Much is written about the physical symptoms of pregnancy – the morning sickness, the swelling ankles, the dry skin – but little is written about the mental symptoms of pregnancy. What can you expect mentally and emotionally throughout those nine months? Are mental issues such as forgetfulness, vivid dreams and depression as natural to pregnancy as the physical ones?

Dr. Shoshana Bennett, a clinical psychologist and author of Pregnant on Prozac (GPP Life, 2008), says that such changes are very normal. "Many of the mental symptoms in pregnancy come from biochemical changes in the woman's brain chemistry and endocrine system," Dr. Bennett says. "Estrogen and progesterone are two important reproductive hormones which change levels during pregnancy and therefore can alter mood. Thyroid levels can also fluctuate, which can cause depression or anxiety. There are also psychological and emotional causes for symptoms. For instance, a woman may feel anxious much of the time if she's worried that she won't be a good mother. Or if she just moved and her entire support network is far away, she may be depressed and/or anxious."

Christina Lorenzen, a mother of two from Babylon, N.Y., noticed a major difference in her mental capabilities during pregnancy. "For me, it just seemed to make me very absentminded where before that I was very organized – a list maker," she says. "I would boil eggs and then go to do something else and forget them, only to find burnt eggs in a pot with no water. I would start something, walk away and forget to finish it. It was as if my mind was elsewhere and I didn't have the concentration or focus I used to have."

According to Dr. Bennett, studies exist showing that "pregnancy brain" may be caused by a decreased brain cell volume (in the third trimester, anyway). She gives the following suggestions to help alleviate forgetfulness and support memory:

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