Does having a baby change your brain?

Having a baby obviously changes the appearance of a woman's body, but studies have found that it may also change a mother's brain.

As TODAY pointed out on Monday, there are different hormones released by the brain that biologically help mothers out.

The first is oxytocin, a feel-good hormone that helps a mother bond with her newborn and attracts her to her baby's scent.

hen there is prolactin, which helps a mother nurse, lets her relax and lowers a mother's sex drive.

Also, there are opioids that make a mother want to cuddle up with her infant.

And the changes don't stop there, a recent study found that brains of mothers actually expand.

"The brain regions that were identified are the ones that promote healthy mother-child interaction," a TODAY expert notes.

Another study released said women release hormones after giving birth that help them remain less rattled by stress.

And mothers aren't the only ones that are affected by babies; emotionally-involved fathers experience a decrease in testosterone and an increase in prolactin, just like the mothers.

Only fathers experience the change after the birth, whereas mothers begin to experience the change during pregnancy.