How much absent mindedness is normal?

[Mirage]

For the past 10 days or so,I've been incredibly absent minded.I've temporarily forgotten my own phone number,my PIN number,have lost count of the times that I've walked across the room to get something,to start thinking of something else only to forget what it is I wanted in the 1st place.Already this morning I have gone to put formula in my mug instead of a teabag twice,& gone to make a cup of tea with cold water because I forgot to put the kettle on.I've also set out in the car to a certain place,started thinking of something else & missed the turning I needed to take.My concentration has gone to pot & I have to read things more than once to take them in now.

Bizarrely enough,I can remember who to bill for what hours workwise,all of my appointments,to take the library books back when they are due,when playgroup opens again,what bills need paying ect,so it doesn't seem to make any sense.

I just seem to switch off & I am worried that I'll absent mindedly walk out of a shop without paying,or even worse,leave DD somewhere.I did have a problem with depression a few months back & had lots of 'physical' symptoms which I'm sure were psychological & I think that this may be the same thing.

I did see my GP about it last week,as I wasn't sure if it was linked with the depression & was worried about it,but he said that it sounded like I was distracted by something & that all mums of small children were the same.

Is this amount of absent mindedness normal for mums of babies/toddlers? Has anyone else had the same problem?Pleas don't let it be just me!

Mirage, that happened to me and it turned out that I had hypothyroidism. You might ask for a thyroid function test.

I remember how frustrating it was (even got lost in my own neighbourhood once) - you have my sympathies.

JJ,how awful-I can imagine that happening to me at the rate I'm going.

I did have a bloodtest to check my thyroid a couple of months back as I thought it could be the cause of the fatigue & achey arms & legs I was getting.Also there is a family history of throid problems.But it came back as all ok,so don't really know what to do now.

Thanks for the suggestion & I'm glad you got your thyroid under control.

Mirage, is there any possibily that you are terribly tired as you have never been before? sometimes is a response of the body to make you slow down.

Mirage, a lot can change in a couple of months, so if you're in again, you might as well get it done again. I have to go in at least every 6 months (well, I'm supposed to..) or any time I'm feeling very tired and "like that" (don't know how to describe it exactly). But all the doctors I've had say it can change quickly.

I hope you find something that helps.

Thanks JJ,I have to go back to the Drs next week to let them know how I'm doing,so will mention it again.It isn't improving at all-I feel that the logical 'thinking' bit of my brain has just detached & I really have to concentrate on what people are saying to me.

Thanks too,Chandra,the tiredness thing did cross my mind,but dd has slept through the night since 9 wks so I'm not up with her & get about 8 hours sleep a night.That is more than most mums get so I'm not sure-but I can't keep my eyes open past 10pm.I only work 2-3 days a week too,so its not like I am overdoing things.(Although,saying that,the last time I had a day off,with no housework,childcare ect,was Sept last year).

Part of it quite hopes it is tiredness/thyroid problems,as I hate being like this.

I'm with the doctors explanation personally. I was never absent minded, but since I had ds (so now have a 4 month old and a 2 year old) I have lost my purse, set off in the car then had to go back home to get various things that I had forgotten (like buggy etc), regularily left a trail of baby paraphernalia in my wake (friends are always saying 'did you leave 'x' at my house last week), and today whilst driving drove through a red light but stopped at a green light. I was never like this before - I put it down to tiredness, distraction and too much to think about.