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Dr. Kim Abog, ND

Have you ever had a strong hunch about something and it turned out to be true? Have you ever defied that little voice in your head (much to their dismay) and felt regret about it? 

As a parent, you may have already had several introductions, friendly or rude, with your parental gut instinct

“How to Trust Your Intuition”

Planning for parenthood can feel overwhelming.

When people become parents, they may naturally become open to learning about different aspects of parenthood and childcare to brace themselves for raising children. Many seek counsel from books, families and friends, classes, websites, and doctors and specialists. 

While the above traditional methods can help to sharpen child-rearing acuity, they may not be enough to prepare you for the imperfect mess of parenthood. Yes, that part of parenthood where everything you’ve read, seen, heard, or learned gets thrown out the window and seems to contradict what your child needs. That is because there is simply no way (yet!) to pass on instinctual information and intuition.

“Something feels wrong.” You’re probably right.

Your gut instinct, also known as gut feelings or intuition, is your natural ability that helps you decide what to do or how to act without thinking. Gut feelings are thought to be signals communicated between your brain to and from your digestive tract. Some experts also postulate that emotions play a key role in decision-making (naming gut instincts as somatic markers). 

There is still a lot to learn about the engrossing overlaps between the worlds of psychology, neurobiology, and gastroenterology. One thing experts generally agree on is how parents (research-wise, mothers in particular) can be more sensitive or susceptible to particular cues and signals from their children. 

Science has not fully caught on with Nature’s Human Parent Design yet but we are seeing some fascinating evidence of intuition in action. 

The Pregnancy Brain 

Mom, your brain will adapt!

A 2017 study has shown that pregnancy causes substantial changes in brain structure, primarily reductions in gray matter volume. Gray matter loss is not necessarily a bad thing in pregnancy, because the volume reductions occurred in regions that enable us to read social cues (ie. reading baby’s behavior intuitively). These same regions had the strongest response when mothers looked at photos of their infants. Gray matter loss was only seen in (new) mothers but not in fathers. It’s not clear why women lose gray matter during pregnancy but this may be evidence that brain remodeling may play a role in helping women transition into motherhood and respond to the needs of their babies. These reductions lasted for at least 2 years postpartum.

New Parent: trust your gut!

The Sixth? Seventh? Eighth? Sense

There are also some studies that have noted the significant value of using solely the parent’s recognition of baby’s cries, touch, and/or concern in proceeding with the management of fevers and ear infections. Generally speaking, parental concerns may be more useful to exclude the possibility of health issues than “rule in”. These global findings also amplify the need for care practitioners and advocates to promote and prioritize parental well-being in health practice in order to strengthen parental intuition

You just know.

Parents: You’ve got this!

Parenthood is a steep learning curve, and one that you’ll be on for an indefinite amount of time. You will always be a parent. You just become more comfortable with the uncertainty. Getting comfortable means trusting and believing in yourself enough to know that you are capable of taking care of and advocating for your family. It is also in knowing that there is no one right way to do so. You got this; you always have. 


Dr. Kim Abog, ND

 

Sources

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23591865/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK75333/

https://www.racgp.org.au/afp/2012/september/a-is-for-aphorism

Want to get prepared for pregnancy, birth and postpartum? Grab our free Bump to Baby Checklist! This clear and thorough guide walks you through everything to expect from your first trimester to past your 6 week postpartum check up.

  • What tests and screenings will be offered and when
  • When to sign up for prenatal education and what types to consider
  • Things you should think about that your care provider may not mention
  • Links to helpful resources

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