Porridge brain

It is true.  Once you give birth, you lose 50% of your brain capacity.  It only partially returns. 

I have been incredibly doff (SA slang for stupid / slow / thick / intellectually challenged) lately. 

On Friday I tried to recharge my electric tooth brush, but no matter how long I left it in the charger, it remained flat. I couldn’t use the stupid thing.  I tried my old toothbrush in the charger, but it didn’t want to charge. I was furious.  I went out and bought another electric toothbrush on Saturday (bloody expensive), all the while composing an indignant letter in my mind addressed to Oral B. “Dear Oral B. I am a loyal customer of many years.  A month ago… blah blah blah”.  As I was about to look up their email address online, I suddenly had a thought.  I wonder if perhaps I hadn’t quite plugged the charger in correctly.  Tried again and oops.  The toothbrush is working. So now I have three electric toothbrushes.  The old one, the new’ish one and the brand new one.  All three work. How useful to have three electric toothbrushes.

On Sunday morning I discovered I had run out of ADSL (broadband internet). Here in South Africa you purchase a certain volume and if you run out, you have to buy more.  So I went online using my mobile / 3G and tried to purchase another gig.  The stupid input form kept saying I had entered my credit card number incorrectly. I retried a few times, still no joy.  I then walked all the way downstairs to fetch another credit card, same error message. By now I am getting cross. I phone the helpdesk and had a big moan at the operator. Blah blah ridiculous, site not working, blah blah and as I am speaking to her I suddenly notice that I am putting in my name in the credit card field and my credit card number in the name field.  I changed them around and within 0.2 seconds, I had my extra gig.  I mumbled something about ‘trying one more time’ and hung up. 

The list goes on, but they are too embarrassing to admit.  I really do hope my brain returns soon.

I leave you with Kate’s latest work of art, a friendly monster.  (She only ever draws monsters. Luckily most of them are friendly.)

 

Comments

[Liz]

Cool, learned a new word today. Hate to say it, normal function of brain will never be back at 100%. I do those sorts of things all the time.

[Rachel]

Don't worry, I have no kids and I already have porridge brain myself! Example: Today I was happily surfing the internet, when my laptop says "preparing to hibernate" WTF? I am angry, I think something is seriously wrong with it!...Then I notice the power cord on the floor. The dammned thing hadn't been plugged in all morning! Oops.
I love K's monster picture, especially the teeth. I think I prefer a toothy monster. :)

[Orange]

I giggled at your name/credit card mix-up. Your doffitude is most entertaining! We need more Tertia's True Tales of Doffitude.

[furiousBall]

haha, yes i know this porridge brain thingy for sure

[ruth]

just to warn you, it won't stop anytime son - 22 months after birth, i am still struggling with similar problems, getting a warning that laptop will soon run out of power, plugging power cord into socket on said laptop, bloody thing dies two minutes later, then i realise that i havent plugged other end in. using a phone on charge the other day, it cut out in middle of call . . . plug had been placed in 'close proximity' to power source, not even turned on. putting baby teat on bottle from fridge, and screw cap on baby's bottle . . . etc etc etc . . .

[tess]

maybe you could give kate's monster one of your extra toothbrushes?

that would be a very thoughtful regift.

[Dreamer Mom]

Happens when you adopt, too. Kids suck the smarts right outta ya. :)

[Sharon]

Too funny! I have always called it "Oatmeal" brain. Once I put bird seed in the cat bowl and left the wrapper on a piece of cheese for a sandwich. I also admit it is the try and try again with confidence and persistence (and get wrong) that truly gets the best of me. I tried to justify it by convincing myself that the child (baby) was getting the focused side of me.

[Kristin]

Love the artwork! And, sadly after three kids (the youngest is now 3 1/2), my brain is still mush.

[Amy]

Am now 43 with 3 kids and fear my brain will never recover! Long term memory excellent; short term, uhm what was I talking about?

More pics of the divine baby please!

[Stii]

Huh?! You mean that stuff's not normal?! I've been doing crap like that most my life and I'm a man!

[BiancaW]

I am so glad to read that even though 23 months have passed since I last gave birth, I can still use this an excuse. I thought it was just me.

[juliette]

That reminded me of the day I took my ten day old son to work; my BEST FRIEND was there yet when it came to introduce her to my (ex) husband I COULD NOT REMEMBER HER NAME!!! I will never forget that dreadful feeling; I guess that is somewhat how people with early dementia feel....terrible! My friend and I laugh about it now but my gosh it made me feel really awful!!

[Jeanette]

LOL, sounds familiar.
Love the big teeth

[Heather]

I'm there with you! I can't remember things, so I write everything down. Even then I'm still only running at 50%.

[beyond]

i can remember that my sister was obsessed with monsters (and goblins) for a while when she was about 4. very cute

[Meg]

Tertia, I have a 5-month-old son. Before he was born I had never left the car lights on and drained the car battery. I have, to date, left the lights on 6 times; and 2 of those were on the same day. This kid will know how to jump-start the car by the time he's in kindergarten!

[Robyn]

And did you know, that you one actually loses 4% of your brain mass during and after pregnancy?

[Renee]

Tertia - I am SO glad to hear that I am not the only woman who feel's she lost the majority of her brain after pregnancy. By the way, I would have flipped if I were you, dealing with that internet situation. You handled it well! I am only 35, and ever since I gave birth to my firstborn 3 years ago, my memory has been half as strong as it used to be. Anyone know why that is? I would love to know the science behind why I am feeling the way I do! Believe it or not, I am now pregnant with my second child - I hope it doesn't get worse! I don't know what I'll do. Oh and I have to attach the link to this video I just saw on You Tube - all pooridge brains (and moms in general) will appreciate the video about this "pregnant" mom. I almost peed myself when I watched it for the first time. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iURGJpoEcn0

[KrimoJo]

I have this. Didn't get it with my first, but the past six months since my son have just killed me.

[Tanya]

My life is like that every day. My family want me to have a brain scan cause they think I have early onset Alzheimers. I had two babies in my 40's. hmmm, not advisable!
Cheers

[gkk]

hate to break it to you, but after #3 the brain is gone for good....