Matrescence: Why it’s important and where to learn more
Image by Gabriela Tamara Cycman
What is matrescence?
You may have encountered the term matrescence on social media or heard your friend mention it. Although the word has gained renewed attention in recent years, the concept of matrescence is not new.
The term matrescence was coined by medical anthropologist Dana Raphael in the 1970s to describe the developmental transition into motherhood. Drawing a parallel to adolescence, Raphael used the term to describe the complex and multidimensional process through which a person becomes a mother. Like adolescence, matrescence involves significant biological, psychological, social, relational, economic, and spiritual changes.
“After childhood and adolescence, there is no other time in an adult human’s life course which entails such dramatic psychological, social, and physical change”
Despite Raphael’s foundational work, the concept of matrescence received relatively little attention for several decades. More recently, there has been growing interest in understanding motherhood as a developmental transition rather than a single event. Over the past five or so years, the term has increasingly entered public conversation, appearing in research, healthcare settings, media, and social discourse.
The growing recognition of matrescence offers an important framework for understanding the postpartum period. It provides language for the profound changes that can accompany the transition to motherhood and helps situate these experiences within a broader developmental process. Rather than viewing postpartum adjustment solely through the lens of recovery from birth or adaptation to caring for an infant, matrescence invites us to consider the transformation of the whole person becoming a mother.
“But becoming a mother is rife with upheaval and disorientation, and mothers must renegotiate their identities, relationships and values while simultaneously contending with the immense learning curve of motherwork”
Why is matrescence important?
Understanding matrescence offers perspective that is critical to navigating motherhood and imperative for the wellbeing of mothers. New research shows that understanding matrescence as a developmental process filled with both challenges and opportunity for growth may protect mothers against postpartum mood disorders, like depression and anxiety.
Most new parents get “cleared” by their doctor six weeks after giving birth, but the shifts that occur after childbirth take shape for many months, even years, to come. In fact, new evidence shows that it really takes about three years to feel rooted in parenthood and to grasp a whole sense of self.
This six-week clearance gives a false indication that new parents should feel like themselves again merely weeks after giving birth. The fact is they’ll never feel like themself again, and that’s the point. The myriad changes that unfold in the mother’s brain, hormones, and soul help them to develop into a mother, an essential process for the wellbeing of mothers and families.
It’s important that mothers, families, communities, and practitioners of all kinds understand the profound matrescent experience and tailor their support and care in such a way that meets mothers’ unique and dynamic needs on this journey.
Where can I learn more?
Below are some resources that we love and return to time and time again on the topic of matrescence. We hope these offer insight and witnessing to you too on your matrescent journey.
Matrescence: On Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Motherhood by Lucy Jones
This is the book that turned matrescence on its head and helped us to see it in such a vivid and necessary light. In her book, Lucy Jones takes a deep dive into the cultural, physical, and emotional aspects of motherhood. It’s a gorgeous exploration of the profound changes women go through, filled with personal stories, ecological insights, and cultural perspective.
Mother Becoming: Reflections and Scholarship on Matrescence edited by Jessie Harrold
This book is a collection of pieces that unearths the multidimensional, kaleidoscopic nature of matrescence through scholarship and storytelling. It truly is a wise companion for mothers and a practical guide for the professionals, communities, and families members who support them. And our very own Sarah Pedersen authored a chapter! Her chapter explores a framework for matrescence-centered maternity care.
Mama Rising: Discovering the New You Through Motherhood by Ann Taylor-Kabbaz
Ann Taylor-Kabbaz’s book is a heartfelt guide to finding yourself again through motherhood. This book is such a comfort for those moments when you feel lost in the transition and needsome practical advice to pull you through. It not only offers practical insight but also helps to put the motherhood experience into perspective, given the larger forces at play.
Transformed by Birth: Cultivating Openness, Resilience, and Strength for the Life-Changing Journey from Pregnancy to Parenthood by Britta Bushnell
We’re big fans of Britta, and this book has been instrumental in our personal motherhood experiences, as well as our work supporting families. At its heart, this book is a guide that frames pregnancy and childbirth as a transformative rite of passage, not just a medical event. Using stories and myths, it challenges cultural ideals that promote control and fear of pain, offering daily practices, rituals, and exercises to help parents navigate the journey by embracing their own wisdom and overcoming limiting beliefs. Her podcast, Transformed by Birth, is also excellent.
Mothershift: Reclaiming Motherhood as a Rite of Passage by Jessie Harrold
Another fantastic resource by Jessie. This book guides new mothers through the profound identity shift of matrescence, framing it as a transformative rite of passage, not just a short-term event. It normalizes feelings of loss and grief, offers a four-phase model to navigate the transition, and provides tools for empowerment. We love it for its use of nature-based wisdom, self-inquiry, and practical guidance to help mothers feel seen, supported, and powerful in their new role. Jessie’s podcast, The Becoming Podcast, is also a wonderful place to learn more.
A note about language: We use “mother” and “motherhood” as gender-neutral terms, following the custom of modern sociological thought that any being, human or non-human, can mother or be engaged in mothering (see the writings of Adrienne Rich and Andrea O’Reilly on this topic). We also acknowledge that the experience of mothering and motherhood is deeply gendered.