Pregnancy affects not only a woman's body, but changes parts of her brain, too, a study has found.

When researchers compared brain scans of women before and after pregnancy, they saw differences in 11 locations. They also found hints that the alterations help women prepare for motherhood.

For example, the changes might help a mother understand the needs of her infant, said Elseline Hoekzema, a study author at Leiden University in the Netherlands.