Did you know that researchers can look at the scans of a woman’s brain before and after pregnancy and identify the “mom brain” with scary accuracy?
That’s the story behind my new book, Mom Brain. It’s a novel (part domestic drama, part social satire), but woven throughout is the real research on the science of motherhood. I had the idea for the book after listening to a podcast about “mom brain” when I was postpartum with my daughter, Harlow. I’d heard the term before (I think we all have), but it was usually in the context of leaving your keys in the fridge. That’s not the full story, though. The truth is, becoming a mother actually restructures a woman’s brain in profound and measurable ways.
I’ve always been a writer. While I didn’t start writing fiction until my twenties, I’ve found a way to tell stories for most of my life. My first job out of college was as a lab technician for a biomedical research lab in Florida, where I was helping conduct studies related to chronic illnesses. As interesting as the work was, before long, I had volunteered to write press releases for the lab. I was more interested in telling a story about the science than actually doing it!
In addition to being an author, I’m a biochemical patent agent for a law firm based in Washington, DC. I’m also the mom of Harlow (my four-year-old), Harrison (my six-year-old), Gus (our goofy and terribly stubborn basset hound), and four new chickens. I chose the topic of mom brain because it was something I feared before becoming a mom. I worried I would lose myself in motherhood—or worse, that I would be the person I always was, and that person wouldn’t be cut out for motherhood. The truth was neither. As a mom, I am a different person from who I was before, but that person is more capable than any previous version of myself. I hope moms come away from my book seeing their own “mom brains” not as a flaw, but as a superpower.
I love connecting with readers and moms (and reading moms!), which you can do on Instagram (@nicolehackettbooks) or on my website (www.nicolehackettbooks.com).
