Mommy Brain Revisited

About Mommy Brain Revisited

Welcome to Mommy Brain Revisited, a podcast where neuroscience meets parenting. Join us as we explore the fascinating world of the parental brain, bridging the gap between groundbreaking research and everyday parenting . Music - All in my head, Luna Wave (soundstripe)

Publisher

Dr. Jodi Pawluski

Category

health & fitness

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

9 Apr 2020

Latest episode

15 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

67 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   15 Oct 2026

   66. Appetite Control in Pregnancy and Postpartum

   In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited, host Dr. Jodi Pawluski speaks with Prof Dave Grattan about how appetite is controlled during pregnancy and postpartum and the brain mechanisms involved. The discussion centers on increased food intake and fat gain in pregnancy as preparation for the high energy demands of lactation, and how modern food environments increase overeating risk when normal homeostatic controls are altered. Listen to hear more about this fascinating area of research. 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: Altered responses to ghrelin and food cues in AgRP neurons during pregnancy and lactation C. L. Murrell, M. R. Perkinson, Z. B. Andrews, D. R. Grattan, S. R. Ladyman. First published: 09 June 2026 https://doi.org/10.1111/jne.70202 (https://doi.org/10.1111/jne.70202) Special thanks to Agnes, the Communications Officer, British Society for Neuroendocrinology for editing! Visit www.jodipawluski.com (http://www.jodipawluski.com/) for more on all things parenting and perinatal mental health.

2. 

   17 Jul 2026

   65. Dopamine’s Role in Remodelling the Maternal Brain

   In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited, host Dr. Jodi Pawluski speaks with Dr. Jennifer O'Chan at Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA. They discuss Dr O’Chan’s recent Nature paper investigating how pregnancy and postpartum reshape the maternal brain through long-lasting epigenetic changes. Her work shows that reproductive experience produces persistent changes in gene expression—particularly in thehippocampus—that are associated with improved maternal behaviors, learning, and memory months after giving birth. These findings build on growing evidence that pregnancy leaves lasting biological adaptations in the brain rather thantemporary changes. The conversation also explores how chronic postpartum stress disrupts these beneficial adaptations. Dr. O'Chan explains that elevated dopamine during postpartum stress alters a novel epigenetic mechanism called histone dopaminylation, leading to changes in gene expression and behavior. Together, these findings provide new insight into the central role of dopamine in regulating motherhood-induced neuroadaptions and highlight potential pathways for developing more targeted treatments for perinatal mentalhealth disorders. The Research Publication information: O’Chan, J.C., Di Salvo, G., Cunningham, A.M. et al. Dopamine drives persistent remodelling of the maternal brain. Nature 654, 465–475 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10509-4 (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10509-4) Visit www.jodipawluski.com (http://www.jodipawluski.com) for more on mom brain, parenting and perinatal mental health.

3. 

   19 Jun 2026

   64. How a Second Pregnancy Reshapes the Maternal Brain

   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 (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 (http://www.jodipawluski.com/) for more on all things parenting and perinatal mental health.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

8 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

6 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 37 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

39

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

85

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Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.