Does being a mom make you smarter?

As much as I want to like this result, and as much as I think
it could possibly be valid once the newborn sleep deprivation has worn
off, I am not feeling it now. In addition to struggling with frequent
lightheadedness (which only seems to appear at work), I’m having a
heck of a time concentrating. I am managing some analytical things –
I’m doing OK in my statistics class and just passed a difficult exam
at work. But I have to work on these things in small chunks over many
days. What I actually accomplish in an eight or ten hour period feels
pretty minimal.

I also wonder how the effects differ for moms who dedicate themselves
full-time to parenthood and those who don’t. For me, I find that
being out of the loop, away from colleagues, away from daily adult
interactions and away from exposure to new tasks and concepts that
challenge me limits the range of topics I know about and definitely
makes me feel less smart. I know it’s not really a question of
intelligence, but of intelligence being exercised. Without exercise,
I lose it. At least temporarily.

Maybe in a few months I’ll feel smarter. That will be something to
look forward to.