The Birth of a Mother.
Matrescence is the groundbreaking new science that captures the physical, psychological, social and emotional changes birthing people and women go through during the metamorphic journey that motherhood evokes.
Matrescence (n): The process of becoming a mother, coined by Dana Raphael, Ph.D. (1973). Matrescence is a developmental passage where a woman transitions through pre-conception, pregnancy and birth, surrogacy or adoption, to the postnatal period and beyond. The exact length of matrescence is individual, recurs with each child, and may arguably last a lifetime! The scope of the changes encompass multiple domains --bio-psycho-social-political-spiritual-- and can be likened to the developmental push of adolescence. -- Aurélie Athan, Ph.D
Navigating Matrescence Can Feel Unearthing.
Wounds.
You may feel wounds from your childhood come rising up from the depths of your inner landscape showering you with feelings of overwhelm, guilt, comparison, fear, and pressure to be “good.” Past traumas you may have experienced are now front and center.
Identity.
You may feel like you don’t recognize yourself. You know you are in your body and yet are not sure who you were and who you are becoming. You may feel like your identity is changing and changing quickly. A void of sorts begins to emerge.
Push and Pull.
Your body releases oxytocin which tells your brain to hold your baby front and center, at the same time, your mind is pushing you away because you are remembering there are other parts of your identity. You may feel that polarized parts are present (IFS language). These parts get activated and you may feel trapped.