How acknowledging “Matrescence,” is the missing piece of postpartum care..
We are deep in the midst of spring here in the northern hemisphere - we’ve started our veggie seedlings, the days are getting longer and there’s an energy of aliveness returning to our community. Spring is typically a season of intense transition and rebirth - not unlike the postpartum period that Sasha +Co is so intimately acquainted with. Although our postpartum doulas offer attuned care for new babies in their first weeks of life, we also witness profound changes happening within parents and the overall family system during this tender open time.
We believe that whenever there is a birth of a child, there is also a birth of a new mother or caregiver.
This is not widely acknowledged in western culture and the focus of the postpartum industry is typically on the health and wellbeing of a new baby not the mother.
This is even reflected in the language we use to describe birth - other cultures around the world often say, “a woman has given birth,” vs. here in our western culture we often say “a baby has been born,” (Anthan, 2021). This is also often why there’s an emphasis on the baby registry and buying lots of different things for a new infant vs. investing in postpartum doula care, meal prep or other body-based supports for the new parents.
Becoming a new mother or caregiver can feel complicated, and full of mixed emotions. It also affects every single aspect of someone’s life - from work to the big questions about life.
For most mothers, it feels like a monumental life changing reorganization of everything they’ve come to know. This is often a time where people are confronted with the relationship they have with themselves, their own childhood, their partner, family, friends and the wider community or culture as a whole.
A helpful framework and concept that we feel encapsulates this intense rebirth process is something called Matrescence.
“Matrescence was coined by the anthropologist Dana Raphael as “the process of becoming a mother – 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 encompasses multiple domains— biological, emotional, social, political, spiritual— and can be likened to the developmental push of adolescence,” (Aurelie Athan, 2026).
Matrescence is a time when the brain and body prepare for the transition to motherhood. For many mothers and new parents there is a massive restructuring that occurs both in the external and internal worlds during the postpartum phase. New parents express it through phrases like “I don’t feel like myself,” and this is actually incredibly accurate and true. The sense of self that was established pre-conception is going through a huge upgrade in body, mind and spirit. That’s why many new mothers and parents report feeling like they’re becoming a new version of themselves and also awakening to many new realities, such as:
The amount of emotional labour that care work requires
How impactful motherhood is on every aspect of life
The gendered nature of care work (even in 2026)
How under-resourced and unsupported mothers are in our culture
These themes are something we talk about with our clients almost everyday and postpartum doula care is just one piece of the puzzle - it often provides space for new parents to breath and have some time to also care for themselves.
If you are feeling the impact of Matrescence and want more information, we’ve compiled a list of our favourite resources below.
1.Matrescence.com – “What Is Matrescence?”
One of the foundational educational resources on the topic. This site explains matrescence as a developmental transition similar to adolescence, helping mothers understand the profound identity shifts that can occur during pregnancy and postpartum. It also discusses the importance of integrating matrescence into healthcare, psychology, and public policy.
2.Lucy Jones – Matrescence: On Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Motherhood
A widely acclaimed book blending memoir, science, sociology, and cultural criticism to explore motherhood as a major human transformation. Jones examines how society undervalues maternal change and why understanding matrescence matters for maternal mental health and identity.
3. Jessie Harrold – Mother Becoming: Reflections and Scholarship on Matrescence
An anthology edited by matrescence educator and author Jessie Harrold that brings together scholars, therapists, writers, and mothers exploring the transition into motherhood. Combining research, personal essays, poetry, and clinical perspectives, Mother Becoming examines identity shifts, ambivalence, relationships, mental health, spirituality, and cultural expectations surrounding motherhood. The collection positions matrescence not as a crisis to “bounce back” from, but as a profound developmental transformation deserving of support and recognition
3. Alexandra Sacks & Catherine Birndorf – What No One Tells You
Written by reproductive psychiatrist Alexandra Sacks, who helped popularize the term matrescence in mainstream psychology. The book offers practical insight into the emotional realities of becoming a mother, including identity shifts, anxiety, ambivalence, relationships, and expectations.
5. NIH / PubMed – “Matrescence: Lifetime Impact of Motherhood on Cognition and the Brain”
A research-focused paper examining how motherhood affects cognition, identity, and the brain over time. Useful for understanding the neurological and physiological dimensions of matrescence through an academic lens.
References:
Athan, A. (n.d.). Matrescence. Matrescence
Gharib, M. (2021, August 8). There’s a name for the ups and downs of new motherhood: It’s called matrescence. NPR. NPR article on matrescence
