The essence of Matrescence.
Blog by Mags Salton
The science of becoming a mother: what is really happening to your brain, your body, and your sense of self.
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How to Not Lose Yourself in Motherhood
Spoiler: you already have. Here is what comes next.
If you searched this question, the search itself is the answer. You have not lost yourself. You are in the middle of the most significant identity transformation of your life, and nobody told you it was coming.
Patrescence: what it is, and why it matters for your relationship after a baby
There is a word for what is happening to you. You probably already know it. There is also a word for what is happening to him. And if nobody has told you that word yet, it might explain quite a lot.
The way Western culture treats new mothers is not normal. It is an anomaly in the entire history of human civilisation.
You’ve accepted the overwhelm, the guilt, the impossible pull between your baby and your career, as just how motherhood is. But what if everything you’ve been handed as “normal” about matrescence (the transformation of becoming a mother) is actually the greatest cultural failure of our time?
Breastfeeding & Formula: How Capitalism Rewired the Way Mothers Feed
Before we can talk about why breastfeeding is hard, we need to talk about who made it that way and why.
Matrescence: the word that should have changed everything in 1973. And why it took until 2017 to reach you.
Someone named what you are going through fifty years ago. Here is the story of who she was, what she found, why the world ignored it, and the extraordinary chain of events that finally brought it back.
The reason why you feel conflicting emotions after birth
The thoughts of “OMG this is so hard, I wish I had my old life back” AND “but I wouldn’t change this for anything and I love my baby so much” are battling it out within you, leaving you exhausted, guilty and feeling like you will never find your peace. I get it.
These conflicting emotions after giving birth to your baby are an integral part of becoming a mother and you are not alone in experiencing them.
Here is what you need to know about early motherhood.
Understanding what happens with your hormones after birth
The hormones. The brain. The mood swings that have a name. The identity shift that has a reason. Everything the antenatal class forgot to mention. Explained properly, finally.
Your identity transformation and the butterfly study
Do butterflies remember being caterpillars? Scientists asked. The answer is extraordinary, and it changes how you understand what is happening to you.
Mum brain and what actually happens in a woman’s brain after giving birth
Matrescence, postpartum brain fog, mum brain, whatever you call it. Here’s the science behind what’s really happening when you lose the words. And why it means you’re not broken. You’re becoming.
Frequently asked questions about matrescence, postpartum brain fog, and mum brain
What is the name for the transformation a woman goes through when she becomes a mother?
Is mum brain / postpartum brain fog actually real?
How long does postpartum brain fog last?
What is the ‘goo stage’ of motherhood?
Why do I keep losing words after having a baby?
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The “second puberty” and how a mother’s brain is upgrading
Scientists just officially reframed “mom brain” as a period of cognitive enhancement. Here’s why that changes everything and why what you say to yourself right now matters more than you know.
One Powerful Idea.
Every Week.
A mindset shift, a practical tool, or a reminder that you are not alone in this. From the intersection of neuroscience, identity transformation, matrescence research and the lived reality of motherhood.