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Combatting Pregnancy Brain
First time mom-to-be here and desperately looking for advice. I am historically a high performer and a hard worker. My work ethic and quality of work is something I pride myself on.
Enter pregnancy brain... I thought “Oh, I’ll just stay organized and it won’t happen to me.” I was wrong and I am at the end of my rope. I feel like my performance is slipping. I’m not to the point where my boss has mentioned it as a problem, but I have been called out on missing deadlines, missing project directions in emails, etc. This is so unlike me and I am petrified.
I also feel like if I slow down to get my work done well, I get so much less done than I normally would and I don’t want that to become an issue either.
How do I realistically combat this while also accepting this as my new normal for the remaining three months of my pregnancy (and potentially infanthood, too!)?
katieHwaldronPlucky comms professional looking to meet ppl!
32
05/12/20 at 3:33PM UTC
Hi and congrats! I'm right there with you. I find that even though I could easily take a break / nap in my car during lunch break pre-baby (I work out of the city so that's possible) but now I find I'm tired, but I can't rest (even WFH!). I'm also a bit more scatterbrained, too! But, the other ladies (congrats to Marta!) are right: making lists and doing your best to be conscious of what is due will really help. Also, group the like tasks together so that you can do back-to-back and just bang them out. Try to do the things that are most challenging at times of day when you know you're less likely to be forgetful (I've always been am morning person so sticking to the challenging tasks at that time of day, even during pregnancy, has helped). And remember - take breaks! I know it seems counterproductive but you're building a whole person and this is also a global crisis which makes your mind and your stress levels even more heightened / less able to achieve. Give yourself some grace and some time each day, I'm sure it'll help you to focus. Best of luck with everything - especially baby!
Saidah AbdulhaqqDigital Strategist
Marketing Technologist
Coach
979
05/12/20 at 2:58PM UTC
I've suffered from mom brain going on 19 years now with intermittent pregnancy brain as my family grew to include 4 incredible kids. My key to organization is writing things down. I do a daily task list a half hour before the end of each day so I know what to expect the next day. When I get a task that needs to be done, I write the notes out for it in my notebook and check it against the directions in email or a ticket. It serves as a check and balance for my brain to call out important information.
Note: You should slow down and do better work rather than trying to do it all. Get in that habit now or you will start slipping into the Mommy Martyrdom faster than you realize... and it is a hard club to exit.
Anonymous
05/06/20 at 10:32PM UTC
First, congratulations! How exciting. I myself am almost 5 months along, so completely understand what you mean by "pregnancy brain". I think this combined with working remotely ( not sure if you are) makes things unique. What I do is make a list of what needs to get done that day to make sure I don't miss deadlines and this has actually helped me keep me focused. You can use pen and paper, trello which is free or a simple google doc. Knowing what deadlines are in place, reading emails and taking the "to do's" out from the email and putting it on the list and crossing off what you have done makes you realize not only how much you have done already but also lets you prioritize your days for the things that are most important. Hope that helps!
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