It’s Mother’s Day, and have you ever noticed that many moms sense when something is wrong?
Some call it “mother’s intuition,” but is that real? Experts say it is, and it’s a superpower that grows along with your kids.
Moms often seem to have eyes in the back of their head and a sixth sense regarding their kids.
“A mother’s instinct is a very real phenomenon. It is described as a gut level of awareness of what is happening with your child, whether it is what they need, what they are feeling, or if they are in danger, based on no information or explanation,” said Dr. Susan Albers.
Albers is a psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic. She says neurobiology and learned history both play a role in a mother’s intuition.
That “Gut feeling” starts in the womb as hormones rise and fall during pregnancy.
Priming moms to respond to their baby’s needs. The hormone oxytocin, particularly, is associated with bonding, trust, and attachment.
Albers says oxytocin is released in the brain when a mother spends time with her child, boosting their bond.
This, in turn, can strengthen their connection and mom’s ability to decipher what the child may be thinking or feeling.
Mothers also spend thousands of hours with their child and start to pick up on patterns, so when their behavior changes, for example, they can tell.
“The good news is that you are not just born with intuition; it can be built. You can strengthen your mother’s intuition by spending time with your child, being truly present and attuned instead of distracted. Also, listening to your gut and reflecting on how that matches up with the reality of the situation,” Albers said.
Albers says it’s essential to know the difference between mother’s intuition and anxiety because moms can feel a lot of that, too.
Intuition is more of a calm inner voice nudging you that something doesn’t seem quite right.
At the same time, anxiety can feel loud and chaotic, kind of like an alarm system going off.
