What is wrong with me? Words don’t make sense, I forgot how to spell

[Emz2019]

My baby is 4 months old and for a few weeks Iv had these things happen where words don’t make sense. I forgot peoples names who are close family and when I said their names it felt wrong and like it was the wrong name or a name I had made up. I was writing a shopping list for my partner and I had forgot how to spell simple things we needed. I haven’t told anyone about this as I’m very scared. It comes and goes and sometimes I feel fine then it flares back up

Hey, I haven't had the same issue with spelling etc but I regularly get in the car and drive straight past the place I was going to!! Or go upstairs and pick up a blanket only to get down stairs and realise I was supposed to get my charger! People ask me to do things and I forget them 10 mins later! I've also forgotten peoples mobile numbers completely!! From what I'm told this is completely normal and all falls under "babybrain"! I'm hoping this is true or I'm in a lot of trouble haha! Fingers crossed we're both ok!!

Are you very sleep deprived? see a doctor. Could be a weird form of migraine?

How do you feel in general? I'd get your thyroid checked.

I wonder if you're having migraines? Word finding difficulties are something i sometimes have in the lead ip to an attack. You can have migraines without actually getting the headache, the other symptoms such as visual or speech disturbance are called aura.
How often does it happen? What was happening before? Perhaps keep a diary and see if you can see a pattern. But if you're worried I'd go and see your gp, better to be checked and it just be something simple than assuming its baby brain until its too late.

I had that for a while after my son was born. My boss told me that we lose some memory stuff after the baby is born. The brain function less or something but it comes back and it did come back for me. So much so that I sat professional exams and had another baby. This is obviously just anecdotal. If you are worried please do see your GP.

I still get this at times- 2 years later: I spent about 15 mins the other day trying to think if the word l needed was even/either/even!

ever for the last one there!

I never get headaches. My baby has been sleeping all night since he was 2 weeks old and I sleep fairly well during the night so I wouldn’t say I am sleep deprived. He’s also a good baby during the day and doesn’t really cry, takes all his feeds. He’s such a happy little thing I can’t complain at all.
I haven’t noticed anything before or after it happens but it can last hours. It’s just like my mind is a bit blank and then I don’t remember words, names. But when I talk nobody says anything like oh what you talking about? So I guess when I talk Everything I say comes out normal but to me it doesn’t seam right and I feel the words I am saying arnt real words and are random sounds I have made up. I thought at first I had lost the plot but it went away and just keeps coming back then going and coming back.

Also to the person who said about the driving Iv always been like that lol I always get lost unless it’s in my area where I live. Even in areas I’m in a lot i get lost still. But it hasn’t got any worse lately

Did you have gas and air in labour? What you're describing can be a symptom of B12 deficiency (nitrous oxide inactivates B12)

Yea I had gas and air and I had a fair amount of it. How long after the gas and air does it take to start the symptoms and how long do they last?

I don't think there's a set answer to that tbh, some people end up very ill with permanent damage after a short period of time, others can go years with very low B12 and no symptoms. Best to get your B12 level tested (don't take any supplements before doing this) and then ask for the result rather than just accepting it's ok if GP says it's normal... lab ranges tend to be too low so if you have symptoms then you should be treated if your level is under 200ng/L, but most doctors aren't aware of this and go by the lab ranges

I was going to say I have had this after babies but I think in my case it was just a sleep deprived brain. Sometimes I even stutter because I just can't form the words... I don't have a stutter!! It is just my brain struggling. And yes forgetting words. Forgetting how to spell something simple, groping for a name I should know... But my babies don't sleep as a rule so figured it was just that. May be just speak to your GP to out your mind at rest and see about the B12 deficiency thing (doesn't marmite have lots if B vitamins?!) but try not to freak out x

Thank you everyone I had an app with my gp next week. Won’t tbey think I am crazy and take my baby away though? Or get children’s services involved?

No of course not! They will probably think you are tired, or as someone else had pointed out, it might be a medical thing. Dont worry, you aren't going crazy. Found a couple of articles that refer to memory lapses.
www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/pregnancy-week-by-week/expert-answers/baby-brain/faq-20057896

www.webmd.com/baby/features/memory_lapse_it_may_be_pregnancy_brain