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You leave your coffee mug on top of the car, forget to turn the stove on, space that today you had a prenatal yoga class. Are you going crazy? No, you're just pregnant (or you're a mom with a newborn).

According to Katherine Ellison, author of "The Mommy Brain: How Motherhood Makes Us Smarter," no scientific study has yet conclusively found that pregnancy that actually makes a woman forgetful, but many experienced moms can attest that this is a common side effect of pregnancy.

One explanation (besides exhaustion) of why you're so forgetful is that most of your attention is focused on growing and birthing your baby, which explains why you have less time to remember everything else....

You leave your coffee mug on top of the car, forget to turn the stove on, space that today you had a prenatal yoga class. Are you going crazy? No, you're just pregnant (or you're a mom with a newborn).

According to Katherine Ellison, author of "The Mommy Brain: How Motherhood Makes Us Smarter," no scientific study has yet conclusively found that pregnancy that actually makes a woman forgetful, but many experienced moms can attest that this is a common side effect of pregnancy.

One explanation (besides exhaustion) of why you're so forgetful is that most of your attention is focused on growing and birthing your baby, which explains why you have less time to remember everything else.

If forgetfulness is getting in the way of your everyday life, what can you do?

Slow down: This is a difficult and exciting time, so cut yourself some slack and allow yourself to sit on the couch and weep over TV commercials instead of remembering to go to class.

Write it down: Put reminders of important events in visible places.

Enlist help: It's time for your partner, family, and friends to step up to the plate. Ask for help if you need it. They can do the remembering for you.

Go to bed one hour earlier: If you're well rested, you won't be as forgetful.

Don't drive if you're too distracted: If forgetfulness while driving is jeopardizing your safety, leave the car parked and walk where you need to go (the exercise will help clear your mind too!).

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