What is Matrescence?
What is matrescence?
If you've never heard the word matrescence, you aren't alone.
Despite the fact that every mother has gone through matrescence, most mothers have never heard of it.
So, what is matrescence? Simply put, matrescence is the process of becoming a mother. Becoming a mother changes you. It changes your body, your brain and your hormones. It shifts your identity and social status. It impacts your relationships with your partner, your family of origin and your friends. It impacts your career and financial status. It completely upends how your spend your time and the way you move through the world.
Matrescence is:
A rite of passage - Matrescence marks the end of one phase of life and the beginning of another and contains all of the phases of a rite of passage: separation, transition, and integration. It is a significant shift and yet we don't support it well with ritual or community guidance and support.
A developmental process - like adolescence, it entails body changes, dramatic hormonal fluctuations, social changes, identity shifts. Adult development does not end with adolescence.
A felt experience - every mother has gone through (and continues to go through) matrescence. Matrescence provides the language and framework to describe our lived experience - it helps us to both better understand ourselves and be understood by others.
Both universal and unique - every mother goes through matrescence, yet each mother's journey is unique to her.
Seasonal and cyclical - each phase of motherhood uncovers new layers of change, endings and beginnings.
Turbulent and potent - it's a process of disorientation and re-orientation that can feel deeply unmooring, while also holding the potential for immense growth and transformation.
Matrescence is a journey of transformation, growth, and profound change across multiple dimensions.
And while arguably the most profound and dramatic thrust of Matrescence occurs when you initially cross the threshold from maiden to mother, the layers of matrescence continue to unfold throughout your journey through motherhood including subsequent births and new phases of motherhood (i.e. transitioning to kindergarten, having another child, children leaving for college, etc.)
So even if you haven't heard of matrescence. You've felt it. You've lived it. And if the process has been challenging, complex, and destabilizing, you aren't alone.
It's completely understandable (and common) for the dramatic and far-reaching shifts of matrescence to cause you to feel unmoored, even lost at times. The process of becoming (and being) a mother certainly brings turbulence and challenge yet it is also at a catalyst for tremendous personal growth and expansion.
This is precisely why supporting mothers in their matrescence journey is so impactful.
“Matrescence makes mothers visible - it centers her story of change and transformation”
When your matrescence is honored and supported well:
You can understand yourself better and help others understand you
You're able to integrate and make meaning of the changes you've experienced
You can embrace the complexity and paradox of motherhood
You can connect to your inner authority and anchor in to what matters most to you
You can quiet the external noise and tune in to your inner wisdom
You can reject the notion that self-abandonment is a requisite for being a good mother
You can discover and step in to your highest self and who YOU want to be as a person and a mother
No matter where you are on your matrescence journey, I invite you to receive the support that you need and deserve to so that instead of ignoring, judging and pathologizing your experience, you can acknowledge, honor and alchemize this profound transformation.
What is Matrescence Coaching?
If you're curious about what matrescence support entails, I'd love to share more with you about my 1:1 matrescence coaching offering: Matrescence Matters. Through this unique coaching experience, I come alongside you as a compassionate companion to guide and witness your journey of matrescence. My hope is to not only be of service to you, but to also provide a sanctuary where you can find solace, understanding, and the tools to navigate the multifaceted landscape of becoming and being a mother. Schedule a free 30-minute discovery call to learn more - I'd love to chat with you! Or you can hop on the Matrescence Matters waitlist to be notified when I'll be taking on new clients.
Learn about Matrescence
This post provides a high-level view of Matrescence, but there is SO much more to learn an understand. If you're a curious mind and would like to do some exploration on your own, here are a few resources you might explore:
Matrescence by Lucy Jones
Nikki McCahon Podcast - Nikki is the creator of The Seasons of Matrescence™ Certification that I completed for my Matrescence Educator and Guide Certification.