I don’t mean this as a rhetorical question even though I know you know the answer. But, according to this University of Rochester study, maybe we don’t understand how really, really important Mom is if she was stressed out during her pregnancy, and considering yourself — really — how could she not have been:

Published in the journal Biological Psychiatry, the study represents the first direct human evidence that fetuses exposed to elevated levels of the stress hormone cortisol may have trouble paying attention or solving problems later on. But what may be more intriguing is the study’s second finding that this negative link disappears almost entirely if the mother forges a secure connection with her baby.

So the good news for babies to be is that Mom can help repair the damage. On the other hand, if you find yourself unable to concentrate and are forever struggling with insoluble problems, maybe Mom’s handy so that you can blame her for not sufficiently connecting with you when you were a baby. I’m sure she’ll appreciate the feedback, especially if you just moved back home to live with her because you lost your job or are trying to save money to pay off your student loans.