20 | Exploring Matrescence – with Gemma Smith

RELEASED MAR 02, 2022

This is the first of a series of short episodes I will be creating to provide an accessible overview of key concepts relevant to optimising perinatal mental health.

In this episode, I discuss Matrescence – which can broadly be defined as “the physical, emotional, hormonal and social transition into motherhood” (much like the transition we go through earlier in life as we transition from child to adult during adolescence.)

This episode has a focus on the real basics of matrescence related to understanding physiological change, sociocultural and historical context of motherhood as well as maternal mental load. All of these underlying concepts alone could be fleshed out into their own episode – but fundamentally this episode is about understanding the “birth” of a mother in a society that has so much focus on the birth of a child.

Resources discussed in the episode are shared below:

Please read my full disclaimer prior to listening.