Pregnancy Brain Drain

This little tidbit is for all of you who doubt the existence of “pregnancy brain.” My husband swears it is a phenomenon I have invented and am the only one in the world who suffers from this imaginary affliction. As if the detailed lists he finds around the house are not proof enough. Or the calls he receives when I find myself driving through town with not a clue as to where I am going or why I left the house!

So now, in the fifth month of my pregnancy, things have escalated to the point of having to write them down as I say them, just to keep myself on track! A few days ago, while on the phone with the hospital records department, I had to spell my ex-husband’s last name. Sitting at my desk, I doodled the name one time on a paper as I spelled it to the secretary. Hanging up, I looked down, shocked to see the name written there. Quickly, I scribbled it out and left the office, thinking no more of it.

Later when my husband came home from work, he came to me and said, “miss your old last name, do you?” It took me some seconds to figure out where that came from and then I kicked in my old standby—“pregnancy brain, dear! I am not even aware of what I am doing half the time!” Of course, he denied the validity of my claim but we had a good laugh.