Theo Paphitis from the Dragons' Den: 'Pregnant women's brains turn to mush'

[talilac]

Link here: here

Outrageously unreconstructed or reasonable point? Or both?

there is some science in the brain and pregnancy thing

it is why fatty acids are important as they get depelted by pregnancy

The average adult human brain contains one hundred billion neurons (nerve cells) and probably five to ten times as many neuroglial (functional support) cells. You'd have to donate a hell of a lot to a growing baby in order to make even the slightest difference!

In any case, people who have major problems can function perfectly well - I remember seeing a documentary about a man who had hydrocephalus. Doctors completely shocked by his brain scan which showed basically very little brain there at all. Only he had a PhD and was a lecturer at a very impressive university...

The 'pregnant women are stupid' line is sheer prejudice. In fact you could argue that increased blood volumes in the body during pregnancy would make you sharper.

I bloody well earnt my salary when I was pregnant until the last week (36) when I went completely doolally.

i was too idle to read the link as it isnt a subject i am much interested in

but i have read some stuff about faty acids and the brain

in fact i have read quite a lot of books on brains

i recommend

the priovate life of the brain susan greenfield

the minds fate robert cole

autism brain and environment richard lathe

to start with

ffs. Simple misplaced cliche time. Women who have babies tend to put them first in the first few months of their life, and work comes after in the priority list (and actually, even when women do go back to work, children remain tip top of the priority list, which is as it should be, for men and women)

However, there is no reasonable and logical way to get from that fact to the conclusion 'therefore women's brains turn to mush when pregnant'.

How about 'Pregnant women are doing something absolutely fantastic with their brains, bodies and hormones, I salute them for their whole-souled commitment to providing humankind with the next generation of sharp business minds, and look forward to their continued input into the whole sphere of human existence.'

Or are there just too many multi-syllabic words in that sentence?

Pshaw.

I think your mind does later a bit but I managed to complete quite complicated contracts whilst pregnant. I'm not at work with this PG but I can still do the Guardian crossword etc.

I think it's one of those things that pregnant ladies can say of themselves in jest but it's not for someone else to say, especially not a man
I don't think forming a maternal instinct is a sign of mental disintegration.

I think a substantial amount of the article shows him up as a bit of a numpty, for all his millions.

alter not later- high IQ I just can't type!

Your brain should be fine if you supplement your diet with lots of omega oils during and after pregnancy. My brain was in top condition and I did my best work right up until I left for mat leave (even won a nationwide industry competition during preg!). Once DS was born I stopped taking omegas for financial reasons and within a few months I found my vocab slipping away between my brain cells.

I started reading intellectual stuff and eating cod liver oil, and I'd say it was about 2 weeks before my brain was back to normal.

What does Theo know? Has he actually been pregnant before? Dickhead.

bollox

i got an a in finals with a 5 week old, b in dissertation with 3 week old- as most of the prep done whilst pg rather stuffs that i think

Oxytocin, the pregnancy/labour hormone, actually improves your brain. You get more dendrites (that allow neurons to communicate) and more glial cells (IIRC these transmit signals).

Maybe he's just jealous. Suffering from reverse penis envy - womb envy, perhaps?

I note he's the CEO of Ryman's. I say we boycott Ryman's!

edam I think you have a point- some men do feel the need to denigrate anything they can't actually do themselves.

I didn't read all this thread but I did read all the article and the bit about pregnant womens brains was just a tiny part of an otherwise very interesting article.
He did say that women at work who are pregnant say that it won't affect them, that they will work up to the date of the birth, then come straight back to work. he on the other hand as a father of 5 said quite rightly that not everyone manages to work up to the due date, if they do then they may not be as sharp on the job when they are in the later stages of pregnancy, (Well thats true for me and most of my friends and we admit it!!) come back to working for him straight after the birth and leave baby with a nanny. He said that when baby arrives their plans go out the window and they end up having 3 months off.
3 months!! Glad I don't work for him then if thats when he expects female employees back.

I think hes probably an old fashioned misogynist - the Little Housewife comment gives it away. Ie, women are fine while they are emulating men, but not if they show any interest in "traditional" women's pursuits like babies.

I feel sorry for the fathers who work for him, they are obviously not encouraged to make time for their families either..

Business has been dominated by men therefore women who can't fit the mould are at fault rather than the mould itself, blah boring blah.

Still, he got two things right: he isn't articulate and business must be simple if someone with such a lack of imagination and foresight can succeed in it.

I worked, fully effectively I think, up to the day before induction at 39 weeks (I was planning 1 week off but sonographer didn't agree!). I would have been crap at work in the first few weeks after due to tiredness & extended BF sessions. I am now looking forward to going back 6 mo later, I feel that my brain is in roughly the same state as pre-DD but now I am a lot more efficient, having learnt to prioritise & focus on what really needs to be done. So I would say that having DD has (hopefully) made me a better worker.

I sat finals whilst very pregnant (& got a first) - in the first trimester I'm exhausted but pregnancy doesn't effect my cognitive ability