Pregnancy Brain: Fact or Fiction?

My rebellious spirit demonstrates itself the most when I just refuse to do the same thing that everyone else is doing. The whole world is using Facebook? I'll just wait awhile. Everyone I know is watching Glee [or insert any popular show]? Not for me. A woman 23-weeks pregnant can't run a 15K? Watch me. I can't live without a smart phone? Well, we're working on that one...

But one of my pregnancy resolutions was that I would not claim my "condition" as an excuse. I would continue to work hard. I would continue to eat well. I would continue to exercise. I would not become an emotional basket case. And, for crying out loud, I wouldn't lose my mind and become forgetful and blame it on the pregnancy brain! Did such a thing really exist, anyway?

Well, all you mothers who laughed at my naive plans will find amusement in my most recent tale of preggo brain. I had a conference call for work at 8:30 last night (thank you west coast for the late hour), so I brought my laptop home to use during the call. Important to note - my office set-up is a laptop and docking station, so my laptop is my only computer. The call went surprisingly well and we wrapped up around 9:30, which is about 15 minutes past my normal-as-of-late bedtime. But despite being exhausted, I was wise enough to know I should pack up my laptop and leave it at the door so I wouldn't forget it the next morning, especially since my morning routine is so structured and habitual. [Note to self: next time you should put said laptop directly into the car].

You can see what's coming... This morning arrived as usual, I got up at 4:30 and ran my 3 miles at the gym, came home and showered, ate breakfast, made lunch, got ready, etc. Then I picked up my purse and lunch bag from the kitchen island and walked right out the door. Without the laptop. Which of course I didn't realize until I was pulling into the parking lot at work, a good 45 minutes away. So what can you do? I borrowed a laptop from the IT Director for a little while, but I couldn't get to any email files, and that just wasn't going to work. So I ate my pride and went to our Administrative Director to ask if I could be excused for a little while to go retrieve my computer. Then, before I even realized it, I was blaming the pregnancy brain!

And it all became so clear to me in that instant. The reason I hear pregnant women blame pregnancy brain is because, really, what other excuse do you have? There is no rational reason I practically tripped over my laptop but still didn't remember to pick it up and place it in my vehicle. There just isn't. This isn't me. It must be those hormones and all that extra work my body is doing. It must be. So, here I am standing corrected, this preggo brain thing is for real, and I will probably use it a few more times in the next four and a half months. But hopefully not too often...

P.S. Big thanks to sister Lisa for meeting me halfway with the laptop, making my time away from work a little less troublesome!