The Female Brain

The female brain is designed to adapt. It rewires to care for our young.
It becomes more emotionally attuned, socially sensitive, vigilant, and responsive during motherhood — helping us read social cues, prioritize connection, protect, nurture, and navigate the intense cognitive and emotional demands of caregiving.

Later in life, the brain reorganizes again through perimenopause and menopause. As hormones shift, the brain recalibrates its networks, energy use, stress response, sleep regulation, and emotional processing — adapting once again to a new stage of life, identity, and aging.

These transitions can influence:

• memory and focus

• emotional processing

• stress and anxiety

• sleep and energy

• mental load and overwhelm

• mood, motivation, and identity

And yet, many women move through these experiences without ever being taught what is happening inside their brains and nervous systems.

This masterclass explores the fascinating neuroscience behind the female brain across motherhood and midlife, bringing together current research, psychology, hormones, lived experience, and practical insight.

Together, we will explore:

• how the brain changes during pregnancy and postpartum

• the science behind “baby brain” and cognitive load

• why mothers often experience hypervigilance and emotional intensity

• what happens in the brain during perimenopause and menopause

• why symptoms like brain fog, sleep disruption, and emotional shifts occur

• and how to better support brain health through these transitions

You will leave feeling informed, understood, and empowered because the female brain is adaptive, dynamic, and beautifully complex.

Co-led by Erica Sluys and Ana Maria Bowring.

This is an intentionally intimate session, limited to 18 participants to allow space for discussion, reflection, and meaningful conversation.

🥂 Refreshing Apéro
Enjoy a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere with delicious drinks and bites.

📸 Your Photo
To capture the beautiful stage you are in life, talented photographer Lucie Charlotte Bocquet will take a natural portrait of you to remember the experience.

🧠 A Wealth of Knowledge
Gain a deeper understanding of yourself and leave with practical tools to better navigate everyday challenges.

🤍 Meet New People
Come alone or with friends — the warm and relaxed atmosphere makes it easy to connect with other women.

💬 No Question Is Off Limits
A safe, supportive, and non-judgmental environment where you can ask your burning questions openly or anonymously.

Erica

Erica Sluys is the founder of And You, a company focused on supporting women and working parents through pregnancy, postpartum, parental leave, and return-to-work transitions.

With a background in neuroscience, Erica has long been fascinated by the intersection of biology, behavior, identity, and human experience. She holds a Master’s degree in Clinical Neuroscience, where her research focused on oxytocin and trust, and previously conducted neuroscience research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), exploring addiction and fear-related neural pathways.

Today, her work brings together neuroscience, women’s health, psychology, education, and lived experience — translating complex science into conversations and tools that help women better understand themselves and their brains across different stages of life.

Ana Maria

Ana Maria is a Professional Certified Coach that supports women in navigating the different stages of life with greater confidence, self-awareness, and balance. She has always been deeply intrigued by the way we think, feel, and evolve through experiences such as adolescence, relationships, motherhood, burnout, hormones, and aging — and how the female brain continuously adapts and transforms throughout these phases.

After recently completing a neuroscience course focused on the female brain, her passion for understanding the science behind emotions, behaviour, stress, and happiness deepened even further.