A groundbreaking study has provided the first detailed map of how a woman’s brain changes throughout pregnancy.

The map of the human brain is not a static image of the cellular architecture of the central nervous system (CNS). Throughout life, all living beings are born, develop and age. The brain of pregnant mothers reflects a dynamic that modifies this general picture.

With implications for research around postpartum depression and other health issues, scientists have tracked the changes pregnancy brings to the female brain. These changes weren't subtle: Big shifts in what's known as the brain's "white matter" versus "gray matter" were observed,

Neuroscientist Liz Chrastil got the unique chance to see how her brain changed while she was pregnant and share what she learned in a new study that offers the first detailed map of a woman’s brain throughout gestation.

Researchers have created one of the most detailed maps of how pregnancy changes the brain, according to a new study.

As hormones surge, some brain areas shrink in what scientists say may be a fine-tuning that helps mothers bond with and care for their babies.