What are motherhood’s short- and long-term effects on a woman’s physical and mental health? Love, worry, pride, and fatigue—any mom will tell you that motherhood is a constant juggling act. It drains you dry one second and fills you with joy the next. Your body goes through tremendous changes during pregnancy. Then after the baby is born, you don’t get enough sleep for at least—well, you’ll sleep when the kid is in college, right? Numerous studies show that mothers’ health profiles are different from those of women who have not given birth. Motherhood confers some unexpected health benefits, as well as some surprising risks—and sometimes, having a baby can be downright bizarre.

The Good Reduced Breast Cancer Risk

In the long run, having children can provide significant health benefits. According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), women who have children are less likely to develop breast cancer. Being pregnant reduces exposure to certain hormones that have been linked to breast cancer. (This has to do with the fact that menstruation stops while a woman is pregnant.) The NCI also reports that breastfeeding can reduce breast cancer risk because the “maturing” that breast cells go through in order to produce milk may prevent the cells from becoming cancerous. Reduced Cardiovascular Disease Risk Another health advantage for mothers who breastfeed is a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. A large 2009 study showed that mothers who breastfed for at least 12 months in their lifetime had a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes than those who had never breastfed. Read More About Nutrition for Pregnant Women » A Bigger Brain?

Sure, you might experience some mental fuzziness in the first few months with a newborn (a condition sometimes called “mommy brain”), but research in Canada on rat mothers shows that your brain might actually grow with each child. The hippocampus, a part of the brain responsible for spatial memory and learning, actually increases in size during pregnancy and motherhood. A Longer Life

Having children may lead to a longer life. A 2012 Australian study followed the population of a small rural town for more than 16 years. The study showed that, despite a mild increase in the risk of being overweight, having diabetes, or having hypertension, women who had given birth had a reduced risk of death during the course of the study. The research showed an even lower risk of death in women who had more than four children. The reasons for this effect are not fully understood, but other studies (in Israel and Norway) have shown similar results. Pregnancy really does change women’s feet. A 2013 study showed that pregnant women lost foot-arch height and rigidity, resulting in increased foot length. So, yes, new moms do deserve a bit of shoe shopping!



