Female fruit flies change their food preferences after mating, becoming attracted to nutrients important for egg production. This study reveals that during mating, pheromone detection triggers dopamine-driven changes in the fly’s brain learning center. These neural changes essentially ‘remember’ mating experience and reprogram the female’s sense of smell, even though the sensory neurons return to normal within hours. This demonstrates how an animal can learn from mating experience to make better nutritional choices as a mother.