuss SSRI use in pregnancy and the importance of focusing on maternal mental health in this area of research.
Our conversation centers on our perspective, Potential risks and benefits of prenatal selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor medications for maternal mental health and child development published in Nature Mental Health.
We emphasize the complexity of separating medication effects from underlying maternal depression and the importance of comprehensive approaches, including pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatments.

For more on current treatment guidelines for perinatal mental health see:
https://www.canmat.org/2025/02/12/available-now-canmat-2024-guidelines-for-perinatal-mood-anxiety-and-related-disorders-and-accompanying-patient-and-family-guide/
 
Dr. Tim Oberlander  has over 3 decades of research on maternal mental health, SSRIs and child development. He is a Developmental Pediatrician, Clinician-Scientist and Professor of Pediatrics in the School of Population Public Health, University of British Columbia and BC Children’s Hospital.

Our publication: Pawluski, J., Oberlander, T.F. Potential risksand benefits of prenatal selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor medications for maternal mental health and child development. Nat. Mental Health 3,1304–1310 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44220-025-00480-w

For more on your host see www.jodipawluski.com or follow Jodi on Instagram or LinkedIn.

In this episode, I sit down with Danielle S. Stolzenberg, Ph.D. , Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of California, Davis, whose work explores the neuroscience of care.
Dr. Stolzenberg shares insights from her emerging research on psychedelic compounds in the postpartum period, examining how substances like psilocybin may influence maternal stress, bonding, and brain plasticity.
Whether you’re interested in neuroscience, maternal health, or the rapidly evolving field of psychedelic science, this conversation provides a grounded and thought-provoking look at what we know—and what we still need to learn—about psychedelics postpartum.
Dr Stolzenberg's Lab : https://stolzenberg.wixsite.com/laboratory

Paper we discuss: Hatzipantelis, C.J., Liu, M., Love, A. et al. Psilocybin during the postpartum period induces long-lasting adverse effects in both mothers and offspring. Nat Commun 16, 8630 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-64371-5
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-64371-5

Music: Luna Wave via Soundstripe

Editing with the help of Descript!